Experience a dream come true: laser tag in an abandoned shopping mall
If you’ve ever pictured running corridors of a shuttered mall, lasers blazing and teammates counting on quick wits, your Halloween plans just found their match. First Strike Laser Tag is turning Tuggeranong’s South.Point shopping centre into a post-apocalyptic battlefield for two nights of team-based battles, bringing a level of immersion that blends video game vibes with real-world action.
Event details: when, where and how it works
The event runs on Thursday, 30 October, and Saturday, 1 November. With doors closed and stores emptied, the ground floor becomes a sprawling arena running seven 45-minute sessions from 6:15 pm to midnight. Each session hosts up to 18 players, outfitted with vests and laser guns as they navigate a maze of unused shops and skeletal storefronts. It’s designed to feel like a true night mission rather than a routine game night.
Immersive elements that set this apart
Co-founder Simon Heery describes the experience as deliberately immersive, aiming to replicate the sensation of roaming a mall after hours. Expect dramatic touches such as blow-ups, costumes, and special gear effects that push beyond standard laser-tag fare. The setup draws inspiration from popular culture and video games, including Fortnite, while grounding the action in a real-world environment that adds tension and unpredictability.
How the game plays
First Strike Laser Tag has designed a “deathmatch” format where two teams—humans and mutants—compete under different constraints. Mutants heal when passing radioactive zones scattered around the arena, while humans bring more health and the option of medics to balance the balance of power. The encounter is less about pure speed and more about strategy, positioning, and teamwork as players push through the mall’s nooks and crannies.
Environment and layout
The game zone covers roughly one third of the lower floor, stretching from the JB Hi-Fi entrance toward the centre of the mall. Players will also enter spaces that were once Miller’s and use a loading dock near JB Hi-Fi to heighten the eeriness. The combination of real architectural detours and staged “mutant” zones promises a hauntingly fun contrast between nostalgic retail spaces and post-apocalyptic combat.
The people behind the project
First Strike Laser Tag began as a collaboration between engineer-entrepreneur Simon Heery and Jon Yagos. A chance connection through a Ukrainian laser-tag equipment supplier sparked a shared vision: take laser tag to venues and formats it hasn’t explored yet, with Canberra as their testing ground. The company started in April, delivering mobile laser-tag experiences—from backyards and scout halls to outdoor events on leased land in Fadden Pines—and has since grown into a platform for more ambitious adventures.
A new kind of Halloween tradition? It could be a hit
Pricing is set at $59 per person, with a 10% discount for groups that fill a slot. Early interest indicates strong demand, with returning customers and word-of-mouth driving bookings. If the event proves popular, the creators hint at making it a recurring Halloween fixture. South.Point’s abandoned-mall setting gives the concept a natural seasonal fit, leveraging autumn atmosphere and the thrill of the unknown to create lasting memories.
What to know before you go
Participants should arrive ready for a high-energy, corridor-based chase. The sessions are structured but intense, requiring teamwork, strategic thinking, and a willingness to embrace the unexpected. For families and friends seeking a shared, action-packed night, this is a rare chance to play laser tag in a real, empty shopping center—an experience that sits at the intersection of live-action gaming and immersive theater.
Future implications
If the Halloween event lands well, it could establish a new seasonal venue for Canberra-area laser-tag enthusiasts and potentially inspire more tactile, real-world adaptations of popular digital experiences. First Strike Laser Tag is betting on the appeal of authentic, hands-on play—where players aren’t just aiming for points but for a memorable, adrenaline-fueled mission through an iconic retail ruinscape.
