Visitors embark on a rescue mission with a team of fellow Minecrafters.Photo: Courtesy of Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO—Originally released more than 15 years ago, Mojang Studio’s Minecraft has grown into one of the most recognizable video game franchises in the world, even inspiring a smash hit movie starring Jack Black.
In the game, players place blocks—building anything from simple items like containers or weapons to structures like houses, castles, and cities—during their adventures.
To capitalize on the current craze, the game recently hopped off the screen into real life with an experience that just debuted in Canada. Called Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue, the immersive scavenger hunt was created by Montreal-based multimedia creative studio Supply + Demand in collaboration with Experience MOD and game developer Mojang Studios.
Located at Square One in Mississauga, Ontario, about 19 miles outside Toronto, the experience lets visitors journey through seven Minecraft realms in an effort to help rescue the village, which is under siege from a zombie attack.
Before entering the experience, visitors are given an Orb of Interaction, a glowing handheld device that guides them through the experience. It vibrates, lights up, and changes color depending on the action and context. Visitors can use it to break blocks, damage hostile mobs (short for mobile entity), collect resources, and more.
The one-hour journey begins in the forest, where visitors learn the ropes. From there, they can practice building tools before moving into the village, where they receive the quest and embark on a rescue mission with a team of fellow Minecrafters.
The experience, which also took place in Dallas and London before heading to the Toronto area, is “the same in every location, but just like the game, we’ve got some updates,” the Experience MOD team shared via email. “You might see small changes in each location, but the story and the quest stay the same.”
“Working closely with Mojang Studios to create the purest version of the brand was crucial," according to the team. "We aimed to make the experience feel like stepping into the game itself. After years of collaboration, we understood the importance of not just building the game but also thoroughly testing it multiple times, just like they do with their own game.”
Of course, fans of the video game might have an advantage, but the experience was designed to appeal to newbies too.
“Understanding that this platform serves as an entry point for individuals unfamiliar with the Minecraft universe, we prioritized fostering a sense of community," the Experience MOD team shared. "Our goal is to encourage children to share this experience with their parents, introducing them to the world of Minecraft. We believe that group tasks can facilitate this connection, while the immersive elements of the game itself can ignite a passion for discovering this new brand.”
Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue is open now through Sept. 2. Tickets start at $32. Multipack, group, and flex tickets are also available. In addition to the North American and European tours, tours in Asia and Latin America are in the works.
See more from inside Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue...
