What Is Ricochet? A Better Way to Get Together

Ricochet was created to be something different

There are plenty of places to grab a drink. There are plenty of places to play games. Ricochet was created to be something different: a place where the games actually bring people together.

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At its core, Ricochet is a social gaming venue built around a pretty simple idea, we think people have more fun when they're doing something together.

That might mean challenging a coworker to ping pong, settling an argument over a game of darts, getting unexpectedly competitive at Skee-Ball, or discovering that someone in your group is way too good at shuffleboard. The game sometimes doesn't even matter. But, the interaction always does.

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Entertainment That Facilitates Community

Our mission at Ricochet is to create an environment where entertainment facilitates community. We live in a world where it's incredibly easy to be around other people without actually interacting with them. You can sit at the same table, watch the same television, or spend an entire evening together while everyone periodically disappears into their phones. Games change that.

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They give people something to rally around. They create conversation without forcing it. They introduce a little competition, a lot of laughter, and usually a few stories that get brought up again later. The games are intentionally at the center of the experience.

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So, What Do You Do at Ricochet?

You play. Ricochet brings together premium versions of classic social games like ping pong, darts, shuffleboard, Skee-Ball and hoops in an environment designed for adults. Check out the full lineup on our Des Moines games page. You don't need to be good at any of them.

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In fact, that's kind of the point. These are games almost anyone can understand within a few minutes. Some people are competitive. Some are terrible. Some couldn't care less who wins. Somehow, all three usually end up having a good time together. Pair that with a full bar, music, comfortable spaces to gather and a team that takes hospitality seriously, and Ricochet becomes much more than a place to play a game. It's a place to spend an evening.

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Why We Care About the Games

We use the term premium games intentionally. For us, there's a difference between putting a dartboard on a wall and building an experience around playing darts. The equipment matters. The layout matters. The atmosphere matters. And the way the games fit into the overall experience matters. We want the games at Ricochet to feel like something you came specifically to play, not something that was added to the corner of a bar as an afterthought. That philosophy carries through the entire space.

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It's why Ricochet works for two people looking for something different to do on a night out, a group of friends meeting up on a Saturday night, or a company bringing 75 coworkers together for an event. The scale changes. The idea doesn't. Give people something fun to do together, and connection tends to follow.

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Getting People Out of Their Usual Circles

There's a reason we chose the name Ricochet. It's not just about the way the games themselves bounce, ricochet and rebound — a shuffleboard puck sliding down the lane, a ping pong ball bouncing off the table. It's about the people. At Ricochet, people ricochet too — bouncing from game to game, table to table, conversation to conversation, meeting someone new along the way.

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This becomes especially noticeable with larger groups. At a traditional company happy hour or private event, people naturally gravitate toward the coworkers they already know. The sales team talks to the sales team. The managers talk to the managers. Friends find friends. Put a game between them and something changes. Suddenly two people who rarely interact are playing doubles in ping pong. A department is cheering for someone shooting hoops. Coworkers are talking trash over a shuffleboard match.

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The interaction happens naturally because there's a reason for it to happen. And for groups that want more structure, Ricochet can take that another step through facilitated play helping organize games and competition so the entire group gets involved. Read more about our team-building options here.

It's team building without having to announce that everyone is about to do a "team-building activity."

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We Take Having a Good Time Seriously

That's one of our favorite ways to describe Ricochet. We take having a good time seriously. It doesn't mean the experience has to be serious. Quite the opposite.

It means we put thought into creating a place where having fun feels easy. The games should be great. The drinks should be good. The music should feel right. The space should be comfortable. And whether you're visiting with one other person or bringing your entire company, you should feel like there is something to do besides simply standing around.

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Because ultimately, Ricochet isn't really about ping pong. It isn't about darts, shuffleboard or Skee-Ball either. Those are the tools. Ricochet is about giving people a reason to put down their phones, pick up a paddle, grab a drink, challenge somebody to a game and spend a little more time actually being together. That's what we're here to create.

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Ready to see it for yourself? Book your visit to Ricochet Des Moines.