Calica: Star Trek’s High-Tech Laser Tag Game Explained

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Be warned, this contains spoilers for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 3, “Vitus Reflux.” The episode introduces a new sport called Calica. Directed by Doug Aarniokoski and written by Alex Taub and Kiley Rossetter, this installment of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy features a competitive match between Starfleet Academy cadets and students from the War College.

The War College was an unexpected, yet fitting, addition to Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. After Starfleet Academy temporarily closed due to the Burn, the War College was established to specifically train officers for combat and the defense of the United Federation of Planets, shifting the focus away from exploration and science.

Both Starfleet Academy and the War College are located on the same campus in San Francisco, which often leads to rivalry between the students. They compete with each other, try to outdo one another, and even play pranks. To resolve their ongoing disagreements, the two schools decided to compete in a high-stakes game called Calica, similar to laser tag.

Calica Laser Tag In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Explained

The game Calica, featured in the Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 3, is very similar to laser tag. Two teams, each led by a Captain, compete while wearing cool black uniforms. Players try to score points by shooting at a target above the opposing team’s mascot, and they can also eliminate opposing players by tagging them with their phasers.

In Calica, players use phasers solely for teleportation. If a player is hit with a phaser, they are immediately removed from the game. A round lasts until one team eliminates the other team’s mascot, though players can also eliminate opponents to reduce the competition.

The Starfleet Academy and War College were playing a Calica match in the USS Athena’s Sato Atrium when they were discovered, leading to its cancellation by the very upset Commanders Lura Thok (Gina Yashere) and Jett Reno (Tig Notaro).

The selection process for Starfleet Academy’s Calica team and its Captains took place in a simulated, war-torn environment, similar to the Danger Room from the movie X-Men: The Last Stand. Caleb Mir (played by Sandro Rosta) and SAM (played by Kerrice Brooks) were members of the Calica team, and Ocam Sadal (played by Romeo Carere) served as their mascot.

George Hawkins, known as Darem Reymi, initially won the position of Calica Captain by using unfair methods against Bella Shepard, who played Genesis Lythe. But Darem didn’t succeed as a leader when competing against the War College. Genesis, on the other hand, led the team to earn Starfleet Academy’s single point. Eventually, Darem stepped aside, and Genesis was officially recognized as Captain.

Starfleet Academy Continues Star Trek’s Sports & Games Tradition

Sports and competitions have been featured in Star Trek since the beginning. Occasionally, Starfleet officers find themselves in dangerous, even deadly, contests. A classic example is Captain James T. Kirk, played by William Shatner, battling as a gladiator in the Gamesters of Triskelion episode of Star Trek: The Original Series.

The world of Star Trek has introduced several unique sports and games. For example, Anbo-jyutsu appeared in both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Lower Decks. Another game, the competitive and physical Parrises Squares, originated in The Next Generation and was later featured in Star Trek: Voyager, though viewers didn’t actually see it played until season 2 of Star Trek: Prodigy.

Throughout the Star Trek universe, characters enjoy a variety of games and sports. We often see them playing familiar games like basketball and darts, as well as fictional ones like the Bajoran game spingball and Klingon combat training with bat’leths. Star Trek: Voyager even introduced a new game called Velocity, which combines elements of racquetball and phaser target practice.

Calica showcases the energy, quickness, and collaborative spirit of the cadets from Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. However, the true reward of playing Calica isn’t about winning—it’s the strong friendships and connections that develop between Caleb, Genesis, Darem, SAM, and Ocam.

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2026-01-22 21:49