A new virtual reality social entertainment venue has opened in Bellevue, the likes of which I’ve never seen before.
Mirra has the vibe of an upscale casino, but you’ll find a very different kind of gaming inside. There’s a stylish restaurant and bar surrounded by giant screens and an arena-style space to spread out while immersed in VR. A pink neon sign invites you to “lose yourself.”
Located across the Cinemark Reserve on the third floor of Lincoln Square South, Mirra is sleek and elegant, but not pretentious. It hits all the marks for modern and futuristic, while entertainingly combining brand new and nostalgic favorites.
The most impressive thing about the Mirra, in appearance alone, is the scope of the screens. On the night I visited, a floor-to-ceiling panoramic LED screen featured moving, crystal-clear 8K images of tropical forests. The scenes change throughout the night, and interesting images such as sunsets on the beach or waterfalls are also shown.
I caught up with Mirra’s founder, Sam Wang, to get the full story. He tells me that Mirra has been a work in progress for the past four years and plans to build more. But he also points out that the place has to win first.
“At Mirra we combine reality with fantasy for players and spectators alike,” says Wang. “We want to bring Mirra to the Bellevue community to create a fun, social place where people of all ages can spend quality time with friends and family while enjoying exciting games and activities.”
The friendly staff took us to the avatar creation station. We were then ushered into one of four private bay areas next to the game show floor. Now it’s time for Mirra Party Game Show.
Scenes of tropical forests blossomed into TV game show sets. A large wheel was lowered with the names of the four games to be played that night. The wheel spun and went into “hyper rhythm”. Two contestants were selected from each team and the contestants were brought out to the playground equipped with a comfortable VR device and short instructions. The back wall was repurposed to feature real-time game action showing viewers what the contestants saw while playing the game.
For 10 minutes, the players danced to music while avoiding various obstacles while the rest cheered them on. Sometimes these players have to pose their body to fit the wall that comes with body shaped holes. Then, new pairs are chosen for the next game, “Bubble Boom,” a larger-than-life Bust-A-Move game using only balloons.
My grown son and I were chosen to play the next game, “Laser Room,” where we were placed in a mysterious lab and had to avoid laser lines. Occasionally, a giant octopus arm swings around the room, knocking people over. I thought I was doing well until I saw my score. My son thought he wasn’t doing very well, but I think he was kidding me.
The last group was the best game of the night: “Hockey Smash.” Two teams go up against each other to play a life-size game of ice hockey. I think everyone was desperate for the chance to act in it.
While many recreations take inspiration from familiar games, each one is unique to Mirra. The instructions were simple and the games easy to learn. There is no lag between games. It is well laid out. However, the downside is that each hourly booking session includes 40 minutes of actual game time, which means only 10 minutes per player.
While at Mirra, I enjoyed a fantastic signature mojito. The full bar features hand-crafted cocktails such as Cask-Aged Old Fashioned, Fresh Thai Basil Gimlet and some other creative cocktail/mocktail options.
The food at Mirra also deserves attention. It is inspired by street food found around the world. Much of the menu offers “shareable” items such as Mediterranean lamb chops, potstickers, a crispy tofu bowl, shakshuka flatbread pizza, pirria quesadilla, buttermilk fried chicken sliders and hamburger sliders. The menu also offers vegetarian, gluten-free, nut/seed allergy and vegetarian-friendly options. You can also order your food while participating in party games.
Mirra is located in Lincoln Square South at 500 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, 98004. We suggest you gather your friends and register on the Mirra website before coming out. You need 4-8 players to play and a pay book for $200. Currently, Mirra has daily time slots at 1:30, 4, 5:30, 7, 8:30 and 10 p.m. For more information, call 425-459-2324 or visit their website.
Happy gaming!
Jeff Doty is a freelance writer for Seattle Refined. Follow more of his work here.
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