The different types of Paintball Games.

Welcome to the exciting world of paintball! In this blog post, we’ll explore different types of paintball games that you can play. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, there’s something for everyone. So, grab your paintball gun, put on your mask, and get ready to dive into the action!

Speedball: Fast and Furious

Different types of paintball games - supair

Speedball is one of the most popular paintball game types for competition play. You are most likely to see video’s on YouTube of this type of paintball as it is easy to film. It’s not that good to watch though, paintball is a players game, not a spectators game. But if you are heavily into paintball, it is possible to watch for more than 10 minutes before you are wanting to gnaw your own foot off. It’s fast-paced, intense, and perfect for adrenaline junkies.

Speedball games are typically played on a small, flat field filled with inflatable bunkers that players can use for cover. The most common name for these competition is “Supair” Teams compete against each other to eliminate opponents or capture a flag. The main supair event in the UK is the CPPS. Supair tournaments are usually played by young kids who are fast and bendy. It’s not really aimed at anyone over 30 years old, which is a shame as supair excludes around 95% of the paintball population.

Key features of Speedball:
Fast-paced gameplay
Small, flat field with inflatable bunkers
Focus on teamwork and strategy

Woodsball: Natural Tactics

Woodsball is the original form of paintball, and it’s played in the great outdoors. As the name suggests, Woodsball games take place in wooded areas where players can use trees, bushes, and natural terrain for cover. This game type is perfect for those who enjoy tactical play and the element of surprise. Actually that’s not true, it’s enjoyed by everyone. It’s impossible to play paintball in the woods without having a huge smile on your face. We all played in the woods as kids with sticks as guns, paintball allows us to re create those memories while actually shooting your friends at the same time.

Key features of Woodsball:
Played in natural environments
Larger, more varied playing fields
Emphasis on stealth and tactics

Scenario Paintball: A Story to Tell

Scenario paintball is all about immersing yourself in a storyline. Players are given specific roles to play, and the game unfolds like a movie or video game. These games can last from a few hours to multiple days and can involve hundreds of players. It’s perfect for those who enjoy role-playing and teamwork. At the Yorkshire Outdoor Activity Park, we have run dozens of scenario paintball games.

Most notably, the Chocolate factory games, where leaders dressed up as Willy Wonka, Charlie Bucket and the rest of the characters from the book. We filled the game zone with sweets and chocolate where players could take whatever they wanted whilst they completed timed missions. Another of our games was “Allt he fun of the fair”, each base became a fairground game. Every 10 minutes, a game would open and whichever team was in control of the base could enter the game. Hook a duck, coconut shy etc. If the game was completed successfully, that player won a goldfish. Back in the base, all goldfish were placed in the respective scoring tanks and the team with the most fish at the end of the event won.

Key features of Scenario Paintball:
Story-driven gameplay
Unique roles and objectives
Large-scale, immersive experience

MilSim: Military Simulation

Of all of the different types of paintball games, MilSim, or Military Simulation, is the type of paintball game that closely resembles real-life military operations. Players dress in camouflage and use realistic paintball guns designed to look like actual firearms. Teams work together to complete missions, often involving strategy and tactics similar to those used by military forces. These events really cater to a niche market where players are currently being lost to Airsoft, who actually do milsim much better due to the nature of their equipment.

Key features of MilSim:
Emphasis on realism and authenticity
Tactical and strategic gameplay
Use of realistic paintball guns and gear

1989 Club

The 1989 club is a mixture of all types of paintball with the emphasis on respect for your fellow player and fun. As the name suggests, the event is a love letter back to the early days of paintball. Players are allowed to use Pump, Pistols or Magfed guns. It is possible to use a super semi, or modern day electronic paintball gun, but players using them are restricted to one of our own 50 shot hoppers. Our 50 shot hoppers are awful and that’s their strength. There is no need to restrict a super fast shooting semi, the hopper does it for us. It is possible to fire a magfed gun faster than a modern electronic semi with our 50 shot hoppers fitted.

Key features of the 1989 club:
150 shots per game max
20 shots for one of the games
Respect for fellow players (It’s a club)
A superb introduction to paintball for all.

Duel – It’s pistols at dawn

The great thing about paintball is that you can re create events without the chance of being harmed in any way. Take duelling for example. In the 1700’s and 1800’s, if you were wronged by someone, instead of calling them out of social media, you could invite them to a duel. This was back to back, 10 paces, then turn and shoot. Popular around Europe, this old fashioned way of settling score can be re created with paintball guns.

Key features of pistols at dawn:
Both participants take a step on a count from the marshal. 1,2,3 etc.
On 10, players turn and shoot
Neither player is allowed to move their feet after the 10 count.
Only one shot per player.