NOW PLAYING: Beat The Bomb

A lot of folks enter the immersive gaming space looking to make “video games you can live” and the Brooklyn original Beat The Bomb was one of the first and the longest standing.

Each Beat The Bomb mission involves a series of game challenges that escalates into the final room where you either beat the bomb, or find the hazmat suit you’ve been issued covered in paint, foam, or slime.

If Japanese game shows or the Nickelodeon classic Double Dare are your thing, then Beat the Bomb will call out to you siren-like. Before sliming you, of course.

As I type, the company is in the midst of a major expansion, having just opened up centers in Philadelphia, PA and Charlotte, North Carolina. Future centers in Houston and Denver are on the docket for 2025. At this rate of expansion you might want to check your closet to see if Beat The Bomb’s contractors aren’t installing a surprise in your own home.

We checked in with Alexander Patterson, CEO of Beat The Bomb to learn more about what to expect when trying your luck at beating that bomb.

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NO PROSCENIUM: Tell us a little bit about your experience! What’s it about? What makes it immersive?

Alexander Patterson: Beat The Bomb is the future of location-based social entertainment. Forget bowling, darts or billiards — Beat The Bomb has created the world’s first interactive social video game company. Players suit up in hazmat gear, progressing through five high-tech game rooms — including a state-of-the-art laser maze — designed to test teamwork and communication, reaching the ultimate test of disarming a giant special effects bomb before getting blasted by paint, foam or slime. Our visually striking environment encourages players to share their game progress with their social media friends and followers, emphasizing the game’s drive to build community through technology.

Since its inception, Beat The Bomb has invented proprietary systems — including motion cameras, RFID, projection walls, lasers, and special effects — that immerse players in dynamic, real-time challenges making them feel as if they are inside a video game. These interactive environments encourage collaboration, teamwork and strategic thinking.

The in-house innovations our designers work hard to create in our Game Studio add to the fun. Our extensive game library, with over 30 custom games like “Hack Attack,” “Echo Chamber,” “I, Sequencer,” “Crypto Laser,” “Mad Dash,” “Block Monster” and “Meltdown” demonstrate the one-of-a-kind environment at Beat The Bomb.

Beat The Bomb’s focus on real-world collaboration and genuine connection provides a refreshing alternative to the isolating effects of virtual reality or traditional arcades. Our team is not just creating a game — we are building a social experience that brings people together in high-stakes, yet fun environments. With the introduction of theme park-level special effects, pioneering technology, and promoting team-based play into retail spaces, Beat The Bomb continues to drive innovation, shaping the future of experiential entertainment.

NP: What was the inspiration for Beat The Bomb?

AP: My love for immersive and competitive experiences started young — I was hooked on video games, game shows, and sports. Later, as an early executive at Tough Mudder, I found myself drawn even deeper into team-based, high-energy challenges. It was a powerful experience, but one thought kept returning: what if I could create something like this that didn’t require intense physical training and could reach an even wider audience?

That’s where the idea for Beat The Bomb began. I envisioned an experience that wasn’t limited to a single set or scenario but could constantly evolve — filled with high stakes, like the game shows I grew up watching. Imagine the thrill of “Double Dare” combined with digital game rooms, where each experience could be reprogrammed for endless new challenges and effects. Social and shareable at every turn, it would be designed to bring people together, where teamwork and problem-solving drive the fun.

My goal wasn’t just to offer another way to pass time but to create a new kind of social experience — an alternative to a typical night out or repetitive gaming sessions. Beat The Bomb merges modern tech with interactive gameplay, giving people a space to break from routine and connect in a fun, collaborative setting. It’s an experience that pushes players to think on their feet, challenge themselves, and team up — rooted in everything I loved growing up.

NP: What do you think fans of immersive will find most interesting about the games?

AP: Fans of immersive experiences will be interested and excited by how Beat The Bomb constantly pushes the boundaries of what interactive entertainment is and can be. Beat The Bomb is an experience unlike anything else in the world. We are blending the nostalgic thrill of 90s game shows with cutting-edge technology, video game-inspired teamwork, and crazy special effects endings. Players will step into an immersive environment where they must work together, solving puzzles, dodging lasers, and cracking codes — all while racing against the clock to disarm a giant bomb, which is a real-life paint, foam or slime bomb.

Outside of the Mission experience, we also want players to build camaraderie in our space. A newer activity at Beat The Bomb are our arcade Game Bays, which bring the interactive game rooms out into the crowd — with no risk of getting blasted! While playing over 25 games from our game library with your group, you can also grab drinks and snacks from The Bomb Bar which is centered in our venues so onlookers can take in groups playing arcade games and others as they try to beat the clock in our glass-walled Bomb Rooms.

Not only is Beat The Bomb totally unique to other immersive experiences out there, we promise a unique experience every time you play. Unlike traditional escape rooms, where you play once and move on, Beat The Bomb game rooms have endless levels and are reprogrammable so no two visits should ever be the same. Fans of immersive worlds will love how each challenge feels like stepping into a different game, testing a different team skill, and the genuine bonding that comes with playing The World’s Craziest Team Game.

NP: Once you started designing and testing what did you discover about this experience that was unexpected?

AP: After we started designing and testing, we discovered that a lot of people in the Bomb Room wouldn’t even want to win. With 15 seconds on the clock, even if they were close to winning the final game to “Beat The Bomb,” they would throw down their controls and yell out “Bring on the Paint Bomb!!” It was hilarious. Losing really was winning. Nowadays, because of that, even if you win, we allow you to elect to get “blasted” and your video will say “Winner” on it. Plus, we give you a commemorative pin per Mission that you beat, and invite you out to competitive events.

Along a similar vein, the other thing that was surprising to me was just how much fun people have together in the game rooms playing the different games. I thought that we were making a real group challenge — testing communication, coordination and collaboration skills. I thought it would be fun, but in an intense way, with clear seriousness of purpose. But the amount of laughing and silliness as people carried on in the rooms was next level, and sometimes those teams performed better than the more serious teams. That Beat The Bomb was not only fun, but that it was wildly fun, was actually a surprise to me.

NP: What can fans who are coming to this, or thinking about coming to this, do to get into the mood of the experience?

AP: To get into the mood for Beat The Bomb, check out our past players in action on Instagram or Facebook (@beatthebomb) for a glimpse of the energy and excitement. You can also watch fun segments on our YouTube channel to see the challenges and epic finales in action.

Visit our website for details on each mission — whether Paint, Foam, or Slime — and FAQs on what to wear (hint: activewear and comfy shoes). Get excited!

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