If you are on Commercial Street on a Friday or Saturday night this summer you are bound to see groups of people of all ages scurrying around wearing unusual lighted badges; some might be in zombie makeup and all of them will be having fun. They are playing a new active outdoor game in Provincetown called DeadZone Zombie Tag. This game is the brainchild of David Flower Productions, which has been producing exciting events in Provincetown for many years. You might remember GhostTown, their haunted Halloween attraction at the Aquarium Mall, or seen Dead Silence, an interactive horror theater experience at the Art House last year.
This past March, when David Flower went to the annual TransWorld Haunted Attractions show in St. Louis MO, he was looking for something different for the 2016 season. He stopped by the Gantom lighting booth where he discovered their new infrared LED game technology. He was intrigued. He tried it out, playing a basic human-against-zombie game inside the conference center. He and his staff loved it and he knew this would be a good fit for his production company.
David bought the LED devices with several ideas for expanding the concept. First he set the game within a contemporary drama: There has been an outbreak of the zombie virus on the Cape and the government needs volunteers to help. Then he added excitement by staging the game throughout town like an outdoor scavenger hunt and also incorporating the mental challenge of riddles and clues similar to an escape room.
The game is open to anyone ages 11 and up. People can sign up either as humans who have to solve the clues and find 6 checkpoints hidden through out the DeadZone, or as zombies who try to infect and stop the humans. Every player wears a badge with an infrared LED transmitter. The badges interact at a 3-foot range. When humans are infected, their badges change color and they have to hurry to a health station to be cured. The fun begins at 7:30 under a bright yellow popup tent at 330 Commercial Street, better known as Headquarters. Each group is given their transmitters, a map, and instructions. They enter the DeadZone with 90 minutes to complete their mission and the hijinks can get intense as the clock runs out.
Families and groups of friends are having great success playing together as a human team. They combine their puzzle-solving skills and have more eyes available to watch for approaching zombies. Younger players really take to the game; they shine at deciphering codes or delight in their evil power. On the first night of play, an 11-year-old boy was the first person to find all the checkpoints and two grown men were seen frantically trying to dodge 12-year-old girls. Zombies often come dressed in costume and relish being devious. But, they are not immune to danger; zombies can also be hunted. When humans reach all 6 checkpoints, they get special powers and can disable the zombies. The tide can quickly change in this cat-and-mouse adventure.
The game is only available on Friday and Saturday nights 7:30-10:00 through September 3rd. Get your tickets online at playzombietag.com to reserve your spot in this innovative activity. Dress comfortably, bring water, and be prepared for excitement.
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