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Strike a Light reaction table set up at an indoor evening event with red and blue neon buttons lit up, the branded skirt reading "How fast are your hands?"

Strike a Light

Hire from £395.

What the Strike a Light table is

It's a two-player tabletop reaction game - also called Strike the Light or, by some of our customers, the Speed of Light - where you stand opposite your opponent and hit illuminated dome buttons as fast as they light up. The buttons are large enough to slap with an open palm, bright enough that you can see them across a busy hall, and the digital scoreboard in the centre updates in real time so the crowd can see who's winning without leaning in.

Each side gets a bank of large dome buttons: red for player one, blue for player two. In standard mode you've got thirty seconds to hit as many lit buttons as possible, and the quicker you are, the quicker the game refreshes new ones. In battle mode - the one that tends to draw the bigger crowd - every button you hit sends a fresh light to your opponent's side, so the game gets harder for whoever is losing. The aim is to clear your own board first.

The unit itself is waist-high on a pedestal base, with a branded skirt round the bottom that reads "Strike a Light - How fast are your hands?" in flame lettering. The game is manufactured and distributed by MadeforArcade - the original units have "Made in Canada" on the top panel - and they've refined it over the years with new game modes and lighting effects. The buttons are rated for continuous commercial use - we've had units out at Amazon offices, shopping centre promotions, freshers fairs and corporate fun days, and they hold up well.

We've been hiring exhibition games from our warehouse in Rotherham since 1999, five minutes from the M1, and we own and maintain the kit in-house rather than subbing it out. Every hire includes £5 million public liability insurance, with risk assessments and method statements emailed to you or your venue before the event.

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Two women playing Strike a Light head-to-head in a modern shopping centre, faces lit by the red and blue neon button glow, score reading 68-56

At a glance

Game modes
2
Standard round
30s
Years hiring since 1999
25+
Insurance cover
£5M

Where it works well

  • Exhibition Stands and Trade Shows

  • Corporate Fun Days and Brand Activations

  • Universities and Freshers Fairs

  • Team Building and Office Socials

  • Shopping Centre Promotions

  • Bars, Nightclubs and Hospitality Events

How the two game modes work

Standard mode - one or two players against the clock. You've got thirty seconds to hit as many lit buttons as you can. The faster you press them, the faster the game throws new ones at you, so it starts manageable and ends frantic. High score wins. This is the mode we tend to run at exhibition stands because a round is over quickly, which keeps the queue moving and gives your team a natural break to talk to each player.

Battle mode - two players only. You each start with the same number of lit buttons. Every time you hit one of yours, it lights a new one on your opponent's side. The object is to empty your own board before they empty theirs. It's harder than it looks because the player who's behind gets more buttons lit, which gives them more to hit, which can swing the momentum back. We've seen people queue up three or four times in a row just to settle a score.

The game has a digital LED scoreboard in the centre showing both players' scores plus a countdown timer. It plugs into a standard mains socket and the whole unit weighs enough that it doesn't shift when people lean on it, but it's still straightforward to move through a standard doorway.

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Two young men competing at an evening bar event, faces illuminated by the red and blue neon button glow, showing intense concentration

Size and space

Floor Space Height
Unit size: 8.5ft x 4.2ft 2.6ft
Required space: 11ft x 7ft 6ft

The table top is roughly waist height, so players stand either side and lean in. You need about 11ft by 7ft of clear floor space so both players have room to move their arms without bumping into the stand furniture. The 6ft height is headroom clearance - the unit itself is 2.6ft high.

It fits through a standard single door and works on any flat surface - hard floors, carpet, artificial grass or a marquee floor. Outdoors it would need to be under cover because the electronics aren't weatherproof.

What's included

  • The Strike a Light reaction table, delivered and set up by our own team
  • Operational briefing for your event or stand staff
  • 24hr telephone support throughout your event
  • £5 million public liability insurance as standard (indemnity to principal cover when we supply staff)
  • Risk assessments and method statements emailed to you or your venue before the event
  • Optional staffed hire if you'd rather hand the running over to us

Delivery charges and minimum order values may apply depending on hire duration and location. Putting it on the same delivery as other items brings the per-item cost down, so it's worth bundling if you're hiring more than one thing.

Suitability

  • Indoors on Artificial Grass
  • Indoors on Hard Surface
  • Outdoors on Grass (under cover)
  • Outdoors on Hard Surface (under cover)

Suitable for adults and children. The buttons are large enough that younger players can reach and press them without trouble, and the game timer keeps rounds short enough that nobody gets bored waiting.

Why not add?

These pair well with the Strike a Light for a competitive games corner:

We carry over 600 products across 68 categories, so it's one booking, one invoice and one point of contact.

Specifications

  • Players

    2 (standard or battle mode)

  • Round time

    30 seconds standard

  • Unit size

    8.5ft x 4.2ft x 2.6ft high

  • Access

    Fits through single door

  • Power

    Standard mains socket

  • Insurance

    £5M PLI as standard

What clients say

Mrs Bailey hired what she called the "speed of light" game from us for a family event and said: "Speed of light was a fantastic family game for all ages. Glad our daughter is older now and not wanting bouncy castle & slides. The lads are the same ones who've delivered over the years.... so helpful friendly and very accommodating."

Delivery to your event

From our 25,000 sq ft warehouse in Rotherham we're five minutes from the A1, M1 and M18, which puts most of the UK within reach without much lead time. The Strike a Light goes out regularly to exhibition stands at NEC Birmingham, ExCeL London, Manchester Central, Leeds First Direct Arena and Harrogate Convention Centre. We also deliver to corporate offices, university campuses, shopping centres and private venues across the UK.

We own and maintain 95% of what we hire out in-house, so there's no third-party supplier between you and the kit when something needs sorting on the day. If you're building an exhibition games or interactive games package, one delivery covers everything.

Have a look at the Strike a Light in action below, and for more of our hires take a look at our YouTube channel.

Gallery

  • Two women playing head-to-head in a modern shopping centre, the red and blue neon button glow lighting their faces, score showing 68-56

  • Close-up of the digital LED scoreboard showing player scores of 21 and 33, with the timer at zero and "100 POINTS" branding visible

  • Custom Alcatel-branded unit in the workshop, showing the cream top panel with blue logos, red and blue buttons, and metal edge trim

  • Game lit up inside a mirrored dance studio with wooden floor, blue and red buttons glowing, score display reading zero-zero

  • Two young men competing at an evening bar event, faces illuminated by the red and blue neon button glow

  • Two women playing at a function with motion blur on their hands, showing the fast-paced gameplay, score at 05-06

  • Standard skirted unit displayed on artificial grass, showing the full front branding "Strike a Light! How fast are your hands?"

  • Game positioned indoors in front of garden windows, red and blue buttons arranged symmetrically on the black top panel

  • Player one side glowing red mid-round, with the Strike a Light logo and flame artwork visible on the top panel

  • Reaction time challenge set up in a venue lobby on tiled flooring, with promotional stands visible in the background

  • Both player sides illuminated red and blue, showing the full button layout and centre score displays

  • Top-down view showing the printed game rules and instructions for Strike a Light and Strike It Back modes

  • Two children playing the game in a hallway, demonstrating that the game works for younger players too

  • Hettle Andrews branded panel with orange rings around each button, custom corporate branding on both player sides

  • Branded skirt featuring mountain artwork and a corporate logo, showing how the full skirt wrap looks when applied

  • Branded unit being set up at an exhibition stand, with the custom top panel and skirt visible during installation

  • Detail shot of branded buttons and start switch, showing the quality of the custom printing on the button surrounds

  • Angled view of full custom-branded button layout, with corporate colours integrated into the top panel design

  • Branded unit ready for transport in the workshop, showing the game folded down on its flight case with wheels

  • Amazon-branded version at a workplace event, with the Amazon sticker on the black top panel, Christmas decorations nearby

  • Game being tested in a warehouse setting, showing the full unit with standard skirt and top-panel artwork

  • Unit on its flight case beside a safety cone in the warehouse, showing the transport setup and protective casing

  • Game roped off as a workplace activity station, with blue LED uplighting and a rope barrier set around it

  • Player two side ready to play in a marquee, blue buttons glowing, the score display visible in the centre

  • Game set up at an evening function with a draped backdrop and ambient lighting

  • Wide angle of the game ready at an indoor evening event, the branded skirt and lit-up buttons visible against the dark room

Common questions

Is Strike a Light the same as the Batak Pro?

Not exactly. The Batak Pro is a 12-target vertical reaction wall where you reach up to hit targets at different heights. Strike a Light is a tabletop game where two players stand opposite each other and hit large dome buttons on a flat surface. The mechanics are similar - hit the lit target as fast as you can - but the physical experience is different. A lot of our clients hire them together: the Batak for the spectacle and the Strike a Light for head-to-head competition.

Can children play it, or is it just for adults?

Both. The buttons are large dome switches that are easy for children to reach and press, and the thirty-second rounds are short enough that younger players don't lose interest. The battle mode in particular works well for mixed-age groups because the game balances itself - the player who's behind gets more buttons to hit, which keeps it competitive even when there's a skill gap.

What's the difference between Strike a Light and Chaos 4-Player?

Same manufacturer and same basic idea, but Chaos is a four-player tournament version with a larger table and more buttons. Strike a Light is the classic two-player head-to-head setup - better for smaller stands and more intimate competition. If you've got the floor space and want a proper tournament bracket, that's when the four-player version makes sense.

How does the branding work?

We can brand either the skirt, the top panel, or both. The skirt wraps round the base of the unit and takes a full-colour print of your logo, campaign artwork or event signage. The top panel branding replaces the standard black surface with your design, printed and applied by our in-house team. Everything is removed after the event so the unit goes back to standard for the next hire.

Related Products

Strike a Light is the classic two-player reaction table - if you need the tournament version, that's the Chaos 4-Player Strike a Light. Pair either one with the reaction and challenge games below for a properly competitive stand setup. Want a hand designing the activation? Get in touch and we'll suggest pairings.

Hire Strike a Light

Send through your dates, venue and audience size and we'll come back with a quote. Want a leaderboard competition with Strike a Light at the centre, or branded skirts for your stand? Mention it in your message and we'll work out the details.

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