“We really care about putting on a good show,” said game show host Austin Cohen, who has been working at Game Show Battle Rooms in Centennial for over a year and a half. “I couldn’t ask for a better working experience. It’s definitely one of those jobs that doesn’t feel like you’re working because everybody’s having a good time.”
Game Show Battle Rooms is a place where anyone can bring up to eight friends and/or all 64 family members to compete in head-to-head matches using a variety of popular games, like where you have to test your wheel-spinning skills as in “Wheel of Fortune” and solve the mysterious sentences. In part two of Bucket List’s exploration of the gaming industry, we look at the game room industry and how it differs from traditional gaming methods.
One element that makes Game Show Battle Rooms unique is that human hosts and producers tie everything together, giving you a real-life game show experience. These performers are local actors who, according to manager Ron Taylor, do not have a script and instead improvise all of the dialogue, adding to the authentic feel of being on a real television game show.
“It’s super freeing [being able to act],” Cohen said. “It’s definitely a different experience as far as acting versus this kind of experience goes. Everyone who works here has that high energy, just loving what they do, and that translates very well in both hosting and the producer position. That’s one of the reasons why we rotate so much because everyone has skills and strengths [to put on a] performance.”
When you first enter the building, you are greeted with such enthusiasm and passion from the host, bedazzled in a shiny suit, and the producers that you’re ready to compete right away. You are directed to a TV where the host explains the basic rules of each game, which rooms are available to play in, and how the groups are divided into red and blue teams.
The two battle rooms they offer are the classic showroom and the prime-time showroom. The games played in the classic showroom are Survey Battles (a “Family Feud” type of game), Spin and Solve (like “Wheel of Fortune”) and What’s That Cost (the “Price is Right” spinoff). As for the prime-time showroom, these games are a little bit more interactive and require you to move around.
After the teams are decided and each one has a name, the players line up and then they enter the room. Once the players walk through the door, it feels like they walk through a portal and everything around them changes. The lights flash in your face, the music from a TV game show plays and the producer gets into character to make you feel like you are no longer in the outside world but rather a real contestant on a game show.
The producer then directs everyone to their respective team podiums, where they are side by side, and players who were once friends in real life are now competing against one another to become champions. Following the spectacular welcome party, the producer gets the players excited by introducing their one and only host. The host emerges from another door leading into the room, grabs the microphone and gets into character.
“Welcome to Game Show Battle Rooms; who’s ready to have fun?” Cohen said as lights shone down on him, making his gold suit sparkle.
Following the introduction, the host begins the first game, Survey Battles, and explains to the teams how the game will work. To win a battle point, each team must answer the four correct/most popularly voted answers. If the team receives three strikes, it loses the opportunity to win a battle point, which the opposing team can then steal.
“What might you find in an Easter basket?” Cohen asks the red team first.
“Uhhh, money?” responded a red team member.
“Is money found in an Easter basket?” asked Cohen to the survey board.
The buzzer sound went off, and a big thumbs-down emoji appeared on the survey board, adding to the humiliation.
“It seems like money isn’t in an Easter basket,” said Cohen.
After answering survey questions, each team is given the opportunity to play other games that require extensive team discussion, such as the Spin and Solve game, in which they must debate amongst themselves to determine which sentence is correct, or the What is that Cost game, in which they must use their pricing skills.
These silly, social activities have made the company a popular choice among families, businesses and friends alike. Game Show Battle Rooms began in Minneapolis and is quickly expanding. They currently operate 15 locations across the country and intend to open many more.
“We’re opening more every month, basically,” said manager Ron Taylor, who has been a manager of the Centennial location since it opened in 2023. “We’re in a big expansion trajectory here, and our goal is trying to get to every major market first.”
Taylor believes that Game Show Battle Rooms offers a unique experience that not too many other companies are doing.
“It definitely is an attractive concept being the only one in Denver,” Taylor said. “It’s mostly just like, ‘Oh, I’ve never heard of this before.’ There are no competitors in our market as of right now; that’s why we’re trying to expand as well. People are loving the concept. We want to be the Disney version of this—the best version of a game show experience that has the best production value, best experience and most fun.”
What makes Game Show Battle Rooms so successful is that the experience encompasses more than just playing games. The production is similar to filming a movie, with everyone playing a role and getting into character and the producers ensuring that everything runs smoothly.
“I think what I enjoy most is just being able to deliver a five-star experience for every guest that walks in the door,” Taylor said. “I already know they’re going to have so much fun and this is such a unique experience in the sense that no matter the mood when someone walks in, I know for a fact they will leave satisfied and happy.”
Game Show Battle Rooms is a place where people will want to stay after the fun has ended and drink. It is a place that elicits strong emotions, laughter and bonding time with friends and family, making everyone want to return. The battle room is not going away anytime soon, and the team has stated that they plan to open another location in the Denver area.
“This is definitely a job that I see myself at for quite some time,” Cohen adds. “This is a great spot to be.”
For more information, visit gameshowbattlerooms.com.
