Suburban interactive game rooms make perfect girls’ nights, date nights

Looking to level up your next girls’ night out or date night? Ditch the dinner-and-a-movie rut and dive into the world of interactive entertainment.

These suburban game venues offer high-tech virtual reality adventures to nostalgic board game nights, and are great places to unleash your competitive spirit, share some laughs and create unforgettable memories.

Game Show Battle Rooms – Lombard

You’ll feel like you stepped inside a game show, as you become a contestant in either a classic showdown or a primetime showdown game. You’ll battle your friends or family in games similar to iconic shows like “Wheel of Fortune,” “Family Feud” and “The Price is Right.” Additional options include a variety of skill challenges. Beer and seltzers are available for purchase. gameshowbattlerooms.com/chicago-lombard

Activate – Naperville & Oak Brook

Activate, an interactive gaming facility, has locations in Naperville and Oak Brook. Activate will have multiple rooms offering different games, testing skills such as agility, hand-eye coordination, fast thinking and communication. The games include a digital version of dodgeball called Strike, a wall-climbing game called Climb, a version of laser tag called Mega Laser and several more. playactivate.com/naperville

Game Night Out – Hoffman Estates

Game Night Out, a Chicago-based destination for private, host-guided game night experiences, is opening its second location this spring at Bell Works Chicagoland in Hoffman Estates. Since opening its first location in Chicago in 2018, the venue has become a favorite for group celebrations, team outings and social gatherings. The new 3,200-square-foot venue will have private game rooms that will feature a home-like design, including a cozy living room setup and a kitchen-inspired area with ample space for food, drinks and socializing. gamenightout.com

Great Big Game Show – Oak Brook

Great Big Game Show at Oakbrook Center is an immersive, live-hosted experience where guests step into the role of game show contestants. Teams of two or more compete head-to-head on a high-tech soundstage straight out of a TV show, experiencing a variety of challenges over the course of an hour to earn points and claim victory. Each game is promised to be unique with different randomized content packs, making it replayable. Mini-games within the game range from puzzle-solving to trivia, games of chance and more.

Great Big Game Show has four studios, each holding up to 14 players. Larger groups can be accommodated. By default they offer open studios in which contestants may team up with and compete against other groups, but private studios are also available. greatbiggameshow.com/oak-brook

Fair Game – Geneva, Downers Grove and La Grange

Fair Game is a locally owned game store that hosts a variety of game nights at its Downers Grove, La Grange and Geneva locations. Events not only include game nights with games like Star Wars, Pokemon and a wide variety of tabletop games, but also hobby, paint and craft nights. fairgamestore.com