Step Inside Netflix: Sandbox VR Brings Stranger Things and Squid Game to Life

Watching Stranger Things from the safety of the lounge room is one thing. Walking into the Upside Down while a Demogorgon comes charging towards you is something else entirely.

Sandbox VR takes virtual reality well beyond sitting in a chair wearing a headset and waving your arms about like you’re directing traffic. This is full-body, free-roaming VR in which groups of up to six people move together through a virtual world.

Players wear a headset, motion trackers and a haptic vest that lets them feel selected impacts during the game. Your real movements are transferred to your virtual character, while physical props provide recoil and other feedback. You can see and interact with your companions inside the game—although they may look considerably less attractive as heavily armed rebels or terrified laboratory experiments.

Gameplay generally lasts around 30 minutes, but allow approximately an hour for checking in, getting fitted with the equipment, receiving instructions and watching your group’s mixed-reality highlights afterwards. No previous gaming experience is necessary.

Squid Game—Without the Rather Unpleasant Consequences

Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the South Korean series Squid Game arrived on Netflix in 2021 and promptly took over the planet. It became Netflix’s biggest television launch at the time, recording more than 1.65 billion viewing hours during its first 28 days.

Squid Game Virtuals lets friends compete against each other in challenges inspired by the series, including Red Light, Green Light, along with several original mini-games. Players race against the clock and attempt to build the highest score. Thankfully, losing only costs you bragging rights—not your life, which is a fairly decent improvement on the television version.

Stranger Things—Welcome to the Upside Down

First released in 2016, the Duffer Brothers’ Stranger Things mixed 1980s nostalgia, secret government experiments and supernatural nasties into one enormous worldwide hit. Its fourth season attracted more than 140 million global views, while the show helped send Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill charging back up the charts decades after its release.

In Stranger Things: Catalyst, players become test subjects inside Hawkins Lab, explore the Rainbow Room and Mirkwood, and eventually enter the Upside Down. Matthew Modine returns as Dr “Papa” Brenner, while players use Eleven-like telekinetic powers against Demobats, Demodogs and the Demogorgon. It’s all very atmospheric—and probably not the ideal choice for anyone who checks under the bed before going to sleep.

Rebel Moon—Join the Rebellion

Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon began as a two-part Netflix science-fiction film series in December 2023. The first film debuted as Netflix’s most-watched title of its opening week with 23.9 million views.

Rebel Moon: The Descent turns players into Rebel fighters battling the tyrannical Motherworld. Teams descend through the skyscrapers, streets and underground mines of Daggus while fighting enemy soldiers and spacecraft with futuristic weapons. This is the pick for groups who prefer blasting things together rather than quietly solving puzzles.

Who Can Play—and Where?

Sandbox VR is not restricted to adults. However, anyone under 18 must have a parent or guardian physically present to sign a waiver. Because these three experiences contain combat, monsters or mature themes, parents should consider whether they are suitable for younger children; the non-combat Age of Dinosaurs experience is the gentler family option. Sandbox VR also advises against participation during pregnancy or for people with heart conditions.

At the time of writing, all three pop-culture games are released and available to book. Australian tickets cost approximately $60–$75 per person on the Gold Coast and around $49 per person in Melbourne, depending on the game, date and session.

The Gold Coast venue is open at Cavill Lane, Surfers Paradise, while Melbourne’s new Bourke Street venue opens on 15 September 2026, with advance bookings already available.

International travellers can also find Sandbox VR venues across the United States, Canada, Britain, Europe and parts of Asia and the Middle East.

Bookings should be made through the official Sandbox VR website (opens in a new tab), particularly for weekends and groups. Virtual reality increasingly looks like the next great leap in social gaming—and Sandbox VR gives us a pretty convincing glimpse of the future. Apparently, that future includes Demogorgons. Beauty.

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