An overview of different Airsoft games
You load your airsoft gun, slip on your safety goggles, and step onto the battlefield. You can hear the other team members shouting as they run toward you. This is it—time to show them what you’re made of.
There are dozens of different airsoft games out there, but don’t worry. We’re here to help you learn about the most popular ones. In this article, we’ll introduce you to some of the most popular airsoft games.
We’ll start with the basics and work our way up to the more complex games. By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll be ready to take on anyone on the battlefield.
Zombie Game: Objective and rule variations
Zombies are allowed to kill any player on the human team, regardless of whether they are a zombie or not.
In a zombie game, one team is composed of humans trying to survive, while the other team is comprised of zombies. The best to get a 2:3 ratio of humans to Zombies, but you can also go for half and a half if you want. The only weapons allowed are pistols, shotguns, and knives. Mark in a relatively small area for the game to occur.
The zombies can’t use guns but can infect humans by tagging them with two hands. When all humans become Zombies, the Zombies win. The human team wins by killing all the zombies or surviving for a set amount of time.
In some rules, when Zombies kneel, humans cannot shoot them. Also, Zombies can only attack once standing up, and they can also lunge. It’s a different experience walking through a group of kneeling zombies looking right at you, ready to strike.
Since the area is small, the humans must navigate and weave through the zombies. That’s why humans have to stick together. Eventually, if enough humans have been picked off from the group, the zombies can rush at them. At that point, for humans, it is more of a run-and-shoot-behind-you scenario.
In one iteration, the only way to kill a zombie is to shoot him ten times.
There are many variations of the zombie game. For example, in some games, zombies are only allowed to kill players who are not zombies. In other games, zombies may only kill players who arent not behind a barricade.
Also check Zombie Paintball.
Sniper Game: Rules of engagement
The sniper game is a strategic and tactical game that can last for hours or days, depending on the objective. The basic rules of engagement are as follows:
- Do not reveal your position to the enemy team.
- Take your time in choosing your shots, and make every bullet count.
- Do not engage unless you have a clear shot.
- If possible, try to stay in one spot for the entire game.
- If you are discovered, retreat and hide until you can find a better position.
- Use your surroundings to your advantage.
Capture the Flag for a mission-focused game
In Capture the Flag, there are two teams, each with a flag. The objective is to capture the other team’s flag and bring it back to your own base. It’s a cross between tag and hide-and-seek, with some strategy for good measure.
There are variations of this game, but the basic rules are that each team has a designated area where their flag is placed. The team that captures the other team’s flag and brings it back to their own base wins the game.
To make things more challenging, you can add obstacles or designate certain areas as “neutral” zones where neither team can go. This adds an element of strategy to the game and makes it more difficult to run away with the other team’s flag. The game is suitable for 8 or more players.
Bomb Game: How to convert any Airsoft field into a warzone
The objective of a Bomb is to either plant the Bomb at the enemy base or successfully defend your base from the enemy planting their Bomb.
To start, each team will elect a ‘bomber’. This is the player who will attempt to plant the Bomb. The rest of the team will be defenders.
The bomber will start at their team’s base, and the defenders will begin at predetermined positions around the field. When the game starts, the bomber will attempt to reach the enemy base and plant the Bomb. The defenders will try to stop them.
If the bomber plants the Bomb, they must then defend it until it detonates. If the defenders diffuse the Bomb, they win. If the Bomb detonates, the team who planted it wins.
This is an entertaining game that can be played on any size field. It’s perfect for larger groups and will surely give everyone an adrenaline rush! Bomb game is suitable for 10 or more players.
Other fun Airsoft games
Airsoft Manhunt
This is a classic game of hide and seek with Airsoft weapons. One player, armed with an airsoft pistol, is given five minutes to hide. It’s one man against everyone else, which makes it pretty intense. That player is hunted down by the rest of the players armed with whatever weapons they like; airsoft shotguns and rifles are popular picks.
After five minutes, often marked by a whistle or a blow-horn, the manhunt starts. The hunters aim to shoot the hunted man within a specific time limit. Conversely, the hunted man wants to pick off the hunters or remain “alive” throughout the designated time limit.
There are two possible ways to win the game. Prey will win by surviving or shooting all the hunters within the time limit. Hunters win by having one person shoot the prey. The next round usually starts with the shooter becoming the following player to hide. The game is suitable for 5 or more players.
Ambush: This is a game where one team tries to ambush the other as they move from one point to another. (suitable for 16 or more players)
Airsoft Risk:
Risk is a game where players must capture and hold key points on the map. Players are divided into four or more teams with color, e.g., Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow. Teams must battle to conquer six posts on the playing field within a set time limit. Each of the six posts can be captured by changing a flag for your team’s color.
The idea is to capture all six posts in a set time; most do it within 30 to 60 minutes. Once a player gets a hit, they return to a position under their team’s control and must wait 5 minutes before re-entering the game. If speed is your style, you can try out 20-minute rounds too.
If players get hit, they are immediately eliminated from that round. The game ends when all posts are captured by one team or the time is up. The team with the most posts claimed when the time ends wins. Risk is suitable for 16 or more players.
Officers: In this game, each team has to protect their VIP while trying to take out the other team’s VIP. (suitable for 8 or more players)
Demolition: The objective of this game is to destroy the other team’s base. (suitable for 10 or more players)
Airsoft Medic
In this game, players must revive their fallen teammates and get them to the safe zone. (suitable for 10 or more players)
Airsoft Medic gives players who have been hit a chance to get back into the action once they have been “healed” by a player designated as the medic. Typically, the game is played with the goal of team domination or a death match, but it has many variations.
The player chosen to be a medic is either unarmed or lightly armed. When a member of the medic’s team is hit, a medic can “heal” the down player, who then returns to the game. In most cases, the “hit player” is required to stay down until the medic arrives.
Other times, the “hit player” is permitted to find the medic after a certain time. Players can defend themselves with their airsoft guns while they are down. A medic makes it possible for individuals to stay in the game longer, but there are limits dictating the number of times a player can be healed and return to play.
With the ability to bring a hit player back into the game, the medic is key to the team’s endurance. If the opposing team hits the medic during play, the medic is out of the game, and his team members can no longer be brought back after being hit.
Fortress: This is a game where players have to defend their fortress from the other team. (suitable for 10 or more players)
Police Shootout: In this game, players have to pretend to be police officers and apprehend the other team. (suitable for 5 or more players)
President: The objective of this game is to protect the president while he’s moving from one point to another. (suitable for 10 or more players)
Airsoft Team deathmatch
Team deathmatch, or TDM, is a basic airsoft game type that consists of two teams competing to get the most hits on their opponents. Teams begin on opposite ends of the playing field and work together to eliminate members of the other team. Typically there are equal numbers of players on each team to start.
Each player needs to keep track of their hits, and team totals are calculated at the end of the match. When a player is hit, they signal and go to a designated respawn point. Players are expected to the honor system and call themselves out when they are hit.
The rules and objectives of this game type will differ from group to group, but in many cases, players who have been “killed” can come back into the game after a certain amount of time has passed.
A variation on team deathmatch is an individual deathmatch, or Free for All, which is a similar scenario except there are no teams. Last Man Standing is an example of this game type. Each player tries to eliminate other players without getting hit, which proves a challenge without having team members to help defend against enemy fire.
Since every man is for himself, being attacked from multiple directions at once is common and makes hiding difficult. Though many airsofters love the camaraderie of team games, individual deathmatch games are fun and fast-paced and usually shorter in length than team matches.
Prison Break: One team has to break out their teammates who are being held captive by the other team. (suitable for 8 or more players)
Paratroopers: In this game, players have to parachute into enemy territory and capture key points. (suitable for 16 or more players)
CQB (Close Quarters Combat): A straightforward game with the goal of eliminating the other team with airsoft guns or other CQB weapons. (suitable for 8 or more players)
Conclusion
So there you have it—a comprehensive guide to some of the most popular airsoft games. Remember that this is just a starting point, and there are plenty of other games out there that you can try. The best way to find out is to get out there and give them a shot!
Cover photo: Daniel Stuben