So how do you feel about getting shot at? No, no, no! I don’t mean really getting shot at- I mean paintball. For those of you not “in the know,” paintball is a game (for some a sport) where a group of people split into teams and shoot balls of water-soluble paint at each other with the use of air guns. It’s kind of like a mix of the games, “Hide-and-Seek” and “tag,” with maybe even a little “capture the flag” thrown in there, depending on what type of game you want to play. Team sizes can vary anywhere from 1-2 people to upwards from 100- it all depends on the size of the field you’re playing on. So now that you know what paintball is, let’s get to the discounts, shall we? If you’re a college student, you can take full advantage of college Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at Bay Area Paintball in Millbrae. On these days, admission is lowered from $20 to $5 with a college ID. For even more bang for your buck you can take advantage of full-court Fridays where you can use the whole entire field (as opposed to taking turns on only half of it).

If this is your first time playing paintball, I recommend going with a group of your friends- it could potentially get really expensive if you go by yourself. But, let’s face it, most recreational paintball players go with a group of friends anyway, and if you decide to do so too, then you’ll find a whole lot of hours of game play can come at a really low price. If you go with a group of at least five (trust me, it wont be hard to find five people who would enjoy this awesome pastime) you could easily spring for the box of 5,000 paintballs. This box costs $50, but if you all split it (which of course you would do), your entire bill for the day will come to $35 (this includes the gun and air and protective gear) for hours and hours of hurts-so-goodness. And, you’ll have more than half of the ammunition left over, which means that the next time around, you won’t even have to pay for it! I know that $35 can sound like a lot, but it’s much less than you will find at a lot of other places for what is essentially the same experience.

All in all, paying $35 for multiple hours of shooting with your friends (or strangers, whatever) is a pretty good deal. Maybe it isn’t as cheap as other things, but it’s definitely cheap in comparison to other, similar game experiences. I had a great four hours at Bay Area Paintball. I may have left a little bruised and tired, but all in all, I think it was definitely worth it. I strongly recommend this place as far as extreme fun at a pretty affordable price.