A competitor gets ready to play capture the flag at the Paintball Arena in Cheb, Czech Republic. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

I didn’t expect to spend a recent Sunday dodging paint bullets and getting ambushed by my friend’s 13-year-old sniper-in-training and his crew, but that’s the gamble you take when you say yes to a little paintball mayhem.

As I crouched behind wooden pallets with blue paint flying in every direction, trying to lead a squad of outmatched adults against a team of fearless, paintball-hungry kids, it hit me — this was the most fun I’d had in ages.

When I arrived at the Paintball Arena in Cheb, Czech Republic, I was pleasantly surprised to find a collection of courses that looked like they were pulled straight out of Call of Duty. The complex is about an hour from the U.S. Army’s Grafenwoehr Training Area.

My friend and her kids knew the arena well after hosting a birthday party there in the winter, so I tried to study the terrain in a half-hearted attempt to gain an edge over my much younger opponents.

This apocalyptic style indoor area at the Paintball Arena in Cheb, Czech Republic, was perfect for a group game of capture the flag. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

The Paintball Arena in Cheb, Czech Republic hosts an enormous paintball facility with numerous themed maps. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

The armory at the Paintball Arena in Cheb will provide players with a weapon and a tutorial on how to refill the paintball guns with compressed air. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

At first glance, I saw buildings, trenches and even old vehicles, with each setup crafted to mimic a real combat zone.

It had been years since I last played and I was only familiar with paintball courses that had wide-open fields and inflatable cover. This was something else entirely.

I thought I’d come ill-prepared for the afternoon of chaos. But the Paintball Arena had protective gear, paintball guns, ammo and even camouflage coveralls. 

The staff, who spoke English, German and Czech, were easygoing and laid-back, with just three simple rules: keep your gear on inside the arenas, do not shoot anyone without equipment on, and have fun.

One package of paintballs and a quick tutorial on refilling compressed air was enough to fuel nearly four hours of action. 

We played across five different maps, each with its own terrain and challenges, and still didn’t manage to hit them all.

As I tiptoed through the shell of a building that mimicked an abandoned hospital, my adrenaline kicked in. My opponents weren’t just there for fun — they came to win, and they clearly knew the terrain better than I did.

The Paintball Arena in Cheb, Czech Republic, has multiple packages to pick from, all of which provide the essentials of coveralls, protective equipment, weapons and paint. Players have the option to bring their own gear for a cheaper price. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Children at the Paintball Arena in Cheb, Czech Republic, test their aim and make adjustments to weapons before starting a match. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

The Paintball Arena in Cheb, Czech Republic, has nine maps to choose from with an additional outpost facility that puts paintball skills and marksmanship to the test. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Things were going surprisingly well and my team was holding our own against the group of kids, even racking up a few wins. 

But just as we started getting a little too confident, they upped the ante by recruiting a few German pros and stocking up on smoke and paintball grenades. Needless to say, our win streak didn’t last much longer.

The matches were physically demanding. I found myself dusting off my limited knowledge of infantry tactics to gain any edge I could and hopefully walk away with as few paintball bruises as possible.

But that proved difficult when my friend’s son used his smaller size to his advantage during our final match by sneaking under the floorboards of a building and landing a perfectly placed shot to my calf. 

Blindsided and out of the game, I made a mental note to brush up on my room-clearing tactics before next time.

If you’re planning a visit to the Paintball Arena, there’s not much you need to bring, unless you have your own gear. Just make sure to bring cash, as the venue doesn’t accept cards, though it does take both euros and Czech crowns.

While I don’t see myself joining any of the professional paintballers I met there in a league anytime soon, I’m definitely looking forward to dragging a few friends back for a little chaotic fun of our own.

A child poses for a photo before a match at the Paintball Arena in Cheb, Czech Republic. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

The Texas Western-themed map at the Paintball Arena in Cheb, Czech Republic, allows players to enter and climb buildings to gain an advantage. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Paintball Arena Cheb

Address: Paintball Arena Cheb, Ke Skalce 2059/2, 350 02 Cheb, Czech Republic

Hours: summer, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; winter, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reservations available on website.

Cost: standard, 49 euros; maxi, 65 euros; Rambo, 77 euros. Bring your own gear, 22 euros.

Information: Online: paintballarenacheb.cz/en; Phone: +420 773 450 130