In Las Vegas, you may have dined by the side of a manmade lake to the strains of a giant animatronic bird singing Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.” Or partied all night long in a rooftop swimming pool to the sounds of one of the world’s most in-demand DJs. Vegas is famous for its outsized dining, nightlife and show experience. But have you donned a Velcro suit, bounced off a trampoline and flung yourself at a giant target? Or eaten bao buns inside an old-school carousel before playing a rousing game of darts?

More and more opportunities to play like a kid — sans the kids — are springing up all around Las Vegas. So suit up and get ready for a little Vegas-style friendly competition.

Play Playground

The rollicking Play Playground, located on the second story of Luxor Hotel and Casino, is a cross between a swanky lounge and an adults-only obstacle course. The space is home to more than a dozen larger-than-life memory, puzzle and physical challenges that are best played in a group. One of the games is a giant version of the board game Operation, and another is a heads-up version of Scrabble with giant tiles. Digital scorecards provide a real-time leaderboard throughout each visit. When your squad is ready for a break, there are two bars that serve cocktails throughout the night.

 

Flight Club

The game of darts is the main attraction at Flight Club, an enormous hangout on the northernmost corner of The Grand Canal Shoppes inside The Palazzo at The Venetian Resort. The vibe is so jovial, they call it “social darts.” The bar has 20 dartboards in all, each with digital cameras and sensors that automate scoring. Each dartboard comes in a semiprivate booth called an oche (pronounced like hockey), and each oche has leather banquettes and bar tables for cocktails and shareable foods that range from flatbreads, tacos and sliders, to tandoori chicken skewers, lobster elote dip and kung pao cauliflower. Replay your victories on your own giant screen.

Dueling Axes

Part of the appeal of axe-throwing is the inherent danger: Participants throw actual axes and knives at a wooden target at the far end of a fenced-in lane. At Dueling Axes, inside the AREA15 entertainment complex, the game has gone completely upscale, with private throwing lanes, computerized scoring, a full bar program, and access to a throwing coach if you so desire. Players can choose from three different games, and they can throw with either axes or knives. Another benefit: Groups can order food from elsewhere at AREA15 and either bring it in or have it delivered right to the lane.

Swingers

Set to open at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in November 2024, Swingers will bring together 36 holes of miniature golf, cocktail bars, street food, carnival games and live DJs into an English countryside-themed atmosphere that will rival what you might find at one of the nightclubs around town. The golf experience will be unlike any other in town; each of the holes on the four 9-hole courses will be quirky and complicated, designed by local makers to be one –of –a kind. Cocktails will be delivered by caddie; players also can pick them up at one of two bars on-site.