Sunday marked a great one year with my current girlfriend and someone who means a lot to me. We had…read moreall these ideas on how to celebrate and spend time together, but the weather in the forecast really killed any ability to plan an outside adventure. Luckily, I had an ace up my sleeve and called an audible by suggesting the new Stranger Things: Catalyst experience at Sandbox VR. My girlfriend is a huge Stranger Things fan. It's one of the first shows she was following from the first season until the finale that she got to be a part of the zeitgeist with. The moment I suggested this, any other plan went out the window because to her, this was a must. This was not my first experience with a VR attraction. I got to try The Void when it was still in business at Disney Springs doing a Star Wars experience, and I remember having such a blast with it. This was my girlfriend's first time in a virtual reality space like this. Sandbox VR is the modern, surviving version of this doing a similar concept of suiting you up in a crazy VR suit with a headset, headphones, and a bunch of other bells and whistles before you enter a new world. The one thing that is different is that The Void had you walking through their space in their experience while here you're set in a box for the most part. Sandbox VR keeps you in one space for the entire duration and plays it out like a rail shooter arcade game. Different concepts, but both highly enjoyable. The staff were helpful in making sure we were all suited up and ready to go and we had our pictures taken right before they put us into the room. Once we had our headsets on, the experience started immediately. What's so fascinating about an experience like this is how immediate your brain just tells you that this is reality. You just believe what you're seeing is real. The avatar of my girlfriend is moving in real time, the catalyst is a tangible object I am holding. I am a Stranger Thing or whatever they call it. From the get-go, you are given a brief tutorial as a training and then suddenly the game goes from 0 to 100 and ramps up expeditiously. My girlfriend was hootin' and hollerin' the whole time as demogorgons (and democreatures as she calls them) were flying up on us and attacking us. You're genuinely in panic as these things get close to you. The anxiety feels real. The audio, the visuals, and everything in between just gets you immersed in it. The experience lasted about 30 minutes and by the end I was sweating profusely. I'm in pretty decent shape, but I was an absolute mess by the end. After all the equipment was taken off, we got sat next to a TV to show us our scores to see who leaves with bragging rights and is crowned the MVP (it was me by the way). On top of that, you are shown three videos of the VR experience that are recorded during your play. It scenes from the virtual world with a real camera that's pointed at you acting like a fool. Here, we got a dance scene from the end of the experience, a vertical video, and a horizontal trailer. Each were extremely humorous and given to us free of charge with our purchases. I know it works as free advertising for Sandbox VR to give you those videos to post online and all that jazz, but places like this still seem to charge for the memories. To get them included for free as a little keepsake is an incredible gesture and makes me want to try another experience. As for the videos themselves, they are still frying me, and I've watched them numerous times since the experience. If you are a Stranger Things fan, the Catalyst is a must-try. For someone who's only seen 3 episodes but has a good understanding of the show through osmosis from my girlfriend, I had a blast. Even if you're not a Stranger Things fan, there are 10 other experiences to try. The price with everything considered was pretty fair, and we truly had so much fun that I think it was worth it with what value we got out of it. The 20 second video we got of my girlfriend screaming the entire time might get played at our wedding one day. Who knows! RIYL: An experience out of this world

The staff and establishment were great! We did glitch in the middle and the staff were fast to fix…read morethe issue. Headsets, unfortunately, smelled like heavy BO and sweat. My face continued smelling hours later and it wasn't just me, but my group of friends had the same experience. After they give you video clips to look through which is great.

This is a pretty fun place to go. My out of town guests always enjoys. It's a bit pricey, but not…read moretoo bad. It's a bit odd if you do a walk in they said they didn't have any openings for a couple of hours. (The place was empty) so maybe they don't actually run the VR every half hour, I don't know. Game was fun and it's a unique experience!

This is such a fun place for groups of all ages. From VR gaming to axe throwing. A bonus is they…read moreoffer ninja stars, tomahawks, bat-a-rangs and playing cards to throw as well. It's electronic so there's multiple games to play. It's definitely an expense but you won't regret the day or night adventure and don't forget to add on an ice cream at the end!

I've gone here twice now. The first time was with staff is a bit of a team builder. The owners were…read moresuper helpful and getting everything set up and helping us to choose games that were great for us. We did two different games and broke up into two different groups and had a blast over the years I've done several escape rooms, but nothing like this. We finished having a drink and some pizza that again the owners helped with coordinating. All in all everyone had a good time and I even came back with my family.

Great place for video game lovers. Took our teenagers but they said games at home are better. With…read morethat being said would not go return.

If you saw viral videos of this, and thought, "Oh man that looks fun."…read more Bingo. But you don't know that half of it. We went when my nephew was in town for Spring Break. I've been DYING to go back ever sense. I don't think I can even explain to you how addictive and all consuming the joy of playing these games are. Bonus, it's for sure a work out. If I lived closer I would would be at this joint two or three times a week, and in the best shape of my life. The games are all fast paced and high energy, but does it feel like a workout? Not at all, until you realize when you are so SHWEATY. It's like burst sprints mixed with body weights and maybe some yoga? I just know that I loved it in a way that I haven't loved physical activity since I was in my teens. The staff was all super friendly too. The perfect kind of friendly as well. Polite, informative, but not all fake high energy/chatty like your at a kids camp. It was nothing but good vibes. It was fairly busy when we went, which means we had to cycle through rooms pretty fast, but there are so many rooms! You can always go back for your favorites again later, and some of the ones that "looked" boring were actually the most fun for me. I was practically BEGGING them to give me a membership, but they don't do those... Yet? There was some discussion of some locations offering memberships as a trial run, and that it might become a thing nationwide. *fingers crossed* GO!

Activate is extremely interactive and it's fun for both kids and adults!! The first time we came…read morehere, I only let the kids play. Now, there's no way that I only let the kids play! We be all up in Activate letting our inner kid out. It is a little pricey per person, but I'd say it's worth it. I would suggest booking online before going, but it's not a requirement, you may just have to wait a little if the time slots are unavailable.

We were looking for a place to host our grandson's birthday party it was a little bit West of…read moreAustin since that's where most of our family has relocated too. We're not super familiar with the area so we're still trying to figure out some new businesses that we can go to for special events like this. I would say this is one of the best places you can find a host a birthday party. The staff really know what's going on in cater to the kids since they know people are coming there and spreading the word because they're so good at birthday parties. The location was great and we love how the staff treated all of us!

Do not go here! DO NOT GO HERE! Do not go here!…read more Membership is misleading, and they have been unresponsive on canceling the membership. We provided all documentation for the written guidelines to cancel the membership and they continue to give us the runaround.. On top of that, the place is not safe. They do not adequately Train their staff and are significantly understaffed. Unfortunate. Don't let the other positive reviews mislead you as they are paying for box and most of them are not real. This is not a three star yelp establishment.

We loved Cyberpunk Sports! They came out to our end of year Carnival and their augmented reality…read moredodge ball was a hit with our Middle Schoolers and Teachers! So fun having something so cutting edge at our event. They were very professional and helpful with the whole process! Highly recommend!

From the owner: Cyberpunk Sports rents advanced AR/MR/&VR systems for events…read more It is a unique event company that specializes in cutting edge Mixed, Augmented, and Virtual gaming systems that employ physical movement, live multiplayer games, and fun! Our featured system is currently the world's first Augmented Reality sport called HADO. It combines dodgeball & and the classic game Street Fighter into a shared live multiplayer experience unlike any other. It's all virtual so no one gets hurt, but it does involve a little physical movement, team work, and some creative strategy to win! The game can accommodate 1 - 6 human or computer players, and rounds last from 80 - 160 seconds. It's perfect for parties, team building events, or just for fun with family and friends. It is zero impact, safe, and suitable for kids 6+ to adults 99+! Cyberpunk sports allows you to experience the technology you once dreamed of from your childhood with your friends & family by your side. Game On!

This is so much fun we went for family game night and since have returned we all had a blastread more

Immerse yourself into fun and games with family and friends! My husband and I enjoyed our game box…read moresession with the Squid Game option! If you've watch series on Netflix, you'll enjoy this ver much! The games all themed around the series- red light green light, dalgona, tug of war, glass tile game, and squid game. You will get hat sensors that depict your movement during the games. Enjoyed every game once you get the hang of everything. This lasts for an hour. Highly recommend! They have other games like Angry Bird as well. We bought tickets online. Arrive 10 minutes before your game time. I'd definitely come back!

NextGen is amazing! Words cannot describe how awesome and entertaining it truly is! My platoon had…read morean awesome time with team building exercises and leadership training here and we had a phenomenal and Fun time here! It truly is an awesome experience! We will definitely be coming again! My platoon had executed and competed in Lasertag, Bubble soccer, dodgeball, combat archery, chilled out ate lunch (you are allowed to bring outside food except drinks. You buy drinks there which is pretty cool still). During break time my platoon occupied themselves in air hockey, basketball, and their gaming stations! It is a Fun, epic and amazing place! My platoon loved it so much and they would love to come back again. Thank you NextGen!!!! There were more pics but it won't let me load it.

From the owner: NextGen Family Fun Arenas in Killeen offers indoor sports and family fun for everyone. We have…read moremultiple combat zones including laser tag, combat archery, bubble soccer, nerf wars, dodgeball, virtual reality, go carts and bounce houses. Our facility offers all day passes for all ages so that the fun doesn't stop until you say it does!

If you're a first time visitor here, you'll drive down the gravelly driveway and park where you…read morecan. The location itself looks very rustic on the outside, but inside it's cool, modern and has plenty of seating. You'll find plenty of shade trees and two water stations along with some nonalcoholic drink options. There's no food truck on site, but they do offer a charcuterie board and I was told you can now bring your own grub (still might want to call and confirm though). At the bar inside you'll find a listing of their ciders including some guest taps that rotate. There's two unisex bathrooms near the bar and two sinks on the outside where everyone can watch you wash your hands. It should be mentioned that there is one oddity about this property and that is the small McCuistian family cemetery just a few hundred feet west of the driveway (see separate review). And if that cemetery is not enough to get your attention, the huge Live Oak cemetery is directly next-door with over a thousand graves to peruse through (yes, I reviewed that one too). So if you're looking for a place that produces high-quality craft cider and enjoy the rustic Hill country setting, this is it. A couple of items to note, Friday night is movie night on a big screen outside and on weekends they have live bands. 10 informative photographs included.

Walking into this spot was blown away by the stunning, raw Texas beauty. It's really giving hill…read morecountry! The cidery is a rustic little building with lots of outdoor seating. Lots of games to play as well. Many cider and food options great for sharing!