VR party trends have started catching the public’s attention, taking festivities to the next level. Not only do you get to design a motif, but you also get to shape your guest’s entire universe inside virtual reality. VR party planning might sound like a daunting endeavor. But you’ll soon discover how fun it can be to throw VR parties.
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What Is Virtual Reality?
Virtual reality means different things to different people. For some, it’s tied into a larger metaverse meaning that works virtual reality into persistent digital spaces. For others, VR is synonymous with gaming, whether that’s metaverse games or solo experiences. There are some points everyone can agree on. For one, virtual reality involves fully immersing yourself in a digital universe. VR headsets will swap your view of the offline world with a window into digital realms.
You’ll also use input devices to manipulate objects in VR. And less common but amazing devices like VR masks and gloves exist. It’s also important to remember that VR can be a shared experience. As you read about party ideas, remember that you can often see each other both inside and outside the VR environments. You can discover more about VR in the article “Virtual Reality; Discover VR, Its Components, Technology, and Players”.
What Is a VR Party?
Remember the previously mentioned social element of VR? If it sounded like fun, then you’ve already got an idea of what a VR party entails. These events are essentially a standard party incorporating access to one or more VR systems. The details will vary depending on the host’s plans. But you might have an entire party outfitted with virtual reality headsets. The entire group could be running through virtual spaces while having the time of their lives.
Or one or two people might use virtual reality while their views are broadcast out to the cheers of the other guests. A VR party might even be a more close-knit event that harkens back to the “LAN parties” of the 90s. Another fun aspect of VR parties is that they’re easily adapted to any audience. Your choice of games and hardware can fit the needs of both adults and kids.
Image attribution: Medium
Virtual Reality Gear for VR Parties
If you’ve never used any form of extended reality or attended metaverse events, you might assume that you couldn’t throw a VR party. But you’d be vastly underestimating just how much work has gone into making modern VR more user-friendly. VR headsets and hardware might seem extraordinarily complex at first glance. But if you can use a video game console, you can use a VR headset. Some consoles even have VR support.
The main point you’ll want to consider is the price. And this typically scales with the overall level of immersion provided by the headset. You’ll also want to consider whether you will use headsets that need wired connections to a PC or console. This is largely dependent on your game choice. You can discover the best options for headsets in the article “VR Headsets; Your Complete Guide to the Top Virtual Reality Gear”.
What Is a VR Party Game?
VR party games offer up a mix of old and new in a package that lets you enjoy the best of both worlds. You have the ability to enjoy a more old-school form of gaming by gathering everyone together at the same location. But at the same time, VR party games equip partygoers with cutting-edge technology in the form of virtual reality experiences. The main goal is usually to get as many people as possible into a shared game so everyone can partake.
Tips for Hosting a VR Party
Some of the best parties are created through reasonably simple ideas. A little extra work can go a long way when planning a party. And that goes for a VR party just as much as it does a standard one. The following tips will help you avoid common mistakes while enhancing the best experiences.
Make Sure to Mount Your Screen
Providing separate VR equipment is ideal for a VR party. But buying, or even renting, equipment for everyone in a large party is usually cost-prohibitive. That doesn’t mean that you need to limit participation in your virtual reality party, though. VR headsets usually have external video output that can show whatever the user is looking at to an entire crowd. And you can even mount larger displays so that everyone at the party can feel included. Projectors are another great option for large displays. But don’t forget to mount both video and audio systems in a universally accessible location.
Clear Out Your Space
Parties are typically filled with decorations. But it’s best to go the opposite route with a VR party. One of the big reasons is that guests will concentrate on the digital reality rather than the physical. Obviously, part of this comes from actually playing the games that virtual reality parties are known for. But keeping decorations to a minimum also keeps everyone safe. It’s extremely easy to trip into things or walk right into obstructions when you’re wearing VR headsets. So make sure to clear out the rooms you’ll be using for your virtual reality party games.
Choose Your VR Party Games
Games are an essential part of any VR party. But while choosing games is among the most crucial steps, it’s also extremely fun. This step essentially requires you to look through some of the best VR games and match them up with your guest list. You should think about what your guests would enjoy. But it’s also essential to think about their limitations. Keep people’s age, physical abilities, and familiarity with VR in mind. If your party includes the very young or very old, then it’s generally a good idea to put an emphasis on the less stressful gaming options.
Be Aware of Accessibility
This idea carries on from the earlier guidelines for game selection. Age is one of the reasons why guests might have accessibility issues. But you should carefully consider everyone’s physical limitations and whether you can do anything to help them. For example, some hardware options can help people with mobility issues. VR treadmills, shoes, and even steering wheels can help people join in on the fun. Everyone else will usually have a blast giving them a try as well. You might have to forgo some games because of accessibility issues. But there are often workarounds that’ll be fun for everyone.
8 VR Party Game Examples
There’s a vast array of VR party games to choose from. And that’s without even dipping into subjects like mixed reality or offering metaverse-related prizes like an NFT collection. There are so many choices that it can be hard to know the best options. But you can’t go wrong by using one or more of the following top-tier VR party games.
Loco Dojo
Dice-based party games are a tradition as old as time. But Loco Dojo presents players with a unique twist on that idea. What if a VR party could combine the old-school fun of a dice wheel with the latest in VR tech? That’s exactly what Loco Dojo provides in the form of a whimsically wooden VR world. Players step up to the virtual “Table of Trials” to compete with other guests. But to win, they’ll need to master such eclectic mini-games as mole stacking, biscuit throwing, and egg boxing. This uniquely humorous concept makes it incredibly accessible.
Video: Loco Dojo Unleashed
Takelings House Party
Takelings House Party isn’t just an enjoyable VR party game. It’s also a solution for parties where you have far more people interested in playing than VR headsets. Takelings House Party only requires one headset for the “Hal” player. The other guests take on the role of “Takelings”. The Takelings can play the game through smartphones while Hal needs to fight them off in VR. In addition to the Hal player, up to eight other people can connect to the game with their smartphones. So two headsets could create two games with eighteen total players between them.
Video: Takelings Gameplay Trailer
Acron: Attack of the Squirrels!
Acron is another great choice when you have far more guests than VR headsets. It pairs one VR player with up to eight VR party guests who play via smartphone. The VR player takes on the role of a tree that’s guarding golden acorns. The smartphone-based players take on the role of squirrels with one clear goal – get those acorns. But the tree player is far from defenseless against the squirrel horde. The VR player can use hand controls to throw chunks of wood, sap, and even boulders at the squirrels. It’s a great mix of action and humor.
Video: Acron: Attack of the Squirrels! – Launch Trailer
Beat Saber
Beat Saber is one of the “must-play” VR party games. It caught people’s attention by easily surpassing the VR and AR marketing efforts competition in 2018 when it had an early access release. It’s easy to see why Beat Saber is so beloved. Players hold virtual sabers in each hand while they slice through moving blocks. Both the slices and blocks are choreographed with a wide selection of catchy beats. The end effect is a light show accompanied by graceful movement and danceable tunes. Beat Saber’s a perfect match for any VR party and has retained popularity for years.
Video: Release Trailer | Beat Saber
Late for Work
What would you do if you were suddenly faced with a giant gorilla? It’s a terrifying idea in the real world. But it makes for an incredibly fun adventure in virtual reality. Late for Work puts one VR party guest in the role of the giant gorilla. Up to four other guests can jump into virtual reality and try to bring down the rampaging brute. Or they can just run for safety within the fun virtual landscape. The number of players is low. But it’s easy to swap players out for other guests as the madcap fun continues.
Video: Late For Work – Early Access Trailer
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Disarming a bomb is an exciting prospect. But most people don’t know how to perform such a delicate operation. And that’s why it’s so much fun to take the idea out of your imagination and into a VR party. Keep Talking, and Nobody Explodes puts the player into a virtual room with a bomb in it. However, the player will have no idea how to actually disarm the bomb. Conversely, the other players can’t see it. But they do have access to a 23-page manual about bomb-defusing. Successfully disarming the bomb requires a constant verbal back and forth between players.
Video: Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes – Cinematic Trailer
Hide & Spook VR
Hide & Spook VR is best suited to smaller players with a lot of room to move around. The reason comes down to the fact that Hide & Spook VR puts a heavy emphasis on movement. One VR party guest takes on the role of an alchemist. And one or two other players don the mantle of a ghost. Ghosts need to sneak around the room and extinguish virtual candles. While the alchemist can temporarily banish ghosts by staring at them. This is complicated by the fact that the virtual surroundings dynamically change with every new game.
Video: Hide & Spook: The Haunted Alchemist – Release Trailer
Eye in the Sky
Escape rooms have been booming in popularity. But they’re also not something people could realistically set up on their own. At least until VR technology entered the picture, Eye in the Sky lets you set up a full escape room at your VR party. The game is themed around a post-apocalyptic robot-controlled planet. To get through an escape room, the player will need to solve puzzles from multiple perspectives within this beautifully designed universe. Communication is the key to winning Eye in the Sky. And any session is sure to have other party guests shouting out hints to the player.
Video: Eye in the Sky – Launch Trailer
Moving Your VR Party Into the Metaverse
Sometimes a party works out so perfectly that you want to move it to another location to keep things going. Or you might want to plan a follow-up party. The same can happen with a VR party. And in those cases, you might want to consider the metaverse as the next venue. There’s a heavy overlap between VR and metaverse companies. As such, you can almost always leverage VR headsets to access the metaverse for new adventures. You can learn about the nature of the metaverse in the article “Metaverse Guide; Understanding The Basics Will Open Up a New World”.
The Road From VR Party to Metaverse Destination
Once you’ve combined metaverse brands with VR hardware, it’s time for the next step. You can move your VR party into its next location – the metaverse. You might want to incorporate augmented reality. You may even have equipment that supports augmented reality. Or you might want to access the VR areas of the metaverse. But whatever hardware you’re using, you have a lot of choices. There are parties in Horizon Worlds, games in Roblox, and more. You can learn about the hottest locations in the metaverse within the article “Metaverse Virtual Worlds; The Best Way To Experience the Metaverse”.
VR party options are a lot of fun to think about. After all, you’re designing a whole digital universe for guests to experience. But the party doesn’t start until you stop planning and start doing. It’s time to VR party!
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