Review: Archery District, Toronto

The Bottom Line

A great novelty idea that is pretty fun if you can get together a group for a private session.  Price point is slightly high for what you get, and some details needs to be hammered out by the organizers for a more enjoyable experience. 

• Overall Rating: 6/10
• Experience: above average 
• Value for money: below average
• Duration: ~1 hour

As a Hunger Games fan, I was instantly drawn to the idea of combining dodgeball + hunger games. When my friend told me about Archery District, I fell immediately in love with the idea and quickly put down the deposit to secure a spot.

The Venue

We showed up early morning in an industrial area - the place is located in a warehouse.

The venue is a long rectangle, with the front being registration, washroom, and an orientation area. Here is also where you can hang your personal belonging and coats. There are no lockers available, so if you have valuables, leave them in the car.

The larger back end of the warehouse is the "arena". It is basically an open turfed area with some air filled columns.

The Training

We were immediately greeted by the staff upon arrival, and asked to sign a waiver form.

Once all 20 participants arrived, there was a brief introduction, and we each got to practice shooting 2 arrows. Then into the "cage" we go, and got our bows and helmets.

The Game

Contrary to what I had initially thought, you play several different games during the 1 hour session. I like this, as it allows you more variety. There is a game where you are divided into 2 teams and you try and take down as much of the opposite team players, one where you are divided into quadrants and you're trying to take over the entire field, and one where it is last man standing, which reminds me of  the TV show Walking Dead.

All the games are facilitated, and are usually fairly short. You can win by shooting at stationary targets or by hitting other players. Personally, I enjoy hitting other players more, it's much more satisfying.  :)

FAQ

1) Does it hurt?

No, it doesn't. I am a petite female with not much muscle strength or "padding" to speak of, but when the foam tipped arrows hit me (they are like marshmallow arrows), it felt more like being hit by a pillow. We are also required to wear face masks that prevents our face from being hit.

2) Is the bow heavy?

Not really. They are made of plastic, and I can draw the bow fairly easily. I only use 5 lbs dumbbells when I exercise, so I am by no means strong. They have 2 types of bows - one with an easier draw weight - if you're a petite female like me, go for the lighter bows.

3) Should I leave my cell phone in my pocket?

NO. My friend left his phone in his pocket, and it end up getting hit and screwed up his phone. Leave your phone in the car. After the session, you will have the opportunity to retrieve it and take some cool pictures with your group in the "arena".

4) When is the best time to go?

FIRST session of the day. The reason I say this is because the helmets got pretty sweaty during the hour, and I feel sorry for the next group of people using it. I'm sure they sanitize the helmets and spray them down, but if you have the option, first session of the day is the way to go. Not to mention one of the players in my session was sick and coughing the entire time - I'm sure the next person wearing her mask would be exposed to a lot of sick germs. Do you want to risk it? 

5) Is it worth the price?

We paid about $28-ish for the hour, which is slightly on the high side. I would place this more as an $18 activity. However, perhaps it is because they are new and the novelty is there, they are quite fully booked on the weekends, so I guess it's a matter of supply and demand. It's like MBA school, if people are willing to pay for it, why won't you maximize your profit. A business is a business after all, and the price is not so outrageous that would dissuade me from going.

6) Will I go back again?

Only if I can secure a private group and if the price is lower. The problem is, because there is only 1 facilitator/ referee and you are playing with strangers, LOTS of cheating happens, and it gets somewhat frustrating. There is one group of individuals that we played with who refused to be "out" when they got hit. It kinda defeats the point of the game. If I can make one suggestion to the organizers, it would be to get numbered vests so the facilitator can easily tell that individual to sit down "NUMBER 3, sit down. NUMBER 3! You've been hit". Otherwise, the ref can only say "guy in black shirt, you're out". And of course, guy in black shirt will pretend that he never got hit and keep playing.