Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Once upon a time, a game meant dusty knees, a wooden stick, a handful of marbles and a gang of friends shouting from the street.
Today, it can mean putting on a VR headset, grabbing a controller and suddenly finding yourself on a roller coaster, flying over mountains or fighting zombies in a world that does not actually exist.
For generations before Gen Z, games such as marbles, gilli-danda, pitthu and cricket turned neighbourhood lanes and open grounds into playgrounds.
But shrinking open spaces, packed schedules and changing lifestyles have pushed youngsters towards a very different kind of recreation - one that requires little physical effort but promises plenty of adrenaline.
The gaming journey itself has come a long way. The mobile revolution introduced youngsters to Subway Surfers, Temple Run, Candy Crush, Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja.
From smartphones, gaming moved to PCs and consoles, and now virtual reality is offering something more immersive - the feeling of actually stepping inside the game.
At a gaming zone near C21 Mall, visitors begin arriving around 1 pm, with a four-minute VR roller-coaster experience priced at Rs 99, said operator.
For college friends Riya Mehta, 20, and Arjun Jain, 21, the roller coaster was less about the ride and more about watching each other react. “Riya was screaming before the ride had even started,” Arjun laughed.
At Strikke Playzone Gamezone, paragliding is among the most popular VR experiences and costs Rs 199.
For 22-year-old college student Kabir Malhotra, the experience was a quick escape from the city. “For five minutes, I wasn't in Indore. I was flying,” he said.
VirtueStrike attracts groups looking for longer gaming sessions, with 20-minute sci-fi zombie games, PUBG and VR cricket priced between Rs 150 and Rs 300.
“Once one friend starts playing, everyone else wants a turn,” said Neha Joshi, 21, after watching her friends battle virtual zombies.
Metaverse Gaming World offers three-to-five-minute experiences for Rs 50, with its roller-coaster game remaining a crowd favourite.
Aditya Sharma, who tried a VR roller coaster, said, “For a few minutes, I completely forgot I was sitting in a mall.”
At Phoenix Mall, Clicktra offers experiences including VR Interstellar and VR 360.
“It feels like you are actually inside the game, not just watching it,” said Priya Singh, a college student.
For Gen Z, perhaps that is the real attraction. VR offers a quick, accessible escape from college, work, traffic and the repetitive rhythm of everyday life - all without needing an entire afternoon or an open playground.
