ZTAG is an energizing spin on traditional laser tag, swapping guns for smart game trackers known as ztaggers. Our system, nestled in a compact roll-on case, establishes a wireless network with 24 ztaggers, offering a playground of interactive games designed to stimulate social interaction and physical activity. Each ztagger, worn on the wrist, boasts a screen, speaker, vibration motor, and activity sensors for an immersive gaming experience. Quick to set up and play, games are short yet intense, requiring a good dose of physical effort.
ZTAG is versatile, perfect for classroom settings or larger groups. For big events, the system can handle up to 100 players per hour by rotating 20 players every 10 minutes. Experience ZTAG – a dynamic fusion of technology and traditional play, designed to create unforgettable active fun.
The ZTAG system combines a central computer, the ZUES, and 24 dynamic ztaggers. The yellow ZUES is equipped with a built-in touchscreen computer, a dedicated wireless router, and convenient charging slots for all 24 ztaggers. It’s your one-stop hub for energetic, fun-filled, and engaging ZTAG games!
The ZUES consists of a central computer with a touch display. The computer utilizes a proprietary wireless network to communicate with all 24 ztaggers. Up to 48 ztaggers can be connected to a single ZUES! The ZUES is the size of an 18″ roll-on suitcase and is easily portable on an airplane. The case weighs approximately 40 pounds when all the ztaggers are contained within it.
The ZUES programs (sends instructions to) each wearable ztagger, informing it about the game mode to play, and it receives feedback and scores from each unit. At the time of this manual, there are six game modes:
Further details regarding the game modes will be covered later in the manual.
Each ztagger fits into its charging bay, and the case serves as a central charging dock for the entire setup. Each ztagger is equipped with its own screen, vibration motor, and speaker. Additionally, it includes a motion sensor (for games such as Red Light, Green Light), an infrared emitter, and a proximity detector (for games like Pattern Match and Zombie Survival).
Since ZTAG is an active game, it is crucial that each player wears their ztagger properly and securely to prevent it from coming loose during gameplay. The band is designed to be one-size-fits-most, accommodating small kids to adult players. There are two ways to wear the ztaggers depending on the player’s size.
Typical wristband attachment: The most common method is to thread the hook end of the elastic band through the plastic buckle and then pull the hook side back over the loop side.
Smaller wrist attachment: In the case of players with smaller arms, the wrist band may appear too long. You can adjust the band’s length by folding over the excess hook end and attaching it to the logo end of the band. Refer to the pictures below for visual guidance.
Operating the ZUES is simple. There are two configurations for ZTAG: one with an external monitor and one without.
In the basic configuration, it is recommended to have two six-foot folding tables. Additionally, we suggest obtaining branded ZTAG tablecloths to cover the tables (please send an email to support@ztag.com if you are interested in branded materials). It is also necessary to have a power source available. For games in remote areas, we recommend a minimum of a 300W power generator. To prevent tripping hazards, we advise using an extension cord with carpet cable covers.
The steps for setting up the external monitor are identical, with the following exceptions:
You Are Ready To Deploy
Once the system has been booted, you are ready to move on to the next step in the process, deploying the game ztaggers.
The ZTAG live action gaming system is designed to be easy to maintain and charge.
The ztaggers must be fully charged before an event. It takes approximately one hour to completely charge the ztaggers, providing about 3 hours of playtime. The ztaggers are charged by putting them into the ZUES while it is plugged in. The sidebar will illuminate red to indicate that the ztagger is being charged. When it is fully charged, the sidebar will light up green. Note that even a fully charged system may boot up showing red at the top of its charge before turning green again at the beginning of a power cycle of the ZUES. This is normal.
IMPORTANT: It is important to note that the power cord connects inside the case, and the lid has a screen, making it heavy. Therefore, if you plan on charging the ztaggers while driving, you must be very cautious as the case may cause the power cord to cut or get damaged due to constant bouncing.
IMPORTANT: Clean the ztaggers with a lint-free cloth, such as a microfiber cloth. Do not use solvents on them. Note: Before placing the ztaggers back into the charging dock, make sure there is no debris on the round charging knob. Debris can damage the charging pins of the dock.
IMPORTANT: When putting them into the case, please make sure that the bands are fully tucked in so that the clear plastic protective retainer lid can close completely and secure the units. This will keep the ztaggers in place and prevent them from damaging the touch screen
IMPORTANT: The ztaggers turn on as soon as you plug them into the power source. However, as soon as they are removed from power, they switch off. This means that as soon as you remove a ztagger from its charging cradle, the unit will immediately power off and will need to be turned on manually.
Why does this behavior occur?
This behavior is designed so that when you unplug the ZUES command unit from the wall, all the units inside the case will automatically turn off. You won’t have to switch them off manually one by one. This way, you can store the units, switch off the ZUES, and then close the case without worrying about units staying on and generating heat inside the closed case.
ZTAG is currently shipped with 6 games.
The first 3 games should be played in the exact order sequence in order to teach new players
all the skills they need to play ZTAG. Red Light, Green Light, Pattern Match, and Zombie
Survival
Red Light, Green Light is exactly what it sounds like – that game from your childhood where you would move when the light turned green and freeze when it turned red.
The system will randomly turn the player’s ztagger screen green for “Move” and red for “Stop.” Players earn points by moving around during the green portion of the game. If they move while their ztagger screen is red, they will be eliminated. The goal of the game is to score as many points as possible without getting eliminated.
ZTAG’s version of Red Light, Green Light is interesting because the commands will be transmitted through their ztagger. The game aims to teach players to:
Moreover, since the ztagger is the one issuing commands, players are not being bossed around by adults. The ztagger contains a motion sensor that awards points updated on the screen as they play. Additionally, the ztagger determines which players are eliminated, which should eliminate or at least drastically reduce cheating and solve the problem of putting an adult in the awkward position of arguing with players over whether they moved.
Typically, a game should last 2 minutes.
The Game Ends when:
Tip: To help the players get the most out of the game, it’s worth reminding them to pay attention to their tagger number. This is the number they need to look for on the screen to find their score.
Other features: Since each player has their own ztagger, they don’t have to start and stop at the same time. At the start of the game, all units turn red and green simultaneously, but as the game progresses, ZUES will randomly initiate different players at different times. This trains players to focus on their own ztagger rather than what other players are doing.
The next game in the sequence to play is Pattern Match. It is a novel game that only exists with ZTAG. Pattern Match advances the players’ understanding of the ztagger by teaching them how to “tag” each other.
Each ztagger has an infrared sensor and a transmitter. For the ztaggers to “see” each other, they must align screen to screen. The range at which they can interact with each other varies depending on the environment. Indoors and at night time, ztaggers can “tag” from up to 3 feet away or more. Outdoors, in the direct sunlight, the distance may be as short as only a few inches, with ztaggers needing to be nearly on top of each other to record a match. This is because the direct sunlight affects the sensors of the ztaggers. Sunlight also makes the screens and LED lights more difficult to see. We generally recommend playing ZTAG in shaded areas or indoors to avoid direct sunlight.
Each player’s ztagger will light up with a random shape and color. In a standard game, there are four shapes and four colors. Players score points when they match a color, shape, or both. They lose points if they try to create a match where none exists. The goal of the game is to score as many points as possible in the given time.
The points system is as follows:
Matches are made by bringing the ztagger screens close enough to each other for the units to register the match. Once a match (or mismatch) is recorded, the system assigns each ztagger a new random pattern and color, and the game continues. In case of a mismatch, the ztaggers are paused for a few seconds. The player’s score cannot go below zero.
The default shapes are:
The default colors are:
Zombie Survival is the most popular and sophisticated game out of the six. It combines all the previously acquired skills, including paying attention to the ztagger and tagging other players (or being tagged by them).
The game starts by assigning two players as zombies and the rest as humans. The goal for the zombies is to convert all the humans into zombies by tagging them. The goal of the humans is to survive the zombie horde within the given time. The zombies are identified by a red screen, while the humans have a green screen.
This game, more than any other, requires a lot of running.
The game duration is 3 minutes.
The game keeps track of the number of players a zombie converts and the number of times a human has been converted. Only the zombie score matters in this game because there is no way for humans to be “cured” of being a zombie.
END OF GAME
The game ends when time runs out or all humans are converted into zombies. Zombies win when all humans become zombies. Humans win if at least one human remains when the clock runs out.
Other features: Since this game is centered around “competitive” tagging (as opposed to cooperative tagging in Pattern Match), players generally try to avoid each other instead of attempting to locate each other. As a result, there is a lot of running involved. To minimize the risk of slip and fall injuries, players should refrain from making physical contact or tagging each other.
This aspect also presents a significant challenge for coaches since players may try to “cover” their tagger, which is a tactic that should be discouraged. Coaches should advise players to defend themselves by being elusive, utilizing spin moves, and avoiding blocking the ztagger.
This game adds a twist to Zombie Survival by introducing a doctor who can save humans in the process of turning into zombies. Newly infected humans have 10 seconds to find the doctor before they become zombies permanently
The game starts the same way as regular Zombie Survival, except that one player is chosen as the doctor. We highly recommend manually selecting the doctor (the reasons for this are explained below). Then, the game begins with a 3-minute timer.
Note: The doctor cannot be turned into a zombie!
END OF GAME
The game ends when all humans have been turned into zombies, or when the time runs out and at least one human remains. Zombies win when every human is transformed into a zombie. Humans win if at least one human survives until the time expires.
The doctor’s role significantly extends the game time and increases the chances of the human team winning. However, one thing to be careful of with the doctor is that players can “rush” them. Therefore, it might be better to select a player who is less likely to feel overwhelmed by having kids rushing at them.
Note: There is value in assigning the doctor to a specific player with unique needs who would benefit from being put in a social situation. The doctor’s role is aspirational, and other players come to them for help. It can help normalize a child to group dynamics to be put in this role in the game.
Other than that, the same rules apply:
The game keeps track of how many humans a zombie converts, how many times a human has been transformed, and how many people the doctor has cured. It is up to the coach and the players to determine which scores, if any, are meaningful
This game is circular tag. Rock tags scissors and converts it to rock. Paper tags rock and converts it to paper. Scissors tags paper and converts it to scissors. When rock and scissors meet, rock beats scissors and converts them into rock.
The easiest way to explain the rules to players is that one team runs away from the other team while the other team chases them. If your color gets converted when you are tagged, you then chase everyone on your previous team.
When the game starts, players seek each other out and determine which color beats the other color. After understanding which color beats which, the players will understand who is chasing whom.
END OF GAME
The game ends when only one team remains on the field. The team that eliminates both other teams wins!
This game is especially fun for younger kids who aren’t so caught up in scoring. When the game ends, all players will be of the same color and announcing the winning team essentially leads to all players cheering because they are on the winning team.
Math Match is a game in which players have arithmetic problems on their ztaggers and must find and pair them with other ztaggers that have the correct answers throughout the room. For example, a player may have “5 + 2” displayed on their ztagger and must seek out a device around the room that displays “7” and match their question ztagger screen to screen with the answer ztagger.
During player selection, all active devices are initially displayed on the left side of the screen. The operator must select which ztaggers will be challenged with arithmetic problems by moving them to the right side of the screen. All remaining ztaggers on the left side of the screen (unassigned) will display answers to the arithmetic problems given to the players.
When the game starts, assigned players will display various arithmetic problems on their ztaggers. They must search the room for a matching ztagger with the correct answer. It is essential to scatter the unassigned ztaggers around different parts of the room so their signals do not interfere with each other.
It is also essential for players to cover their ztaggers before they make a match with an answer to prevent accidentally firing their signals to an unintended answer ztagger.
Note: The difficulty of the arithmetic problems can be adjusted in the game settings by clicking the gear icon within the Math Match player assignment screen. One can enable various arithmetic operators and set the range of numbers to be used in the game.
Keep Away is essentially reverse tag. Rather than the “it” player chasing everyone else, everyone else is chasing the “it” player in order to become “it.”
Keep Away is a very active game where a random player is initially selected to have possession of a virtual ball. All other players will try to chase down this player to take control of the virtual ball. The longer a player with possession of the virtual ball can keep from being tagged by other players, the more points this player will receive. At the end of the game, the player with the longest possession of the virtual ball wins.
Since Keep Away is a highly active game, it is recommended to only play in an area where players can actively run without the risk of tripping or falling. Playing this game indoors or at night (without direct sunlight) is also recommended, as tagging is easier. If the game is played in daylight, the range of the tagging signal is reduced which may lead to aggressive behavior among the players.
After playing ZTAG, make sure that each ztagger is firmly seated in its charging dock. The wristbands should be tucked behind them so that the clear plastic cover can be closed properly.
The power cable must be inserted into the gaps between the ztaggers and the case, as shown in the image below.
The checklist is as follows:
Once you have completed the checklist, you can close the case
There are a few things that can go wrong, and here is how to fix them:
Solution:
First, check to make sure an active ztagger is displaying signal bars next to its battery indicator in the upper right corner of the screen. If there are no signal bars indicated, make sure the white router is plugged in (there are 2 Ethernet jacks on the router, the correct one is the one labeled as WAN, which is the LEFT port when the router’s back is facing you). Once the router is plugged in correctly, power cycle the entire system (Red Switch on the ZUES) and wait for 3 minutes.
Solution:
From the main screen, reset all the wireless devices in the settings (the gear). This will cause the ZUES to renumber/resequence all the units.
Solution:
Make sure the HDMI cable is connected to the ZUES prior to turning on the ZUES. If this still does not work, email support@ztag.com.
Solution:
You must double-click the red power button to shut down the ztagger.
Solution:
Make sure you are not playing in direct sunlight as that reduces tagging distance and visibility of the ztagger screens. We recommend indoor or nighttime use for the optimal game experience. Also, recommend that players who are tagging communicate and team up to surround a single player they are tagging
Most educational programs are up and running within days of receiving their platform—staff typically learn to operate ZTAG in just 15-30 minutes, with same-day student implementation possible.
The ZUES has several ports
The Master Power Cable Plug.
The master power switch.
The onboard computer power button.
The SD Card Port - DO NOT REMOVE THE SD CARD! This is the "hard drive" for the ZUES. Removing it will cause the system to stop working.
The HDMI cable plugs into this port.
The USB ports. The wireless keyboard dongle goes into Port A.
ZTAG is a physically demanding game that can tire out players in just 10 minutes, making it challenging to fill an hour with playtime, especially if groups need to rotate. However, there are some tips and strategies that can help players rest between rounds and get more gameplay, while still filling the hour. These tips assume that more players need to rotate.
By using these techniques, it is possible to entertain 20 or fewer kids for 60 minutes
The biggest issue with working with groups of over 24 is rotating players in and out. It takes time to remove ztaggers from one group and place them in the next group.
