Paintball can be played in various ways keeping the game both challenging and exciting. Depending on the particular venue there may be different paintball games that will be played throughout the day. Each consists of different rules and victory conditions. Here are some of the most popular game types for both indoor paintball and outdoor paintball.
Capture the Flag Game / Hostage:
A familiar game to most. Capture the Flag, is a perfect blend of attack and defend style gameplay. One team must defend their flag against an attacking team seeking to capture it. If the defending team prevents this until a time limit is reached then they win the match. Likewise, if the attackers are successful in infiltrating the defenders base, locating and obtaining the flag, they will win.
Team Deathmatch:
Deathmatch is the most common game in the sport. Two teams and one life! The objective is to eliminate the opposing team. If there is a time limit, the team with the most players left on the field is declared the winner. This game is most common at indoor paintball centers.
Paintball Games – Free For All / Elimination Paintball
This paintball game is played individually. The rules are extremely simple. No teams and only One life and One winner! Your strategy here is determined by your skill and instincts. You only have yourself to rely on and only yourself to blame if you lose. Your only real strategy here is to lay low and wait it out as long as possible before engaging with other players. Simply put- Just because there are fifteen other players, doesn’t mean you need to beat them all. You only need to beat the last one. A great competitive paintball game!
Center Flag:
Similar to the ‘Capture the Flag game’ this variation places the flag in the middle of the arena. The two teams then have to race each other to collect and return the flag to their starting bases. This is what extreme paintball is all about as the game leads to tense standoffs and fast pace action in what can feel like tug of war. Paintball adventure at its best!
Protect the King / President:
Once again there are two teams, the attackers and the defenders. The Defenders decide amongst themselves who will be the King. This team’s goal is to escort the King from one point of the paintball field to another (usually the complete opposite side). The attacking team’s objective is obvious. Assassinate the King before he reaches the safe point. Each player only has one life in this mode.
Paintball Games – Scenarios:
Originally proposed by Wayne Dollack. Paintball scenarios is the best game to use your imagination while playing paintball. The idea of the game is to set up either fictional or real world scenarios. For example, players could simulate the Clone Wars from Star Wars or they could recreate some of the scenes of the Second World War. Imagination is the key here to an exciting game.
Bombs:
A less popular paintball game type, ‘Bombs’ or ‘Bomb Squad’ is where one team hides one or more bombs (usually no more than three) around the paintball field and attempt to defend them. While the second team (The Bomb Squad) aim to seek them out and obtain them before the timer runs out. The bombs cannot be moved once placed and have to be within arm’s reach. The umpire will usually make sure they are placed in obtainable locations.
Freeze Tag:
Perhaps the most fun game is the more modern paintball game of Freeze tag. Once a player has been struck by a paintball they must then freeze in that spot. The player is still in the game although frozen until a player from the opposing team touches them physically and at that point they are eliminated. If though, the frozen player is touched by a team mate first then he is unfrozen and can resume playing the game. An intense game to get the heart rate going!
Assassins Paintball:
One of the most unique paintball games is also the most chaotic one. There are no teams in ‘Assassins Paintball’. Every player writes their name on a card and places it into a hat, they then one by one they draw the name of another player. The aim is for every player to hunt and take out the person of the name they pulled. If they succeed, they take that person’s card and proceed to hunt down the next person. When there is one player left or the time runs out, whoever has the most cards wins the game. This is a common game amongst smaller groups of friends.
And for the less competitive players who just want to shoot something…
Zombie Paintball Games – may be for you!
Let’s admit it. We’ve all fantasized living through a zombie apocalypse at one stage in our lives. And “Zombie Paintball” is the closest you will ever get (hopefully).
You could almost consider this an entirely different game if it wasn’t for the use of paintball guns.
Some paintball arenas or entertainment centers offer you the opportunity to live out your zombie slaying fantasies by handing you a paintball gun and placing the walking dead in front of you. These role playing experiences drop you in a scripted scenario where you and your team must complete an objective (usually clearing a building of zombies). This is an excellent way to play paintball for anyone who’s not looking for competitive paintball and wants to avoid getting shot in return… Just don’t get bitten.
There are a variety of paintball games to play so give them all a go to find the one you enjoy the most. Remember the main objective is to have fun.