Because we have a real-life Squid Game (without the dying part)
Activate, a high-tech funhouse in Scarborough, is levelling up the city’s adult gaming scene
Toronto is bursting with ways for grown-ups to behave like kids. The city’s dive bars are stuffed with vintage arcade terminals. Axe-throwing is practically a civic pastime. Then there are the high-octane obstacle courses, elaborate escape rooms and blacklit dodgeball matches. Activate, a new gaming centre in Scarborough, is the culmination of this craze, mashing up bits of those activities in a labyrinth of lights and interactive puzzles. Through 11 challenges—dodging lasers, tiptoeing across fluorescent floors, tossing balls at glowing targets—Activate tests players’ agility, precision and problem-solving skills. It’s about as close as you’ll come to competing in Squid Game. There aren’t millions of dollars up for grabs, but, on the bright side, you won’t get shot if you lose.
More Reasons to Love Toronto…
Alex Cyr is a writer based in Liberty Village. He writes about health, fitness, people and culture. He also contributes to the Globe and Mail and Maclean’s and leads a YouTube channel for runners called Marathon Handbook.
