*Note: Age restrictions and policies may vary by arcade. Check with your local facility for specifics.*
First-time visitors may need to sign a waiver or register for a game card. Staff are typically available to help explain games and provide tutorials. Some arcades offer newcomer specials or free play sessions to help you get started.
*Note: Policies vary by arcade. Confirm with your local facility.*
*Note: Payment methods and requirements may differ by arcade.*
*Note: Tips may vary by arcade type and location.*
*Note: Policies, pricing, and features differ by arcade. Contact your local facility for details.*
4522 Fredericksburg Rd B100
San Antonio, Texas 78201
Mom had just had baby and my grandbaby?s birthday snuck up on us. I googled venues for a 4 year old party and this Place popped up. I had never heard of it. I booked a slot online and was so happy they had availability o. His actual birthday. I paid for a 10 person party. ARs WAS AWESOME!!. I have paid over 400 for a birthday party that was held at A jumping place. Our host was incredible. He took care of us, explained everything to us, took our orders and kept our party on track. This party, including food
This place is great! $30 for all you can skate, mini golf, laser tag, and play in the indoor playground. The arcade is also great and not overpriced. They also sell food and alcohol and are open late in the weekends! Me and my son have so much fun that I'm thinking about buying my own speed skates like i had back in 8 grade! ?? If I'm gonna frequent the place i might as well be comfortable!
First time visiting this establishment and it's a great place to take the kids for some family fun. I was impressed with the amount of arcade games. Decent size skating rink and lazer trash. Pizza was pretty good but 6 dollar beers??? I will bring the family back.
I went on a Thursday with my kiddos. Definitely worth the visit. The place is clean first of all. The team that operates it is very engaging and full of energy. Definitely made our experience worth it. The manager Mark helped us out along with the amazing Regional manager Cindy that reinforced our experience. I came here a month or so after they first opened with my kids and came back to a better experience. I can't wait to have our next family fun day here and my littles are still talking about it. Thank y
This place is our go-to place for our family. Especially Wednesday nights 1/2 off tickets, our kids 7, 5, 2 have tons of fun with different activities, arcades, skating, laser tag, and the toddler play area. Food and drinks are also on point always.
We've been there past weekend twice, and my 1 year old had so much fun by the playground. First day he was scared, and not sure what to do until he saw other kids just to run away and play The second day, we bought some credits too, to just play some games, and he was by the playground again and he was so comfortable around other kids, that melted my heart ?? Later we just walked around and he just kept touching the card reader because it's glowing, he thought by touching them, the light will change ?? But
Been here a couple of times. Big shout out to Mark who has always taken care of my family and I. Mark has already gone above and beyond. Today we had a very pleasant transaction with Owen in the front. Great customer service. ?? I will continue coming back for the service we receive. Thank you so much.
I went on Sunday for a Birthday party celebration, which was a great experience! Parking is crowded, but it has a Target next to it. The wait time was less than 5 min in the door. The skating looked so much fun, but we did more at the park and the arcade, and the kids had a blast!! The mini park for kids is perfect. I have come to other places/competitors, and this is pretty neat. Bathroom were clean, pizza was ok. Not bad for first time and possible party celebration!
ARS Entertainment Hub is hands down one of the best places to visit for an unforgettable experience with family and friends. Whether you're planning a birthday party, a casual night out, or a fun-filled day with the kids, ARS has something for everyone. The food is absolutely top-notch?the bistro offers a wide range of mouthwatering options that go far beyond what you'd expect from a typical entertainment center. Every dish is fresh, flavorful, and served with care. The service is exceptional, and the staf
Had my son?s 4th birthday here and he definitely had a blast. Only complaint was Private room was too hot to relax in but party host brought a fan so I appreciated it. My party host made sure all my guest were taken care of and was helpful. Bathrooms were very a nice and clean as well
HIGHLY HIGHLLLLY RECOMMEND this place for family fun! Five hours of UNLIMITED play! $30 for the older kids, $12 for the younger ones! It was amazing! It's very clean, well kept and super fun, so many options to choose from! I will 100% be back, my kids had a blast!
This was our first time here. I thought it would be bigger but it's small. I guess they are short staffed. My family waited about 45 mins to order food and another 45 mins to get their food. Getting your skates takes a few minutes also. The skate floor isn't smooth. I could feel bumps. The playground area is cute. The laser tag was fun. The mini golf was okay. Half was black light and half was regular. Kids are running everywhere and parents not really watching their kids. They have lockers to put your stuf
It was an incredible birthday celebration! We chose a mid week to assure a smaller crowd. First, our party host was INCREDIBLE (he is the party manager) and went above and beyond. His attention to detail was one of a kind. Our daughter and guests had a great time. Thank you! PS? they were super accommodating to her service dog as well.
We recently attended my son?s friend?s birthday party at ARs Entertainment Hub, and it was an amazing experience. The highlight of the day was definitely the laser tag, which the kids absolutely loved. They couldn't stop talking about how much fun they had running around in the arena. Beyond laser tag, there were plenty of other activities like arcade games and play zones that kept everyone entertained. The party room was spacious and well-organized, providing a great space to relax and enjoy the festivitie
Great atmosphere for our son?s party? Staff is amazing at helping with any minor predicaments.. Couldn't have wished for a better place to have my son?s 5th birthday party. Highly recommended bc all the guest kids loved the multiple attractions n games. Good food drinks n fun!!!!!
My family had so much fun here. We had the pepperoni pizza, boudin egg rolls, and buffalo wings, which were all so delicious. I love that they had almost anything you'd want in a family entertainment center (Laser tag, mini golf, roller skating, arcade, indoor playground for the younger kids). The prices were really good too! We will definitely be going back here and I highly recommend for others.
Fabulous facility! Clean, efficient, reasonable and amazing staff. Every staff member really understands customer service!! That's a really big deal these days. First time here and will definitely come back!
Came in for a 2pm party on Saturday, Robin was our party host. She was very informative giving us the layout out of the venue. She met us at the entrance and helped us with our party supplies and walked us to our table. Food and drinks came out on time, and when it was time to for the AR's chant some of the other staff joined in. My daughter had an amazing time there and and so did our invited guests. Thank you for a memorable experience
I was here for there opening day. Everything was handled so professionally and people in line were even given donuts while they waited for the doors to open which was an added bonus. Once we move closer to the doors there was a DJ and characters who greeted people while we waited. Going inside you see the great detail and the way they turn this former store into a fun area for both children and adults. There is literally something here for every one of all ages! Prices are reasonable and you're able to keep
We had a party package for ours son?s birthday, spent $800. We had the good bags set out on the party table with the cake and they literally went through all the goodie bags and took out the chips, gold fish, fruit rolls ups and powdered doughnuts as those are considered OUTSIDE FOOD ITEMS AND ARE PROHIBITED FROM BEING INSIDE THE VENUE! Mind you there was another party with chips and other similar items and the other party wasn't told anything as they were friends of the manager. After spending so much mone
Took my son here for the first time this past weekend and thoroughly enjoyed everything there was to offer! The staff was extremely welcoming from the moment we entered the doors and was able to answer all questions we had. My son absolutely loved playing laser tag, and the jungle themed mini golf! Arcade had great affordable games, and the redemption area had a wonderful selection of prizes. Would definitely recommend over other family entertainment venues in the area!
Not the place to book a party at! Be ware of the rude staff that will find any reason to charge you more money! Birthday girl received a card that had confetti and because she didn't know there was confetti in it, it fell to the floor and they charged an additional $50 even though we swept it up ourselves. They bring the pizza out 45 minutes to the end of your party, so eat fast otherwise you will have to find another table to eat at. The drinks came very late the priority for them was waivers before anythi
This establishment is amazing. They have all you can play skating,bumper cars, mini-golf, laser tag and play ground. They also have a pay as you play arcade. (24.99+tax) they also honor military with a discount. Skating has a very smooth and well maintained surface as well as decent quality skates to use as well as allowing personal skates. And I love the music selection. Bumper cars, this was a fun concept of bumper cars. If you hit on the targets it causes the other car to go into a spin. I also love how
Facilities are very clean , no wait, and even better if you have a reservation. Staff is amazing ?? Polite, and very helpful when we needed them. It's a place to have a party. The host is there to help as much as you need it. They do all the cleaning after. All we do is eat play and celebrate. Which is amazing, when you have a little over 15 kids to celebrate my child. I would do it all again next year ??! Thank AR Staff, our other parents are going to book with you all soon.
This place is very fun for children of all ages. Prices are fair but the Place needs some work. It needs some cleaning and employees are not very friendly nor helpful. Time to but tickets is not too bad about 10 minutes total. Food there is good
We went on a Friday Night, and we had so much fun. We got the pass where you can do everything for 5 hours, I think. The manager was super friendly and helped us when a game didn't work. the staff was so nice as well. We will be coming back and looking into having my daughter's birthday here.
Really enjoy taking the kids here on those days where nothing is planned. The a la carte or bundle pricing options can fit just about any budget. For birthday parties, you can elect to have their staff host you or you can get there early, preferably when they open and select a non reserved table and have a small little gathering. We've done this several times when we only have a few kid joining. The great thing is adults can have fun too. I recommend you sign your waiver online if possible to avoid the de
Took my son and his friends for his bday and the line was fast. I wasn't sure what would be our best option so they took the time to explain them all. We ordered some snacks and and the pretzel was so hard. It was a young kid. Took it back and they apologized. They ended up giving us some extra snacks. I like the way the worker showed the kid the right way to do it. No yelling or demeaning. Overall we will definitely be back.
The only reason it gets 1 star is because it at the very least has a roller rink. I paid for the "unlimited" games, skating, golf etc. But almost every single game was out of order! Literally only a few out of the entire "game room" worked. The laser tag line was full of really young unattended kids who were loud and kept shoving each other into people. No employees in sight. The whole experience was trash. This "entertainment hub" is trash. Spend your extra cash at Andretti's or Main Event. Don't bring you
This has a kids indoor playground, mini golf, skating arena, food court, arcade games and laser tag. Great place to bring kids.
I have never seen professionalism in a child's entertainment venue like I did today. No joke, first of all I want to give a thumbs up to Milly who was essential in giving information to a group of people who needed direction. She greeted us at the door and knew what to do and she did it with a smile. Kids birthday parties or gatherings are always chaotic. Milly let everyone know where to go and she did it happily. After Milly let us know where to go we were then directed by Geddy. Geddy was equally knowled
Esme was incredibly rude! Found any reason to give attitude and charge extra fees. Would not recommend having a birthday party here. You are not allowed to bring in any candy bags or party favors. Staff was unfriendly and unwilling to assist. You can see the faces the hostesses are making as the do the jobs they're paid to do. Definitely not a good venue to choose for a large party. Do yourself a favor and steer clear from this place!
I'm not going to say much. Only that this place has it all. My wife and I are going to have our daughter's next birthday party here. So much for the kids to do. GOLF. LAZER TAG, SKATING, MINI GOLF.SOFT PLAY GROUND FOR TODDLES,arcade area.
I can't say enough great things about AR?s Entertainment Hub in San Antonio! My family and I had an absolute blast here. From the moment we walked in, the staff was super friendly and welcoming, making sure we had everything we needed for a fun experience. There's so much to do?roller skating, laser tag, mini-golf, bumper cars, and an awesome arcade that kept both the kids and adults entertained for hours. The place is clean, well-maintained, and has a great atmosphere. My daughter especially loved the hug
We loved it, and had a blast. The unlimited card was great for only 2 dollars more than skating and mini golf together.
We recently held our son's birthday at AR's and were blown away by the value of the party package. Our kids had everything they could have asked for in a party venue. The staff was attentive and made sure we got all the value we could have out of our package. We will definitely be booking again!!
Came with my wife and kids for Valentine?s Day yesterday for the first time, wasn't much for the adults to do other than skate, but the kids had fun at laser tag. What was def coo for the adults was the bar, didn't get a name but the rocker kid wi the spiked bracelet and rocker hair was more than happy to tell us about all the drinks they had and gave us samples and kept offering more and more to what we could do to the drinks, pretty cool kid , the food was nice too and pretty fair priced and kids and the
Family had a blast! We showed up on a whim and were greeted with team members that genuinely enjoy their jobs! It was busy but everything was well organized and there was an efficient amount of employees working that the wait times were not too long that my kids got impatient. The FIRST attendant, young man with braids, in the laser tag was up-beat, patient and so much fun as he explained the rules and different experience of this particular game. The equipment was well maintained and clean! Shout-outs to
Mini Golf- 11.99 for 5 hours Laser tag - 11.99 for 5 hours Game card- up to you on how much u spend. They add additional credits. Pretty busy - great place for all ages Keep an eye on ur kids it's a large play area. Spent 96$ For 2 game cards to golf and laser Tag And purchased an 40$ arcade card
We found this gem during spring break and we haven't forgotten about it since! This is an amazing place not only for kids but for adults, too! So many activities/options to choose from. Our kid always has a blast when we come spend family time here. The staff make us feel so welcome like family and their service is superb. This place has definitely been added to our list of favorites for sure! ????
We went for the grand opening, we were able to receive a free attraction of our choosing for a whole year!! Everyone was very nice and made everyone feel so welcomed! It's so spacious, my four year old had the time of his life in the playground, so much for them to do. The arcade is so big with plenty of different games to choose from! The food is inexpensive and really good! The pricing for the attractions are perfect and such good deals for what they offer! A perfect spot to spend time and for the ENTIRE
Brought both our girls ages 6 & 4. Man did they have a great time, actually we all did. My 4yr old was scared to do laser tag. But Noah allowed her to get a view of the room inside and showed her the pew pew (laser gun) and she was convinced. Thank you Noah for helping g my daughter become fear less. We will definitely be back
Asked for 40 points card ($10) and was charged for $40 worth of points and was refused a refund. They almost did the exact same thing to my friend but he corrected them. Refused to even split the points into two cards for my other friend. NOT helpful.
I have been 3 times and love this place! In my opinion, it might even be better than main event or Dave and busters! I have tons of fun every time I go! And John is an amazing manager and is super helpful as well as kind. I will definitely be visiting again!
Cashier Jason was pretty off putting and annoying kept talking super fast and rushing us for no reason, and trying to get us to write a ?good review? on him so he win some raffle, why we gonna help you if your gonna be rude and snobby to us the whole time we visit, even had the audacity to ask for a tip for doing almost no work, then we asked how to take it off he gave a rude attitude and huffed and puffed, not sure what's wrong with that boys ego but he should show some respect and wash his mouth. Too many
I recently went here and it was awesome! Very clean and friendly. I had my sons birthday party here for the first time and It was such a nice experience! They provided balloons, plates and utensils for food and cake. And I also got my very own party host! His name was GeddyLee and he was so sweet, attentive and professional! He made putting the party together and the flow of it so smooth and easy! I definitely recommend this place for their kids to have a good time and a good birthday party here!
This is a great place to come for fun. Roller skating, laser tag, miniature golf, bumper cars, and a toddler play area all under one roof. It's also a great use of a converted section at Crossroads Mall. Pricing is also very friendly and there is also a food court with a great menu. Special day and night packages are also available.
Overall a good experience we went early so it wasn't very busy the first 2 hours. We went on a day there was a sale, otherwise it is a little expensive. I'm not able to play anything due to my current health and bought a pass not realizing that I didn't need to, so that was an absolute waste. The day we went the arcade got shut down in the middle of us playing due to smoke coming out of the vr game. That wasn't a big deal. The problem was management did nothing for the people in the middle of playing who
We had an amazing night! Brought my niece and 2 of her friends to celebrate her friends bday. They played for 5 hours easy, and had so much fun in the arcade. The arcade is AMAZIGN especially compared to others in the area, so much more affordable than D&B and Round1. Juan on the bumper cars did a great job making everyone laugh and feel included! My sister and I did the VR and Scott was great. He helped us through the experience, since neither of us had done it before. If I could offer one piece of advice,
We had a great family outing but I need to show recognition to one particular employee, Nick Meyer was so helpful, great customer service, and just an overall delight to work with , thank you Nick for making our special day even more perfect ! If you are looking for a great place to host a birthday party, this place is an all day entertainment and full of fun kinda place !
Went here for a bday party and and my newphew loved it so much that now he wants to have a party here. The customer service was excellent and they had a good mix of attractions. He had a minor issue that came up but they were able were able to resolve it for us. Highly recommend!
I did remember when I had a birthday party when they invited me to this place when I was in 7th grade and the skates,arcade and Lazer tug was fun and the pizza and the cake was good. that is until I got eventually backstab by my friends who invited me?? all I'm saying is that this place is fun to have birthday party, eat and having fun
These people are scammers and very rude ?? do not have your child's birthday here Also they take your candy bags search through your stuff when you are not looking add charges for confetti wich you never brought in lie and say your circling the parking lot when you where simply putting your children in the car Have there workers corner you and act very aggressive not to mention call security when you are recording for your own safety because they take you in a little office all alone and you feel very very
Sharahya did a Wonderful job checking us in and we enjoyed the entire staff and the food. We made it a family tradition to go here at least once a month. Thank you so much for the Amazing service and food.
I love this place. We had a last minute small party for my grand daughter, couple of girls. Pizza is very good. Place was so clean! Loads fun.
Wonderful place. JD for the Skating. Bumper cars are fun for all ages, even adults. The price is great .. $24.99 per child for unlimited rides includes skating, golf and Bumper cars all for 5 hrs.
Great, great experience! Clean, so much to do and so much fun and adult drinks!!! Wow. The manager mark was very friendly and was genuinely interested to know our experience. We will be back!
Went to Crossroads and saw that this space was reinvented in the old Burks/Montgomery Wards (if you're from that far back). But there is an arcade, interactive games, food area, play area for younger kids and a freaking roller skating rink. Like Dave & Buster, Chuck E. Cheese, and Skateland West all together.
The lady at the front desk in the entrance was very nice and informative when we first walked in, I think she was a manager . A lot of the other employees seem young and inexperienced with a few interactions I had with them . One of the older ladies at the food counter was just plain rude, she kept making indirect comments towards us like ?most people just wait until they're called to the counter? and proceeded to yell ?thank you!? At me as we were leaving. As for the place itself it was nice and clean. It
Celebrated my daughter?s 10th birthday party here and was so happy with our experience. First and foremost Shane was the best host we could have asked for. He was on point with the drinks, food, helping with the gifts and even cut the cake for us! Everything went so smoothly and the whole family loved it. The employees all came together and sung my daughter happy birthday and it was the cherry on the cake. Definitely will be having more parties here ????
We had my sons birthday party and man what a great choice! He and his friends had a blast and the team of employees were great they did everything they could to make sure we had the best party, even the manager came by to see if everything was good. Definitely will recommend to everyone thanks ARs staff
Fun little place! Busy, but fun... Even when it's crowded though, it's still enjoyable! 1/2 price Wednesday but of course double the crowd.. Worth a visit at least once!
This is hands down my new favorite family party place! The price is good for what u get. Went with a party of 7 and we all loved the place, especially the laser tag! I played 3 rounds with kiddos, can't wait to go back!
Seems like a nice atmosphere... roller rink, miniature golf, and laser tag was fun... couple of the arcade games seemed a little pricey to play, but nice.
Nice service from Chris at the bar, very patient and answered all our questions since it was our first time at the establishment, surprised that the arcade in the corner was free, my kids definitely liked that and so did I ??
Awesome image for kids and adults 10/10 recommend coming here with your loved one . Playground safe & playful for the little ones . Rolling skating , arcade & food.
Be prepared to melt inside. Don't know if they are trying to save money on electric bill but there is absolutely no ac in this place! It should be 72 in here so bacteria doesn't grow and with a ton of kids every single one will be sick if one kid is. As much money as we spent that is ridiculous! Will never be back due to just that!
Omgggg we had a blast !!!!!! The prices were so well worth it !!! We have an 11 9 and 6 yr old which all had to get the ar big deal which was $25 for unlimited all activities for 5 hrs. My kids literally only did skate and laser tag. So next time will only be paying for those. Overall very pleased!
My granddaughters visited from NYC and they absolutely loved it. Reasonably priced considering the variety of fun things to do. More importantly our autistic 5 year old truly enjoyed herself in the playground for younger kids. She lives in San Antonio so that will be her parents' go to now.
Fin place to roller skate and the area is big that there is plenty of activities for all ages. Our students has a blast learning to roller skate and competing in the lader tag.
You lose your card for activities and they will not give you a new one unless you took a picture of it. My daughter lost her card roller skating and I'm guessing someone picked it up off the floor after that we went to the desk with a receipt and they will not give us another card. All they said was well at least whoever picked it up can keep using it. ??
The combo price was worth the fun we had. The only thing that I would complain about is the long lines for every attraction. It took 20 min just to get skates and they didn't even have the sizes we needed. As you walk around there are skates everywhere on the floor. The mini golf was my favorite. Laser tag took forever to get through the line. But was fun!
My Son had the best time! We can't wait to go back! They have the best toddler and little kid play area.
Had a great time with my family! The customer service was excellent and the management was great! Food was also very good, especially the pizza! Will be back!
It was free for our under 2 yo to play at the toddler area. You can kick back drink and let your kid play. Love it wish I knew about this sooner. We are always at crossroads mall and love how family oriented it is here! Sunday night is really chill, not as many people as Saturday night.
Had a great time on a Saturday night! My family loves going to ARs. They have a great staff and from what I could tell their parties look fun and exciting
It was super fun! Loved that we went on Wednesday and tickets were half price. Every was clean and neat.
The service was horrible. They stole our candy. They were rude. They moved us out of our seats. They overcharged your credit cards. The service was just bland out rude!! Don't go wouldn't recommend.
Niceeee place to have a party. They have a roller skating ring & other games. Pizza was delicious!
It's an awesome place to have lots of fun with the family. My teens really enjoyed everything. The skating ring and the 80s music brought back many memories. It's a pretty cool place to bring the family for fun. Between all the cool stations, the arcades and the laser tag were my teens' favorite activity. Pizza, wings, and adult drinks are pretty good.
Nice place to hang out and play mini golf or go skating,can be a little expensive but not too bad, it does get too loud for me personally but overall a fun experience
I went there while on vacation to spend an afternoon. My 7 year old daughter had a great time. It's big and clean and there's plenty to do. The arcade has some great games and the prizes for tickets are very reasonable. The highlight for us was the staff. In particular, Jordan and especially Mark R were both very courteous, professional and incredibly friendly. People like that can turn a typical night out into a great one. Thank you so much for a good time.
First time and it was fun for the kiddos. Wednesdays are half priced tickets. We only played in the big play area and ordered snacks and drinks. Prices of food is reasonable for the amount of food you get and the taste. Tried the hot Cheetos and Cheese with egg rolls which I recommend. The staff is super nice and friendly. One of the attendants in the play area played with the kids and everyone had a blast. Will definitely be coming again.
Absolutely fun place. The staff and management was super informative and willing to help us out, will definitely come again, thank you so much all!
This a great place to take the family. Fun for all ages!! They have playground, laser tag, , mini golf, VR games and skating plus arcade. The customer service is impeccable ? planning a birthday party in May after seeing all the excitement this past weekend. Thanks for the family friendly environment!!
The manager ava was awesome !!! The snack bar also gave my son a small Icee because he needed sugar...awesome staff!
They were rude and disrespectful and they stole our stuff and then swore we were circling the parking lot to attack them. When in reality they just had an id of ours And they lie after we spent over $700 there just to be disrespected and OK.
We took our boys ranging from age 5-13 years old here and they all had a good time. You get to play for 5 hours and that was long enough for us. We didn't eat so I can't day anything about the food. Stuff was nice and there were plenty working. We also didn't go into the arcade. The skate rink was fun for the older ones. We all liked the mini golf. We will go back again.
It’s a mix of nostalgia and high-energy fun! Many arcades blend retro classics like Pac-Man and pinball with modern VR games, racing simulators, and rhythm challenges — often with music, lights, and a social vibe.
Both can be great! Solo visits let you focus on your favorite games, while going with friends adds competition, teamwork, and laughs. Many people plan arcade meetups as a casual hangout or even date spot.
Usually just yourself and a way to pay (some arcades still use coins, others use cards or apps). If you're competitive, bring your A-game. If you're social, bring friends or meet new ones over multiplayer games.
Weekdays or early afternoons are usually less crowded — perfect for focused play. Evenings and weekends bring the buzz, especially at barcades or venues with DJs, tournaments, or themed nights.
Absolutely! Arcades attract a mix of casual players and serious gamers. Whether you're jumping into a four-player co-op or chatting between rounds, it's a fun, low-pressure way to connect over shared interests.
Not at all. While many arcades are family-friendly, there are also adult-oriented ones with full bars, 18+ nights, or vintage nostalgia themes. Arcades today cater to everyone — from first-timers to lifelong gamers.
Yes! Many arcades host regular competitions, retro nights, cosplay parties, and more. Whether you're into high scores or just want to watch and vibe, events add an extra layer to the experience.
No worries — arcades are about having fun, not being perfect. Try a variety of games, ask others for tips, and remember: the vibe is more “let’s play” than “let’s win.”