A brand new, authentic community entertainment venue has just opened in Bellevue and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
Mirra has a classic casino vibe, but you’ll find a very different game inside. There is a lovely restaurant and bar surrounded by big screens and a public space to spread out while immersed in VR. A red neon sign tells you to “Lose Yourself.”
Located on the third floor of Lincoln Square South across from the Cinemark Reserve, Mirra is stylish and elegant, but not pretentious. It hits all the marks of modernity and the future, while the entertainment itself mixes new and old favorites.
The most impressive thing about Mirra, in terms of its own, is the size of the screens. On the night I visited, the floor-to-ceiling LED screen displayed moving, vivid 8K footage of the forest. The scenes will change throughout the night, and equally amazing pictures, such as pictures of sunsets on the beach or waterfalls, will also be displayed.
I caught up with Mirra’s founder, Sam Wang, to get the whole story. He told me that Mirra has been a work in progress for the past four years, and he has a plan to build more. But he also pointed out that this field must be successful first.
“We really welcome Mirra to players and spectators alike,” Wang said. “We want to bring Mirra to the Bellevue community to create a fun, social space where people of all ages can spend quality time with friends and family while enjoying fun games and activities.”
The friendly staff took us to an avatar creation center where we picked our team name and master, as well as our identity for the night. We were then ushered into one of the four private areas next to the game floor. Now it’s time for the Mirra Party Games.
Scenes of the tropical forest have been made into a TV game show. A large wheel was lowered with the names of four games to be played that night. The bar spins and lands on “Hyper Rhythm.” Two contestants from each team were selected and the contestants were brought out onto the playing field to be fitted with comfortable VR equipment and brief instructions. The back wall was changed again to show the real-time action of the game and show the audience what the contestants saw during the game.
For 10 minutes the players danced to the music trying to avoid various obstacles while the rest of us cheered. Sometimes these players have to shape their bodies to fit the next wall of body-like holes. Then, a new partner was chosen for the next game, “Bubble Boom,” which was a larger-than-life version of the Bust-A-Move game using balloons.
My teenage son and I were chosen to play the next game, “Laser Room,” where we were placed in a mysterious lab where we had to avoid incoming laser lines. Occasionally, a large octopus arm will move around the room, pulling people out. I thought I was doing well until I looked at my score. My son thought it wasn’t much better, but I think he was kidding me.
The last team played what was probably the best game of the night: “Hockey Smash.” Two teams will face each other to play the ice hockey game of life. I think everyone wanted a chance to play that one.
Although many of the entertainments are drawn from popular games, each one is unique to Mirra. The instructions were simple and the games were easy to learn. There was almost no time between games. It is well laid out. However, the downside is that each multi-hour session contains 40 minutes of actual game time, meaning only 10 minutes per player.
While at Mirra, I had an amazing signature mojito. The full bar offers handcrafted cocktails such as the Cask-Aged Fashioned, the fresh Thai Basil Gimlet, and some other cocktail/mocktail options.
Mirra’s diet deserves the spotlight, too. Inspired by street food from around the world. Most of the menu offers “shareable” items such as Mediterranean lamb skewers, casseroles, crispy tofu bowls, Shakshuka flatbread pizza, birria quesadilla, butter fried chicken and hamburger sliders. The menu also offers vegetarian, gluten-free, nut/seed allergy and vegan-friendly options. You can even order your food while participating in the 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 Mirra’s website before you come out. You’ll need 4-8 players to play and book a $200 bay. Currently, Mirra has daily slots at 1:30, 4, 5:30, 7, 8:30 and 10 pm For more information, call 425-459-2324 or visit their website.
HAPPY GAME!
Jeff Totey is a freelance writer for Seattle Refined. Check out more of his work here.
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