In my research to write Airsoft scenario’s I found out that many scenario’s already exist. Most of those game ideas or scenario’s are not unique but are derived from another one. So therefore it’s important to know the basics, and some basic Airsoft scenario’s. That way you are able to improve yourself and even write some scenario’s by yourself.
Most Airsoft game ideas are based on real happened WAR scenario’s or other military tactics and strategies. For small groups it’s difficult to be unique or write your own scenario’s because you have less possibilities. But what is a small group anyway? I consider a small group as a group of 4 to 12 players.
The game scenario you want to play depends on how large your team is and what type of field you play.
Wat type of field you play on?
You ha
ve to keep in mind the field you play on when you think about other Airsoft game types. Most of the time we simply play deathmatch games and occasionally we will play a simple attack/defense game. I didn’t play objectives at all so I wanted to incorporate that type of game in my Airsoft play.
Not every Airsoft game idea suits your field surroundings. Maybe the Airsoft field where you play is heavily wooded with limited long-range visibility. At night you may be practically invisible.
The field type depends on the region you live in but also the location. Is it possible to hide between groves or use an ambush? thing about it when you decide to play a specific scenario.
3 Main Categories of Airsoft Games
As you may know Airsoft games can be played in total different ways and styles. For instance, you can play a simple 30 minute skirmish or prepare yourself for a whole weekend event!
If you already are a regular Airsoft player, you also know that there are many different types of Airsoft game scenario’s. There are endless variations in game scenario’s possible so field owners and organizers put their own spin on games and make their own guidelines…
What are the main categories?
Traditional
Traditional games can be found in Paintball and other shooting sports too. They are mostly based on well known scenario’s in war and in military drills. I think it’s always better to know some basic scenario’s before you write your own scenario’s or planning some uncommon scenario’s.
Examples of traditional scenario’s are:
- Capture the flag: The goal of the game is to retrieve the flag and bring it back to your base.
- Last man standing: Everyone is playing against each other with a limited time.
- King of the hill: A third of the players from one (big) group barricades themselves on the hill. The rest of the players are the attackers. On top of the hill is a flag. Within a X amount of time both teams try to get as close as possible to the flag.
- Team Death Match: There are different variants out there but the general purpose of this game type that 2 teams fight against each other until one team is eliminated or the time runs out.
- Grab the flag: This Airsoft game is a bit similar to capture the flag. The flag is somewhere on a place that is difficult to reach. Two or more teams try to reach the flag firs. A team member who reach the flag alive at first wins.
The second main Airsoft game category: Milsim
Milsim stands for Military Simulation. These games are based on real life military scenario’s and are kind of objective based games. That means that these Airsoft games are like military operations which I find the most exciting games. How real these games are depends on the environment / surroundings and can vary from game to game.
The duration of these games vary from one hour till a 40+ hour game. Mostly that’s a weekend event. If you are going to a milsim event, make sure that you’re being informed because these games are heavy! Actually these games make the Airsoft sport really stand out from other shooting sports.
The third category: Close Quarters Combat (CQB)
This kind of play refers to playing indoors. Those indoor locations have many small rooms and a lot of obstacles and structures. As the total area is not as big as an outdoor field, you’re always “close” to your opponent.
This indoor kind of playing differs from playing outside on an Airsoft field. You need other gear, a short barrel replica and other skills / tactics.
You can only play specific game types however, those games all derived from Traditional, Speedsoft and CQB type of games.
Common Airsoft games for small groups
Maybe you did already a bit of research before you came on this webpage. You probably found out that there are a verity of Airsoft games from which half of them are based on each other but with a little twist.
If you’re involved in the Airsoft sport for a longer time you probably are looking for other unique game ideas. As a beginner it’s better to do some common games first so that you can get a basic understanding on how to play different scenario’s.
Learn the basics first. That means do a couple of common Airsoft games which are easy to play for everyone as a beginner. After that you can improvise a bit.
Here are some widely known Airsoft games, especially for small groups. If you didn’t play all of these games once, you miss the basics in my opinion.
Last man standing
This game is actually the most simple one out there. It’s all against all. Nothing more than that. As this game is not complex you can play this Airsoft game in small groups or large groups.
VIP
I thought about a variant of the classic VIP game so that smaller groups can play this game too. For example if your group exists of 6 people, the small group of five has a goal to escort the VIP to a selected location in a certain amount of time.
The Spec-Ops (Special Operations) is there to take out the VIP. In this case it’s not a team it’s a one man Sniper with his Sniper Rifle who have to take out the VIP.
This game is won when the Sniper take out the VIP or when protectors of the VIP (with VIP included) reaches their destination.
Bounty Hunters
This game is great when you can divide your group in 2 or 3 small teams of 2 or 3 members. The game starts as a Last Man Standing type of play. All against all. After you hit someone the game changes a bit. You (the shooter) goes to the person who is being hit and touch his shoulder. The eliminated player is now alive and back in the game. But now he fights for the the person who tagged him. In this case he’s now fighting for or with you.
This type of game creates automatically small groups by shooting each other. The last team standing wins!
Uncommon Airsoft Games
These are the more uncommon game types because I didn’t see those a lot out there. Some are derived from a well known game type and some are totally new for me. And I hope for you. Because that’s why you came on this site right?
Capture the moving flag
This Airsoft game idea looks a bit like capture the flag. It’s ideal to have 2 teams of three or four members. One member of each team has a flag attached to their vest.
The person with a flag is not allowed to stay on one place and no ambush is allowed. The same applied to the other players. Everyone must keep moving.
When a flag carrier is hit he must shout a password which indicate that he dropped the flag. Only your teammates know what that password means. That way the other team does not know that the flag carrier is down.
If you or somebody from you team captures the others teams flag, you have to shout a password too, but this time it’s a password agreed at the start with the team. So everyone knows this password. Everyone now know that your team has the opponents flag. All team members had back to their base with the flags. Once a team member is hit he can re-spawn back in.
Shot and reverse
This game is actually very simple. Whenever you get shot, you fight for the other team. The game is played until one team is completely wiped out.
You have unlimited lives.
Zombie mode
Everyone starts in a team of two or three and when you get hit, you have to be tagged into a team. So once you’re hit, you put your hand up and wait for someone to tag you in. This could be anyone. From your starting squad to another squad. As soon as they tag you, you’re on their team.
This goes on and on until everyone is on one team.
Gold Rush
This game is actually very simple. If the field is not to large, you hide 10 bricks in the center of the field. The first team that brings 5 bricks to their base wins. This is something you can do on the field or in CQB.
Run for your life
This is a somewhat outstanding game. Both teams put their weapons on the opposite side of the field. When the game start, you must run to the opposite side of the field to get your Replica. After that it becomes team death match.
You can ad another element to this game. You can put a Sniper in the field. From each team each. When the other team members run to the opposite side of the field, they’re be in danger to get shot.
Who is the mole?
Your Airsoft team will be divided into 2 teams. Team one has twenty percent of all the people, team two has eighty percent of all the people.
The smaller team then picks someone from the lager team who is going to be the mole. As the others may not know who the mole is, they line up facing away from me and then I just tap the mole on the back.
The smaller team starts then picking a location on the field. This location is unknown to the other team. If you kill someone on your team who isn’t the mole you’re out. The game ends when all members of the larger team are killed.
A final Word
There are many, many Airsoft games and scenario’s imaginable. A lot of the existing game ideas / scenario’s are based on each other. I think more than 50 percent. So if you play Airsoft for a while now, you probably want something else.
Even with a smaller group you can play a variety of different scenario’s. I found out that there is more possible than you think, if you be creative and improvise a bit!.
Have fun in your next game!
