Question 1

What is Dream Hackers?

Accepted Answer

It is a virtual reality action-adventure saga: you are a team of Dream Hackers who infiltrate other people's dreams, with the Dreams Machine, to hunt their nightmares. It is above all cooperative action – shooting the nightmares as a team – with puzzles to solve along the way: an action film you play. If you are looking for a classic escape room of padlocks and clues, this one has more action.

Question 2

How many parts does the saga have, and which ones can be played?

Accepted Answer

The saga has six parts: Prologue, The Book of Memories, Prison of the Ancient Ones, The Conspiracy of the Weavers, The Riddle of the Sleeping God and The Rise of the Black Moon. The sixth is not yet available at Virtua. Each part is a deeper dream than the last and is played in a session of about 60 minutes. If you would like to know which ones we have today and which to start with, write to us before booking.

Question 3

Do you have to play them in order?

Accepted Answer

ARVI, the company that created the game, recommends playing the saga in order: each part is a little more complex than the last, and the later ones are not designed for people who have never used virtual reality. If it is your first time, start with Prologue. If you are not sure where to start, write to us before booking and we will point you in the right direction.

Question 4

How long does it last and how difficult is it?

Accepted Answer

Each part lasts about 60 minutes and the saga's difficulty is 7 out of 10. In every part except Prologue, the game adjusts to your group as you play: if you move quickly, the nightmare tightens its grip; if you get stuck, it eases off; and before entering the dream you choose a starting level (easy, normal or hard). Prologue does not adjust: it runs at a normal level and is the best place to learn.

Question 5

How many people can play?

Accepted Answer

From 2 to 6 players (online booking requires at least two). The ideal is 2 or 3: with five or six it gets more chaotic. If there are more than six of you, write to us and we will point you in the right direction.

Question 6

What is the minimum age? Is it scary?

Accepted Answer

Ages 10+. There is combat against nightmare creatures – shadows, spiders, floating eyes and the odd boss – and dark stretches. It is a surreal, stylised dream. If anyone is very afraid of spiders or the dark, it is best that they know before booking.

Question 7

How do we move around? Do we need to be experts?

Accepted Answer

You move by combining your own steps in a defined space with intuitive teleportation using the controllers, with Meta Quest 3 headsets. You have to aim and shoot and pick up objects with your hands, but you don't need to be an expert: your Game Master explains the controls when you arrive, and Prologue is designed for learning: it is the entry point if you have no experience. The complexity rises with each part.

Question 8

Can you play it again? Is it the same every time?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The game itself promises it: each dream can be lived again, and next time it will offer other opportunities and reveal new secrets. And it is not the same: some of the things you find change at random, and Prologue has an area, the canals, that only appears if the group has time to spare.

Question 9

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 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. Meta Quest 3 headsets have enough room to be used comfortably with the vast majority of prescription glasses. If yours are very large, contact lenses are more comfortable. More on this: Everything you are going to ask

Question 16

Are there any medical restrictions?

Accepted Answer

We do not recommend the activity for 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 activity. More on this: When we do not recommend it

Question 17

Can virtual reality cause motion sickness?

Accepted Answer

It happens to some people. Our catalogue is chosen so that it does not: we steer clear of the titles that move the camera for you, which are the ones people tolerate worst. If you notice anything, the session can be stopped at any moment: the Game Master is right there. More on 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 around your 3×3 m box. We provide the headphones to improve immersion. More on this: What is virtual reality

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

In a video game you look at a screen and use a controller. In VR you are 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. It is the difference between watching a film and starring in it. More on this: It's not a video game: you're inside

Dream Hackers: Enter other people's dreams.
Hunt their nightmares.

Before you fall, the machine measures you.

Learn to fall.

The book that remembers for you.

Some cells dream.

Pull the thread all the way to Somnos.

Don't wake the god.

The black moon rises.

You wake up. You're at Viladomat 95.

Dream Hackers trailer

Dream Hackers: Enter other people's dreams.Hunt their nightmares.