Squid Games at Sandbox VR Birmingham: Unleashing My Competitive Spirit!
I received an invite to participate at Sandbox VR Birmingham with a group of friends. You can trust that I’ll always be honest and truthful on A Brummie Home and Abroad, and being an invited guest will never influence my opinion in any way.
An invite to Birmingham’s newest Virtual Reality Experience was the perfect way to spend an afternoon with good friends. Even if none of us knew quite what we were letting ourselves in for. Want to know more? Did we really get shot down by a giant doll shooting red and green lasers from her eyes? And did we work well as a team, or was it every man/woman for themselves?
About Sandbox VR
Launched in 2017, Sandbox VR now has 45+ locations across seven countries. Full-body motion capture and haptics combine to create a completely immersive experience for up to 6 friends.
Sandbox VR launched their Squid Games experience in September 2023. It’s based on the popular South Korean Netflix show of the same name, where contestants battle through a series of challenges in order to win a life changing financial reward. The catch? The winner is literally the last person alive. If you’re not into Korean minigames, there are seven other experiences available including fighting zombie hordes in Deadwood Valley or defend the Earth from an alien invasion in Amber Sky 2088.
Sandbox VR is a multi-player experience for up to 6 players. If you’re doing it in a smaller group, the rest of your “squad” will be made up of NPCs (non playing characters)
Our Sandbox VR Birmingham experience
Sandbox VR Birmingham is the second location to open in the UK after London. It’s situated above Grand Central Station, just beyond that favoured meeting point of Brummies, “Maccies on the Ramp”. It’s very modern and minimalistic inside, and we’re greeted by friendly staff. I sign away my life on a tablet – and that of my buddies – and then we’re swept away for an introduction to Virtual Reality. We almost struggle at the first hurdle when we have to select a team name. We eventually opt for “Legs Akimbo” thanks to one of our team members concern about the positions she may be asked to get into. Then it’s time to get suited up.
We all look very fetching in our haptic vests, wrist and ankle tracking sensors. There’s bench storage for our coats, and a shelf within the game area for small bags or valuables. We’re led into the game area where the piece de resistance is fitted – the headset. Glasses wearers – like Mr Fletche and myself – can choose whether to keep specs on or not. There’s plenty of room for both, although I found it took a while to get a comfortable position and there was a tendency to slightly steam up, leaving me slightly fuzzy in one eye. Unlike another of our team, who valiantly continued on despite only being able to see out of one eye.
Are you squidding me?
There are a few safety points to run through – mainly about being aware of the people around us and not running into walls. I feel these are useful tips in all walks of life, not just a VR world. We’re given the opportunity to make sure we’re comfortable in our gear and we’re introduced to our avatars. It’s quite freaky seeing Mr Fletche as a tattooed skinhead.
We spend the next couple of minutes watching our avatars mimic our movements. Naturally, I attempt the Running Man. Microphones inside our headsets mean we can communicate with each other. I apologise ahead of time for any potential swearing.
As someone experiencing VR for the first time I was worried about feeling dizzy or claustrophobic, but being able to see a full copy of myself as an avatar kept me grounded. Plus I could see my pals too so I didn’t feel isolated.
There’s a slight readjustment in kit required when one of our gang appears to have her hand on backwards. And then we’re ready to join the game.
The next step is popping us inside the Squid Game world. For those familiar with the show, we pop up in the Squid Games dormitory. And there’s not only the five of us, but 95 other NPCs, all in their matching tracksuits. There’s chatter all around us; our virtual counterparts seem as excited about the situation as we are.
Similar to the Netflix series, we are challenged to a series of mini-games.
- Red Light Green Light: catch flying golden pigs whilst playing an elaborate version of What’s The Time Mr Wolf
- Make a Shape: fit your body through different shapes in a moving wall whilst hitting bonus point panels. Bring on the wall.
- The Pendulum: hit a swinging pendulum at your opponents whilst avoiding spikes and bombs.
- Simon Says: kids party game; very important to know your left from your right. And also your legs from your arms. Both simple things I struggled with.
- One of Four: up to three out of four floor panels drop, can you pick the right one? Catching a flying pig gives you a clue – do you disclose this to your teammates or not?
- Catch and Match: more spikes and bombs to avoid as you catch coloured shapes and pop them in the corresponding box
The games are all very easy to play – you certainly don’t need to have seen Squid Games, to participate. Each mini-game is explained beforehand but often it takes 30 seconds or so to get your head round what’s going on. There’s an element of jeopardy: you make a mistake, you “die”. Thankfully, you respawn a few seconds later. In some of the challenges we’re competing against each other, but in others we have to form strategic alliances in order to succeed. That’s where the fun starts!
Right up until the last second we’re unsure which one of us has won. Except me. I am well aware that I haven’t won. In fact, I’m sure there’s a wooden spoon headed my way. The winner is announced, and then we get to have a little dance party to relieve the tension!
It was definitely more exhausting then I imagined. All-in-all it lasts about an hour including getting kitted up. You can watch some of our highlights here!
After divesting ourselves of our tracking systems, its time for the best bit. Getting to watch our “highlights” reel. I also received an email after the event with a link so we could all rewatch and giggle at ourselves. We sit back and relax with a cocktail mixed by the weirdly hypnotic robotic bartender. It’s an excellent way to spend an afternoon with friends.
The Price
Whilst I was lucky to be invited to try out Sandbox VR Birmingham, the experience is not particularly cheap. A weekend slot will set you back £42.50pp; Monday to Wednesday offers cheaper rates at £27.50pp. I definitely recommend encouraging your boss to pay for it as a teambonding event though.
You can book your Sandbox VR Birmingham experience here: https://sandboxvr.com/birmingham
Final Thoughts
Squid Games at Sandbox VR Birmingham was great fun. It got the mind and the body working, and despite the headsets is a great social event. Decisions you make affect other players and vice versa, so you can be as naughty or as nice as you choose! And it was fun to be in the iconic Squid Games world. Without the risk of actual death.
