Why Sandbox VR is the Best Solution for Team Building

Sandbox VR's full-body, immersive VR experience tests problem-solving and communication skills in small groups of up to six players, making it an ideal team-building activity. Get a better understanding of the Sandbox VR experience and its benefits for corporate team-building events in this guide.

Table of Contents

1. The Power of Shared Immersive Experiences

2. How Sandbox VR Encourages Teamwork and Communication

3. Sandbox VR Games Perfect for Corporate Groups

4. Planning Your Team Building Event at Sandbox VR

The Power of Shared Immersive Experiences

Team-building activities, like escape rooms, bowling, and putt-putt golf, are a fun day out that help to build morale, hone problem-solving skills, and encourage creative thinking. However, even the most engaging team-building activities begin to lose their impact when team members know what to expect. When team-building events start to feel stale and predictable, their value as a learning tool decreases. 

This is why an effective team-building program needs to refresh tactics. Events should be engaging, hold attention, and encourage focus on an unfamiliar task. 

Right now, in the options available for those planning corporate team building activities, there are few experiences as cutting-edge as fully immersive VR experiences.

Sandbox VR is an experience that will be new to even the most jaded veteran of corporate team-building exercises. If you've ever put on a headset and taken a look around a simple virtual reality landscape, you might think you know what VR has to offer. But few people have access to the technology that is now made available and affordable by the Sandbox VR.

Sandbox VR's experiences are fully immersive. Geared from head to toe (our equipment includes a headset, a vest, and wrist and ankle sensors), you enter a virtual reality universe as a full-size virtual avatar of yourself. Your avatar moves and speaks exactly as you do in response to the scenarios and challenges presented. Technology like our haptic vest means you'll feel the shudder of far-away explosions or the recoil of your gun.

The quality of our technology is matched by our creative, interactive storytelling. Our experiences take place in unique worlds, some of which are unique to Sandbox VR. We have also developed existing worlds in partnership with Netflix, bringing to life the universes of Stranger Things, Rebel Moon, and Squid Game. 

The general novelty of VR, paired with Sandbox VR's unique experiences, creates a level playing field for team-building activities. Everyone starts fresh, with cutting-edge technology that powers Sandbox VR's full-body immersive adventures. And you may have watched Stranger Things, but you surely have never battled a Demogorgon yourself before.

Top-tier storytelling and immersive interactivity pull your teams out of their comfort zones and focus them on the scenarios presented by the virtual world they're exploring. Whether it's battling hordes of zombies, exploring the Stranger Things universe, or taking on alien invaders from outer space, your teams will build real connections in our virtual spaces, sharing thrills, laughter, and surprises, all while tackling challenges that require diverse skills, such as teamwork and collective problem-solving

As one of the newest VR experiences available, Sandbox VR adventures are unlike anything most people have tried before. Sharing new experiences and challenges makes for some powerful team building.

How Sandbox VR Encourages Teamwork and Communication

Every Sandbox VR experience is intended to be played by small groups of up to six players at a time. That means every mission is built to encourage players to strategize collectively as they work toward their objectives as a team. 

The gameplay depends on real-time communication, requiring a full team effort to coordinate movements and roles to execute a strategy successfully. Our experiences emphasize team-building qualities, like problem-solving, task-sharing, and communication. Sandbox VR experiences can therefore be a way to improve soft skills within a team, like leadership, active listening, and adaptability.

The Sandbox VR experience is a fully interactive and immersive virtual world. Your teams will have to communicate and work together to navigate the challenges presented. Their reactions and choices drive the experience as much as the overall design of the game. In this way, while exploring our fantastical worlds, teams are developing real-world skills, reacting to circumstances, coming together to figure out solutions, and adapting on the fly if those plans don't bring the desired outcome.

The extraordinary and extreme circumstances of our Sandbox VR games help to break down barriers of seniority or specialization between colleagues so that real bonds between team members form. Differences between Sales and Production or a senior manager and junior team member are swiftly forgotten when everyone's battling the Demogorgon in the Stranger Things universe or trying to solve a Squid Game challenge.

Sandbox VR Games Perfect for Corporate Groups

Several factors make VR games ideal for corporate groups and team-building activities. 

Let's start with the sheer range of experiences suitable for adults and professionals. Sandbox VR offers thrilling problem-solving challenges and exciting quests, such as the Squid Game Virtuals or the fantasy-themed Seekers of the Shard: Dragonfire. Action-packed sci-fi battles in our Rebel Moon-themed experience help people learn to work together as a team to overcome common obstacles. 

Within several of our experiences, you'll find that there are shifts from cooperative to competitive modes. For example, the Unbound Fighting League pits teams directly against each other, or the Deadwood zombie survival series sees teams challenged to stick together and battle advancing hordes of the undead.

Our games are typically designed for teams of up to six players, but there can be greater flexibility. Our staff know the nuances of every experience and can discuss with you how larger groups can be rotated through the same session to share an experience. Alternatively, different experiences that test team-building skills can be stacked back-to-back to keep every team member fresh and engaged across multiple scenarios.

Sandbox VR games cater to a wide variety of interests, covering many popular genres and some popular Netflix titles. With experiences ranging from Stranger Things to Squid Games and gladiatorial combat, there's something to appeal to a broad spectrum of tastes and interests.

Our experiences also have high replay value, including a variety of different scenarios and challenges. This means that you can build on past experiences through recurring visits that present different challenges within a familiar adventure. 

Planning Your Team Building Event at Sandbox VR

Building team dynamics and planning fun team-building activities at Sandbox VR is easy. 

For corporate groups, booking options range from the standard experience, just booking a session for up to six guests through our online process, to a fully customized group experience for dozens of participants. We also offer structured deals for groups, such as our Gold Package, which includes two sessions, snacks, and drinks for up to six people at a discounted rate.

When considering the team-building games that are right for your group, it's worth considering the basic Sandbox VR experience, which is at the center of any visit to our locations.

A standard session typically lasts 45–60 minutes and breaks down into four phases. 

The first phase is check-in. We recommend you arrive early for check-in. Time your arrival for about 10 minutes before your scheduled booking time, and you'll complete the check-in process without it eating into the time allocated for more substantive elements of your visit.

With the second phase: equipment fitting and tutorials. Our staff will guide you through putting on the gear and completing a virtual tutorial to walk you through the upcoming game. This phase takes about 10 minutes.

The actual gameplay for most experiences lasts 30–40 minutes. After you play, you'll need about 10 minutes to get out of your gear and check out the video clips and photos from your gameplay experience.

Note that our experiences do encourage a lot of physical and mental activity. You don't need to be an elite athlete, but you should be able to comfortably carry about 20 pounds of gear for the best part of an hour. We don't recommend Sandbox VR experiences for anyone who is pregnant or has a heart condition.

While the basic session lasts about an hour, you can discuss customization options with our staff at any time. This could include stacking sessions to build a more comprehensive test of skill, pairing the session with a visit to a nearby restaurant or happy hour to cap the day with some unstructured socializing, or using one of our private event spaces for prize-giving, seminars, or general discussion.

Make Your Next Team-Building Experience a Sandbox VR Experience

The Sandbox VR experience encourages teams to collaborate to solve problems and overcome challenges collectively. The unique, high-tech VR environment is a novel and engaging way for corporate teams to step outside their comfort zones and build stronger relationships in an unfamiliar setting. 

Make Sandbox VR the next destination for your corporate team-building today. Book a session online, or call your preferred location to discuss how we can tailor a visit to your needs.

FAQs

How many people can participate in a Sandbox VR team-building session?

Most Sandbox VR experiences are designed for groups of six players per session, with four VR rooms available to play at once, accommodating up to 24 players at a time. For larger corporate teams, consider booking multiple sessions back-to-back, so everyone can participate in the adventures. Our staff will also be happy to discuss ways in which larger groups can be accommodated for additional activities in private event spaces. 

Do participants need VR or gaming experience?

No experience necessary! Our games are designed to be intuitive and beginner-friendly. At the same time, our cutting-edge technology and immersive storytelling will hold the attention of the most experienced gamers. The ability to engage participants, regardless of their level of gaming experience, is part of what makes Sandbox VR a great option for team-building exercises. From new team members to seasoned gamers, everyone will need to hone their communication skills to succeed in our adventures.

All our experiences begin with a simple yet comprehensive tutorial that provides everyone with the necessary information to navigate the virtual world ahead. And our Sandbox VR staff are on hand throughout the experience to guide each group through setup, address any issues with gameplay, and help create unforgettable memories.

How long does a team-building activity last at Sandbox VR?

For most groups, a typical session lasts about 45–60 minutes. That breaks down into four basic phases:

• Check-in: We recommend arriving early to complete the 10-minute check-in process before your scheduled start time

• Equipment fitting and tutorial: Our staff will help you gear up, and our virtual tutorial will explain the gameplay. This phase takes about 10 minutes.

• Gameplay: Most adventures take 30–40 minutes of gameplay to complete.

• Post-game: Allow about 10 minutes to take off your gear and look at the photos and videos taken of your group during gameplay.

For an entire team-building exercise, we recommend booking back-to-back sessions to create an engaging activity that will occupy your participants for between 90 minutes and two hours.

Private event spaces are available at most locations, allowing you to extend the activity with breakout sessions or a structured cool-down. Contact your preferred location for more information.

Can Sandbox VR host corporate events or private bookings?

It depends on the location! Five out of our 33 Sandbox VR locations have private event spaces that can be booked for corporate activities or private parties. We're also happy to accommodate larger groups in our gameplay experiences. 

To plan a team-building event at Sandbox VR, please call your preferred location, and our staff will discuss all customization options with you. We welcome private bookings for group events. Give us a call today to discuss how we can tailor the Sandbox VR experience to create your next team-building event.