Celebrating 20 Years · 2006 to 2026

The party your kid
will never forget 20 years running

Your kid gets the greatest party of their year. You get to relax. We handle everything, start to finish, just like we have for two decades.

A note from Scott Novis, founder of GameTruck

Check availability Watch the story

Where it started

It was never about a truck. It was about being together.

Twenty years ago, Scott Novis was not trying to build a video game trailer. He was trying to solve a simpler problem: what is the easiest way for kids to play the best games with their best friends, shoulder to shoulder, without anyone getting left out.

Arcades and living-room consoles did not quite do it. So he built something new. A living room on wheels, made for playing together, that pulls right up to your house.

"I wasn't trying to build a trailer. I was trying to figure out the easiest way to play the best games with my best friends. That's where it started." Scott Novis, Founder · from "A Living Room on Wheels"
20 Years of Play: The GameTruck Story
The First GameTruck: Built with My Brother Chris

Built by hand

The first one was built in a driveway, in the Arizona heat, with his brother.

Scott's brother Chris drove out from Michigan to help build the very first GameTruck in the driveway. They started late in June, when Arizona is already brutally hot, and threw their first party by August. Cooling a packed trailer full of screens and kids, keeping the generators quiet for the neighbors, wiring it all together: every piece was a problem they solved by hand.

When the last TV went on the wall and the couch went in, they did not pack up and go home. They sat down and played. That was the moment they knew they had something worth sharing.

"Once I had the idea, there was no stopping me. When it was finally built, we didn't quit. We sat down and played." Scott Novis · from "The Engineering Obsession"

The moment everything changed

One kid, one hug, and a decision to go all in.

Scott had a good job at the Walt Disney Company. Then, at one of the early parties, a twelve year old boy climbed out of the trailer, walked the whole length of it past all of his friends, and threw his arms around his mom in front of everyone.

He told her it was the greatest party he had ever had. She burst into tears. For a boy that age to show that in front of his friends, and for it to mean that much to his mom, told Scott exactly what this was really about. He left Disney to do it full time.

"He said, 'Mom, this is the greatest party I've ever had.' She burst into tears. That's when I knew what we were really making." Scott Novis · from "The Party That Made Me Leave Disney"
The Party That Made Me Leave Disney
The Party Experience: Nothing to Do but Relax

Made with mom in mind

Your kid has the time of their life. Your only job is to enjoy it.

From the very beginning, Scott knew the party had to be a dream for the kids and a relief for mom. Birthday parties are a mountain of work: the setup, the wrangling, the cleanup that starts before anyone even arrives and drags on long after they leave.

GameTruck takes all of that off your plate. The truck pulls up, a trained Game Coach handles setup, the kids pile in and play for hours, and the coach handles the cleanup and drives away. You get to sit back with a coffee and actually watch your kid be happy.

What will I need to do on party day?

Nothing. Give us a place to park and a two hour window. We handle setup, the games, keeping every kid included and having fun, and all the cleanup. You are genuinely off duty.

Twenty years, by the numbers

A lot of parties. Every one about a single kid.

20
years of parties, and counting
17M
gamers hosted across the country
Over 10,000
five star reviews from families

Seventeen million is a big number. What Scott will tell you is that every single one was a kid having a moment. Hopefully an unforgettable one.

"When you host seveteen million gamers, those are big numbers. But every single one was a kid having a moment. That is why we do this." Scott Novis · from "17 Million Gamers"

Why it still works

Consoles change. The reason kids love it never has.

In twenty years, Scott has watched the trends come and go. New consoles, new blockbuster games, whole crazes that took over and then faded. GameTruck was there for all of it.

The one thing that never changed is the reason families keep booking: the joy of playing the best games with your best friends, together, in the same space. Everyone on the same screen, on the same couch, cheering each other on. That is the magic, and it does not go out of style.

"Games and consoles come and go. The desire to play your best games with your best friends has never changed. That is the backbone of what we do." Scott Novis · from "What's Changed? Very Little"
The Magic of Shared Experience

Why families trust us with the big day

The truck is the fun part. The people are the whole thing.

The heart of GameTruck is not the screens. It is the Game Coach who runs your party. Background checks and clean driving records are just the floor. What we really hire for is people who love games and care about every kid having a great time.

1

Safe, confident, kid focused

Every coach lives by three rules: keep it safe, be prepared and confident, and keep all their attention on the kids. That is the whole job.

✓

Certified and clean

Coaches are certified through our party process, and yes, we clean the controllers and equipment for every single party. We have done it that way from day one.

★

A 200% money back guarantee

Showing up is our highest priority. If something in our control keeps us from being there, we refund your money and reschedule at no cost to you.

"When you invite your friends and family, it is not our reputation on the line. It is yours. We take backing that up very seriously." Scott Novis · from "It's Not Our Reputation, It's Yours"

The honest value question

Same cost as an arcade party. A completely different day.

A GameTruck party runs about the same as booking Chuck E. Cheese, bowling, or an arcade. The difference is what you and your kids actually get.

A public venue party

  • ✕Tokens run out and the fun stops
  • ✕You chase kids through a crowded, public space
  • ✕You are managing timing and logistics the whole time
  • ✕You share the room with strangers

A GameTruck party

  • ✓Kids play the entire two hours, no tokens
  • ✓Everyone is included in one contained space
  • ✓A coach runs it all so you can relax
  • ✓It is private. Just your kid and their guests

It comes to your driveway. It is exclusively yours. And when it drives away, there is nothing left for you to clean up.

Good questions, straight answers

Frequently asked questions

What will I need to do on party day?

Nothing. Seriously. Give us a place to park and a two hour window. Our Game Coach arrives early, handles setup, runs all the games and supervision, then packs up and drives away. You stay off duty and enjoy watching your kid have a blast.

How much does it cost compared to an arcade party?

About the same as Chuck E. Cheese, bowling, or a trampoline park party. The difference is your kids play the entire time instead of running out of tokens, everyone is included in one private space, and you are not managing anything. Same cost, much better day.

Are the controllers clean?

Yes. We clean the controllers and equipment for every party, and we have from the very beginning. Kids touch everything, so keeping the gear clean has always been part of how we work.

Who is running the party?

A trained, certified Game Coach. Every coach passes background checks and has a clean driving record, and is chosen for the attitude and care they bring to keeping every kid engaged and included.

What happens if something goes wrong?

Showing up is our highest priority, and we carry backups so we are ready for the unexpected. If something within our control keeps us from being there, our 200% money back guarantee means we refund your money and reschedule at no cost to you.

Which games and systems do you bring?

We bring the major systems, including Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox, and focus on multiplayer games so everyone plays together. We work with you ahead of time to load up the games your birthday kid loves most.

Keep watching

More from Scott on 20 years of GameTruck

A few more short stories from the founder. Drop the hosted links into these slots.

Happy Wife, Happy Life: Designing for Mom Why the Couch Matters The Big Reveal: Making the Birthday VIP a Star We Create Belonging Through Play Two Games, One Party, and the Original Game Coach The Next Party: What Drives Us After 20 Years

Here's to the next twenty

After twenty years, what drives us is simple. The next party.

The next kid. The next little boy or girl getting to do something they love with the people who care about them. That is what got Scott to build a trailer in his driveway, and it is what still gets us out the door today.

Give your kid an unforgettable party

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