How Long Does A Laser Tag Game Last?

Game Duration: How Long Does a Typical Laser Tag Game Last?

Short Answer: 15 minutes

A laser tag game typically lasts for 15 minutes.

However, laser tag arena or mobile laser tag operations games can be as short as 5 minutes.

Likewise, outdoor laser tag games can last 30 minutes (often with 15-minute halves, with each team taking a turn as a defender).

In a recent survey of laser tag/battlefield operators in Australia, the USA, the UK, Spain, Canada, Belgium, New Zealand, and Greece, it was revealed that the most popular game duration was 15 minutes.

While most common laser tag games durations are between 5 and 20 minutes in length, depending on the type of laser tag game the duration can be much longer.

Key Takeaways

Game Duration Varies by Event Type: The length of laser tag games depends on the setting. For events like village festivals or school fates, shorter 5-minute games are common, while outdoor forest missions may last 15 minutes. In contrast, indoor or mobile laser tag often requires shorter, quicker games (5-10 minutes), with more frequent rounds.
Flexible Timings for Different Game Modes: Different game modes and player dynamics influence game length. For example, games like Capture & Hold can be very short (4-6 minutes), while team-based modes like Domination can run longer, depending on the game’s objectives and the number of players.
Customization with SATR System: The Battlefield Sports SATR system offers a high level of flexibility in setting game durations, with options ranging from as short as 1 minute to as long as 240 minutes, allowing operators to tailor the game time to the event’s needs and audience.

Laser Tag Game Duration

A recent survey of laser tag operators from eight countries discovered that different game times were varied.

The top 3 most popular game times were 15 minutes, 10 minutes, or 20 minutes. 36% of respondents said the 15-minute game time was the most popular 23% of respondents identified a 10-minute game as the most popular 17% said that 20-minute games were their most popular

Other laser tag operators in the survey identified other game times as their most popular. Three game times - 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 30 minutes were equally popular. Only 3% of respondents identified a 25-minute game as their most popular.

Operator Insights On Laser Tag Game Time

"If we are doing a village festival or school fete mobile laser tag event around inflatables then we usually run 5-minute games. For our forest laser tag then we run 15-minute missions. If we are running a Capture & Hold game then it can be over pretty quickly. Usually 4 to 6 minutes. Indoors or mobile games compared to outdoor laser tag need lots more, shorter games," said Nicole Lander, co-founder, of Battlefield Sports

Graham Simons runs several live gaming operations around the UK, including Battlefield LIVE East Anglia and at Jimmy's Farm in Suffolk, UK. "We run 8-minute games, score, then "change ends". On average we will run 7 games per session and can adjust timings for the last two games to fit with any underrun or overrun to hit our expected finish time. Generally 90 minutes in the Battlezone. Steve Calabro, from Laser Ops Entertainment, is a battlefield operator for Oregon USA. He agrees: "[For] Fair or festival events we run 5-10 minute games. Regular games on-site we run 15 min games."


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Graham Simons runs several live gaming operations around the UK, including Battlefield LIVE East Anglia and at Jimmy's Farm in Suffolk, UK.

"We run 8-minute games, score, then "change ends". On average we will run 7 games per session and can adjust timings for the last two games to fit with any underrun or overrun to hit our expected finish time. Generally 90 minutes in the Battlezone.

Steve Calabro, from Laser Ops Entertainment, is a battlefield operator for Oregon USA. He agrees: "[For] Fair or festival events we run 5-10 minute games. Regular games on-site we run 15 min games."

Mae Mei Bidlake from Mango Hill Skirmish runs an adventure park that offers paintball, laser tag, and gel blaster games. "[It] Depends on the heat mainly but also the game mode. Games like Domination where both teams are attacking can go longer but if one team is on the attack and the other defense then shorter games work better so you can switch sides and not tire players out too fast," she said.

Mark Williams runs an outdoor laser combat business in the United Kingdom called "Battlefield Games". "We tend to see 20 minutes as optimal [laser tag game time] for a 2-hour birthday event, 2 missions then a break followed by 2 more missions. It mirrors a game of football for a total game time of approximately."

Kyle Day operates an indoor laser tag arena in Sioux City, Iowa, USA called Combat Live. "I think most of my customers would die going 15 minutes straight, we break it down into 5-8 minute rounds," he said.

⭐ How long does a laser tag game last?

According to a survey of operators from eight countries, a standard laser tag game usually lasts 15 minutes. However, game durations can vary widely. Indoor or mobile laser tag often features shorter 5-10 minute games, while outdoor laser tag missions can last up to 30 minutes. The Battlefield Sports SATR system allows operators to customize game times, ranging from 1 minute to 240 minutes, to fit different event types and player preferences.

What factors influence laser tag game duration?

Laser tag game length depends on several factors:

Game mode – Objective-based games like "Capture & Hold" may be as short as 4-6 minutes, while team-based missions like "Domination" can last much longer.
Setting—Due to space and turnaround time, Indoor and mobile laser tag games tend to be shorter (5-10 minutes), while outdoor games can last 15-30 minutes.
Event type – Festivals and fairs often use rapid 5-minute games, whereas structured birthday parties or corporate events may have longer 20-minute rounds with breaks.

Can you customize laser tag game length?

Yes! With Battlefield Sports' SATR system, operators can customize game durations to suit their audience. The system allows unlimited time settings, with options ranging from 1 minute to 240 minutes. This flexibility makes it easy to tailor game times for different events, from quick festival rounds to extended strategic missions.

How Does The SATR System Set Game Time

In the Battlefield Sports SATR, the laser tag system, the default time setting is "unlimited".

Or in other words, un-timed. Since the live gaming engine is so flexible you can set the game timer to many, many different options.

The shortest game time that can be set to end automatically is 1 minute, and the longest is 240 minutes.

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