Houston's live action arcade boom continues with the opening of Bam Kazam, a massive new challenge room facility located in the former Railway Heights Market space in Lazybrook/Timbergrove (8200 Washington). Opening this Saturday, September 12, it is the company's third location since starting in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2021 and the first one in Texas.

Catering to adults, the idea of Bam Kazam is to roleplay big budget cinematic adventures like solving puzzles in ancient tombs or being part of a heist. The facility contains 24 different levels across 25,000 square foot of space. Players are given up to two hours to complete rooms, with most rooms requiring between 1-5 minutes. Teamwork is key to succeeding.

“If you’ve ever watched an action movie and thought, ‘I could do that,’ well come find out,” Bam Kazam founder Victor Blake said in a statement. “Bring the friend who thinks they’re the brains and the one who thinks they’re the athlete. You’re going to need each other.”

Rooms in the Houston location include Rat Trap, where players navigate through a giant mousetrap to avoid an equally giant cat; a Cat Burglar scenario that involves rope walks to steal a priceless painting; and a ruined city full of logic puzzles inspired by the Indiana Jones franchise.

Tickets for Bam Kazam are $39 per player with a three-player minimum per team. Every possible room is available with a ticket, and players have unlimited tries per room to solve them. Tickets are half-off ($19.50) during opening weekend when purchased through the website.

Houston has been enjoying a boom in live-action themed gaming since the end of COVID. Sandbox VR opened earlier this year, following Activate debuting in the city in 2023 and the Department of Wonder in 2022.

Photo courtesy of Bam Kazam

Physical and mental tasks are part of the fun at Bam Kazam.