That game pub away from home

The booths also encompass yellow strip lights that are aligned along the edges of the screens and among the stones. These strips gleam the photos with a spark from the noon and evening sunlight. 
We were four and we found couples, small and large groups waiting at the booth. For the busy photo booths to decongest for our turn, this took us more than 15 minutes.

Game zone
We were warmly ushered in by two affable people. As one waited at the entrance for our return to issue us game receipts, the other took us on a tour explaining bits of the activities and prices. 

Black Zone is housed in a dimly lit hall-like building to allow the blue, white and red lights that are given off from the different gaming machine points to radiate in the space. An overwhelming number of participants were playing and others waiting for their turn to come.

Several games can be played by all age groups depending on one’s budget or choice. With an advancement in technology, the games are played at different electronically powered machine stations that provide an exciting experience for players.  Games include boxing, darts, bowling, 3D car racing and Mission accomplished. I settled for gun shooting, darts and 3D car racing, which cost me Shs 40,000.

3D car racing
The 3D vehicle is a white car machine with one seat, a flexible steering wheel, virtual reality glasses and a small screen attached to the right.  Before getting into the car, I had watched the previous driver manoeuvering road corners, her steering direction matched that of her body. This was hilarious. 

Having driven a car in real life, this game was not all that hard for me except that I was wearing virtual reality glasses. When the race began, I set off with confidence, however, along the way, there were several corners that I needed to manoeuvre carefully without ending up in crashes. These bends slowed me down as my heart skipped several times. But the more I became fond of the road, the quicker it helped me get to the finish line.

I had three rounds to drive and during my last race, I emerged second.  Virtual car driving felt surreal.

The small screen on the right side of the car is used by spectators to watch your driving skills and these will either laugh or cheer you.

Bowling
With bowling, the participant rolls a ball towards the pins at the far end by placing a thumb into the pocket of the ball. The participant is also given a different pair of shoes to avoid slipping. Here, we had brown and white. I did not participate because of my shoestring budget yet bowling costs around Shs 100,000. Fortunately, I met my OB Edrine Jjuuko who was bowling and he confessed to frequenting the place on his way to work. 

 “I played my three rounds with minimal effort and enjoyed them although with minimal excitement whenever I hit all the balls down. I have been to better bowling alleys, but for a first-time bowler, this could be everything they have ever imagined,” Jjuuko said.

The house of the dead
My friends and I went on to play The House of the Dead using guns. Although I had played this game before on my computer, what excited me was holding a gun and shooting at the zombies on the screen. We used an AK 47 and a pistol to play and pose for pictures and videos.

At the end of each round, we were awarded points ranking from the greatest shooter to the least. With this too, it was a three-round game and we shot in a group of four as one of the guides recorded our videos. 

Darts
Hellen Nabatanzi is a young entrepreneur I found in the Black Zone. I met her at the darts playing station with her sister. Sociable, Nabatanzi asked me to take her photos as she played. While at it she told me that she learnt about Black Zone through social media. 

“I loved the posts about Black Zone on TikTok and being a travel enthusiast, I decided to visit the place,” she said.

Nabatanzi said while she had never played darts, she decided to play the game six rounds and scored higher than her sister.

“I had so much fun because I played almost every game, but darts was exceptional. I was playing against my sister and we had three rounds and in each, I emerged the winner,” she bragged.

Targeting the bull’s eye is quite hard and you have to ensure you hit at the highest digits. She narrates that while she threw the darts, she always aimed for the bullseye but she always ended up hitting the highest number.

While she played, I was her cheerleader at each throw. 

This place felt addictive. For those who get bored easily, there is a bar and restaurant where people relax as they wait for their loved ones to have fun.

Quick notes 

While games are a great way to introduce fun, excitement and relaxation through a bit of competition, the Black Zone Recreation Club, on Lugogo Bypass is one social amusement games pub one can try away from home.

The leisure centre features a pub with a variety of games for one to enjoy depending on their budget, taste or preference and a restaurant that offers an excellent view for games while enjoying meals.

The disparity in the games at hand also offers a memorable and exciting experience for the players because these games are virtual and manual.