GEMU Oakland Mall review, pics, admission info, and birthday party info for GEMU Clawcade (arcade) & Indoor Playground at Oakland Mall. GEMU features arcade redemption games and an interactive playground experience.
METRO DETROIT INDOOR PLAYGROUNDS & PLAYPLACES
INDOOR MICHIGAN WINTER FUN PLACES TO GO
GEMU Oakland Mall
GEMU Troy at Oakland Mall is an 8000 square foot indoor playplace and arcade and it’s unlike any other indoor playground or arcade we’ve seen. Think of a really cool indoor playground, add a dash of Japanese anime, throw in some Dave & Buster’s arcade redemption-type machines & games, and then polish it off with fun anime-themed characters.
The name GEMU, inspired by the Japanese word for “game,” embodies the company’s commitment to bringing high-quality entertainment to its visitors.
GEMU has its roots in the Detroit area. Grace Chen, the founder and business partner, conceptualized the idea for GEMU based on her experience with similar venues abroad. The concept took shape during Wen Chen’s college spring break while studying product design at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Inspired by her mother’s vision, Wen refined the concept with her and collaborated closely with her roommate, Key Allard, a graduate in Animation from the same college. During that time, the vision for GEMU came to life through working on the branding, character design, and visual identity, ultimately creating a unique hybrid of arcade games and interactive playsets.
GEMU Oakland Mall Review
The giant GEMU Oakland Mall indoor playground features, a huge ball pit with slide, large twirly slide, climbing wall, a mini basketball court, air cannons, large playscape for climbing and exploring, and more. Don’t forget your socks!
The arcade aspect features dozens of arcade redemption claw machines with huge GEMU-themed character stuffed animals, tiny playsets, & other GEMU swag. In addition the fun and colorful GEMU claw machines, there are a couple of misc arcade games mixed that kind of look out of place but it’s nice that they have them.
Both the playground and the arcade target ages skew a bit young. I can see the interest in the playground and arcade stopping at around 7-8 years old. Kids over 8 might enjoy Dave & Buster’s (or even Kids Kingdom) a bit more. GEMU is heaven for kids ages 2-8 though.
GEMU is brightly lit with wonderful colors and is impeccably clean. The playground area is wide-open and there aren’t many blindspots… it’s very easy to keep an eye on your child at GEMU.
Like many Metro Detroit indoor playgrounds and arcades, the temptation to spend more than the admission price is EVERYWHERE. For instance, good luck telling your child(ren) that they can do the playground only and not the playcards because they’re going to want to play ALL of the awesome Claw Machines. Claw machines occupy a majority of the “arcade” portion of GEMU, but there are a couple of other arcade games – a racing game and a punching bag game. The playcards, marketing, overall presentation is so good… too good… if you’re on a tight budget. It’s a compliment… and a curse at the same time!
There is no juice bar or snack bar like you may see at other Metro Detroit indoor playgrounds. This is due to the great Food Court at Oakland Mall… but outside food and beverages are allowed inside GEMU.
When you’ve been doing this (OCM) as long as we have, you tend to be able to see if new businesses are hastily thrown together or seem cheap. GEMU is impressive – a wonderful concept coupled with a creative vision. No corners were cut and no expenses were spared.
GEMU Oakland Mall Admission
The playset area is priced at $21.99 for an all-day pass, with free entry for two parents accompanying each child.
GEMU sells monthly memberships for $70 which are billed monthly. This membership card features Unlimited Playground Access. Want to add a child / sibling, it’s an additional $30 per month.
You can purchase a playcard with 50 points / credits ($31.99) or 120 points / credits ($41.99). These cards are required to play the arcade machines and redemption arcade games. Playcars are reloadable and you can add credits for money. These cards required a one-time activation fee of $2.
GEMU Birthday Parties
Birthday parties are offered at the GEMU. All party packages include 3 hours of the party room playground day passes for party-goers, plates & utensils, cleanup, and party set-up. Outside food & Drink is allowed if you want to have it catered inside the party room. Party’s are designed for 10 children. You can add additional children (and additional play cards) for a fee.
METRO DETROIT BIRTHDAY PARTY PLACES
Visit the Oakland County Moms Birthday Party Directory to find more info on Oakland County and Metro Detroit, Michigan Birthday party packages and venues. Contact us or call us at 248-534-3934 to be listed in our Birthday Party Directory.
GEMU Oakland Mall Hours
Mondays – Saturdays from 10a-8p
Sundays – 11a-6p
GEMU Troy at Oakland Mall
352 W 14 Mile Rd
Troy, MI 48083
248 951-8915
www.gemuarcade.com
GEMU Oakland Mall Pics & Video Credits – All OCM Watermarked Photos are property of Oakland County Moms via Maysoon Nasharty
All non-OCM watermarked photos are courtesy of www.gemuarcade.com and Catalyst Media Factory
OAKLAND COUNTY MOMS BUSINESS REVIEWS
We hope you found this GEMU Oakland Mall review helpful. For more info, visit www.gemuarcade.com
