Tagging the Terror - A Behind The Scenes Tour of Survive KC

While passing through Kansas City I had an opportunity for a behind the scenes tour of Survive KC, a unique haunted house style experience that incorporates iCOMBAT laser tag equipment, which is why I was interested in checking this out. Located on the top floor of Kansas City’s historic Union Station, you can purchase a ticket for the experience on the main floor and then you will go up to the seventh floor that circles all the way around the grand hall where you can “battle the zombie apocalypse.”

I arrived during a window of time when the zombies were on break, so (full disclosure) I did not go through the complete experience here. Instead I got a tour of the facility from the manager, Giselle, in between the public sessions. However, I am familiar with the way this works as they utilize the iCOMBAT irSMG model tagger and know that the object of this “game” is a little different. There is special software to track the results at the end for an individual or team.

This is not what I would call a laser tag arena. It is far more similar to a haunted house, but the key difference is that the live performers (and some animatronics) are wearing the irHeadband, making them targets for the laser tag component that makes this a much more interactive experience.

When a visitor arrives they are given an irSMG tagger to take with them as they walk through and whenever one of these zombies jump out to scare them the visitor must try to tag the sensor to “kill” the zombie or, if they don’t react and the creature gets too close the software will register a “bite”. Obviously, to succeed you want to tag the most zombies without letting them “bite” you first. They could potentially jump out from anywhere!

This is not a guided haunt (although it’s fairly easy to follow the path to the end), so you can take it at your own pace. There are LOTS of themed rooms throughout the experience ranging from an infirmary with a ghastly nurse, an array of various horror scenes and my favorite, the hallway of dolls.

I won’t spoil the surprise by showing you too many photos here…you’ll have to visit them and see for yourself! However, I appreciate being given the access to see all that this attraction has to offer. If I had more time in the area I would have loved to go through it from start to finish. I always enjoy using the iCOMBAT system and particularly like seeing the innovation for how it is incorporated into this kind of attraction. However, the last group through left their results on the monitor if you’d like to check them out.

Many thanks to Levi and the management of Survive KC for allowing me to visit and I hope next time around I can visit a little longer and tag some terrors!