Question 1

What is Chernobyl VR?

Accepted Answer

It is a virtual reality escape room in Barcelona: you walk through Pripyat at night, in first person and as a team. The game is by ARVI VR, and the screenshots and video on this page are from the game.

Question 2

What do you do inside?

Accepted Answer

You walk through places in Pripyat and a wrist dosimeter guides you to the next place. You have to look, pick things up and take each one to where it belongs, all together. A Game Master is with you for the whole session.

Question 3

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

Prices start from €24.50 per person for 1 hour and from €48.50 per person for 2 hours, and may vary depending on the day, the time and the size of the group. For groups and celebrations — birthdays, stag and hen parties, companies or friends — there are packs from €315 for up to 8 people.

Question 4

Is it scary?

Accepted Answer

It is not a horror game. It is a dark, unhurried journey: there are no enemies and no chases. There are houses, streets and belongings of people who lived there. The Game Master is with you for the whole session.

Question 5

Is it a game about the accident?

Accepted Answer

It is a game about the place and its memory. Chernobyl is a real place and a real tragedy, and the game remembers it with respect. Pripyat was founded in 1970 and evacuated in 1986.

Question 6

How many players can take part?

Accepted Answer

From 2 to 4 players: the activity adapts to however many of you there are. The room is just for your group: we never combine groups. Only the players can be in the room.

Question 7

What is the minimum age?

Accepted Answer

From age 10, the limit Meta sets for Quest headsets; there is no upper age limit.

Question 8

How long does it last?

Accepted Answer

The game session lasts 60 minutes. The booking takes up 75, because it includes the welcome, the lockers and the headset fitting. Arrive 10 minutes before your booked time: sessions start on the dot.

Question 9

How difficult is it?

Accepted Answer

4 out of 10: it suits anyone trying virtual reality for the first time. A Game Master explains the controls at the start and stays with you throughout the session.

Question 10

Do I need to have tried virtual reality before?

Accepted Answer

No. Most people who come had never tried virtual reality before. Your Game Master explains the controls when you arrive and stays with you throughout the session. More about this: Most people arrive without having tried it

Question 11

What is the cancellation policy?

Accepted Answer

Bookings can be changed or cancelled up to 48 hours before, and group bookings up to one week before. We refund what you paid by the same payment method. To change or cancel, write to us. More about this: Write to us to change or cancel

Question 12

Where are you and how do I get there?

Accepted Answer

We are at C/Viladomat 95, Barcelona (Eixample). The easiest way is to come by metro: Rocafort (L1), Urgell (L1), Sant Antoni (L2) or Poble Sec (L3), all about ten minutes' walk away. By bus, line V9 has a stop right opposite Virtua, and there are more lines along Gran Via and Sepúlveda. See on Google Maps More about this: See the map and address

Question 13

What languages is it available in?

Accepted Answer

The team speaks Spanish, Catalan and English. Most of the games are available in Spanish and English and, as the experiences are very visual and intuitive, language is rarely a barrier. More about this: Everything you'll be wondering about

Question 14

Is there parking nearby?

Accepted Answer

We don't have our own car park, but there are two public ones a couple of minutes' walk away: BSM Urgell and SABA Eixample. With a large group, the metro works out better. More about this: See the map and address

Question 15

Can I play if I wear prescription glasses?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Meta Quest 3 headsets have enough room to be used with the vast majority of prescription glasses without discomfort. If yours are very large, contact lenses are more comfortable. More about this: Everything you'll be wondering about

Question 16

Are there any medical restrictions?

Accepted Answer

We don't recommend the experience to people with photosensitive epilepsy, who are pregnant or who have serious heart problems. If in doubt, write to us before booking and we will go through it with you. For accessibility needs, write to us beforehand and we will see how to adapt the experience. More about this: When we don't recommend it

Question 17

Can virtual reality cause motion sickness?

Accepted Answer

It happens to some people. The catalogue is chosen so that it doesn't: titles that move the camera for you, which are the ones that cause the most discomfort, are avoided. If you notice anything, the session can be stopped at any time. More about this: What happens to the body

Question 18

What technology do you use?

Accepted Answer

We use Meta Quest 3 headsets: they are wireless, with no cables and no computer, and they track your movements, so you move freely in your 3×3 m box. We provide the headphones ourselves to improve immersion. More about this: What virtual reality is

Question 19

Is VR safe for children?

Accepted Answer

Meta recommends these headsets from age 10, and that's our limit. Each hour of booking is 60 minutes of play, and the Game Master is with the group for the whole session: if you notice anything, the session can be stopped at any time. Some adventures require a higher age, and their page says so. More on this: From age 10, with no upper limit

Question 20

How is VR different from a normal video game?

Accepted Answer

With a video game, you look at a screen and use a controller. In VR, you're inside the game: you turn your head and see the world around you, you really walk, and you use your hands to interact with objects. Your brain processes the virtual environment as if it were real — which is why the adrenaline, the laughs and the immersion are incomparable. It's the difference between watching a film and starring in one. More on this: It's not a video game: you're inside it

— virtual reality escape room in Barcelona

You are there.

You do it with your hands.

You need each other.

Every place holds something.

And an ending we won't tell you about.

And you come back together.

You take off the headset. The light comes back.

From the moment you arrive until you leave.

You arrive.

Headsets on.

One hour inside.

You come out and talk it over.

What people who have been to Virtua say.

This is how it looks inside.

Book your night in Pripyat.