Mississauga’s Square One isn’t the kind of place you expect to find zombies, skeletons or a glowing orb that guides you through an adventure. But with the arrival of Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue, the mall has taken a detour into the Overworld—and for a limited-time interactive experience, it’s actually pretty enjoyable.
The event, which makes its Canadian debut this weekend, offers a walk-through adventure aimed squarely at the Minecraft crowd. Created by Montreal-based studio Supply + Demand in collaboration with Experience MOD and Mojang Studios, it brings the game’s familiar biomes and blocky aesthetic into the real world. It’s not mind-blowing, but for families with kids who eat, sleep and breathe Minecraft, it’s going to be a hit.
I went with my kids—both of whom are more obsessed with Minecraft than I’d care to admit—and they were locked in from the start. The experience is set up like a scavenger hunt with some light narrative dressing, and your group is tasked with saving a village from a zombie attack by gathering resources, solving a few basic puzzles and brewing a potion. You’re armed with a glowing “Orb of Interaction,” which is essentially a handheld guide that lights up and buzzes when you get close to something important or when you interact with the world.
There’s a decent amount of physical interactivity. You can mine, fight, gather resources, craft, and trigger effects in the environment. One of the highlights is a 360-degree projection room that cycles through different biomes—jungle, snow, underwater—complete with lighting and ambient sound. It’s cool in the moment and definitely got some wide-eyed reactions from the younger crowd, and was easily the standout feature of the experience.
That said, not every section feels fully fleshed out. Some rooms are more set dressing than interactive, and a few of the “challenges” feel more like gimmicks. The pacing also dips a bit in the middle, where the novelty wears off and the objectives start to feel a little samey. But the production value is solid enough to hold attention, and there’s just enough game logic baked in to keep kids engaged without overwhelming anyone.
Mojang’s Federico San Martin calls the experience “a completely new and innovative way to experience Minecraft,” and while that’s probably overselling it a bit, it is a clever take on bringing a game world into real space. It’s accessible, safe and fun for an afternoon. Olivier Goulet of Supply + Demand describes it as sitting at the “crossroads of game design and experiential storytelling,” and there are moments where that shows, especially in how the different realms transition and react to players.
It’s a well-produced touring attraction designed to appeal to Minecraft fans and their families. And in that respect, it does exactly what it sets out to do.
Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue is now open at Square One Shopping Centre at 199 Rathburn Rd. W. Tickets start at $32, with flex and group options available. It’s a fun way to spend a summer afternoon if you’ve got young players in the house—and let’s be honest, most of us do. Just don’t expect to walk out feeling like you’ve saved the world. You’ve just saved a few villagers. And that’s fun.
