Tamrat Abebe, the owner of Tamrat Abebe Car Rentals in Meqelle, Tigray Regional State, comes to the capital every other week with his two daughters.

While he stays in the city, he has made a habit of taking his daughters to one of the entertainment malls in the capital, GAST Entertainment Mall, located in Bole District in CMC near St. Michael Church.

His eldest girl enjoys the games at the mall, according to Tamrat, who pays at least 700 Br for a day outing at the mall.

"I believe the game is developing her mind, and she is happy to be here,” said Tamrat, referring to his four-year-old daughter.

GAST opened its doors on March 7, 2019, with various game zone levels to attract kids, teenagers and adults. It offers general and VIP sections, which both house gyms, spas, massage parlors, Moroccan steam baths and hair salon that caters to adults and carries an annual membership fee.

The mall was built targeting families who come to play together and to entertain them as a group, according to Dawit Teklehaymanot, general manager of GAST.

It is equipped with four cinemas: two gold-class cinemas that serve 18 and 16 people each; and two Dolby Atmos cinemas that offer a 3D experience for crowds of more than 200 each.

The mall also offers grown-up games including laser tag, wall climbing, an escape room and an infinity mirror maze. All the games are played using tokens that cost between 10 Br to 150 Br.

GAST is the only game zone in the capital that has 12-storeys almost entirely devoted to gaming. The ground level of the building is occupied by cafes and other retail stores.

Refurbished at a cost of 600 million Br including construction, finishing and equipment, approximately 400 to 800 visitors come to the mall each day to play games, watch movies, visit the hair salons and to use the gyms, according to Dawit. The gaming consoles were imported from Thailand, China, the United States and Dubai.

Gaming centres are becoming increasingly popular for families living in Addis Abeba, especially during the holidays and weekends, providing fun and entertainment.

These game and entertainment centres, which are now widespread in the city, have become part of modern life. Lifestyles are changing as disposable incomes have increased and people have been able to spend more on entertainment.

At a national level, gross disposable income, which is an indicator of a country's living standards, was 1.95 billion Br in 2016/17 fiscal year, according to data from the National Bank of Ethiopia.

Century Mall is another establishment with a game zone that has devoted an entire floor, the fifth floor, to this form of entertainment. The mall, located in CMC near Gurd Shola, has been in operation for the past two years.

The mall hosts multiple shopping centres, and the game zone is just one component that occupies nearly 1,600Sqm and remains free of alcohol and tobacco.

The game zone is open for those who are three years and older and offers table tennis and basketball playing areas. Each game requires one token that may cost between 20 Br to 90 Br.

Two weeks ago, Elizabeth Tesfaye, the owner of Little Stars Daycare in Johannesburg, South Africa, was at Century Mall with her six-year-old twin children.

“Game zones help their mental and physical fitness and is good for their creativity,” Elizabeth told Fortune.

Elizabeth was surprised to find the latest games installed at the mall but recommends that the management of the mall add some features.

"It will be good if they add water slides, parks and large play areas," she said.

Elizabeth paid nearly 300 Br to play different games using 20 Br tokens. Comparing Century Mall with Johannesburg, she claims it is much cheaper to play games in Addis.

Though the trend is growing fast, dedicated game zones are not new in the capital. Edna Mall, located in front of Bole Medhanialem Church on Cameroon Street, is a pioneer.