SENSAS is an internationally successful interactive experience, having appeared in Paris, Dubai, and Melbourne, as well as residing a stone’s throw from Vauxhall station in London. The premise is a team activity that encourages you to challenge each of your senses, and while you do so, you gain tokens that translate into charity donations: have fun while doing good. Not too much else is revealed about the exact challenges you face; I was intrigued, so I went to check it out – read on for my review of SENSAS in London.
The premise
As I mentioned above, the premise of SENSAS is all about challenging your senses: activities are split into five stages, according to your five senses. Before attending, I knew some activities took place in the dark, while others involved taste testing: my anticipation built as I made the short walk from the train station to the venue. Side note, while the walk from Vauxhall station is very direct, Google Maps can direct you to the back of the building – be sure to walk under the arch to reach the front of the venue.
Thankfully, upon starting the game, you’ll have a games master to guide you through the experience, both in person at your briefing, and over the speakers as you tackle each challenge. The challenges are two-part: you face games focused on tasting, touching, hearing, smelling, and seeing, all to find out a code, which you use to break into a safe to retrieve your token. Each token will then translate into a donation that SENSAS will make on your behalf to a London charity; Disability Sports Coach UK. I loved this mechanic. The whole experience encourages teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving in a fun environment.
I was quite unsure of the secretness that surrounded the activities prior to my visit, but it honestly is the best approach, as it made the experience all the more fun. The best way I can describe it is a nicer I’m A Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here meets Mission Impossible: when else are you cracking codes through unique ‘trials’?
Highlights
Now, the whole experience thrives on visitors not knowing what to expect, so I can’t give away too much here, but what I will say is that I went through a wave of emotions: excitement, fear, insecurity, happiness, and relief, and I left with a huge smile on my face. I am an absolute wimp, so you can relax in the knowledge I leave SENSAS saying it’s not scary, it’s more that being deprived of one or more of your senses builds anticipation. The team behind the experience excels at creating suspense.
My favourite experiences were the taste and smell tests in the dark, and the final task of the whole experience, which requires movement from your whole body. In the former two, there were some nice and not-so-nice options, which played into the fun of it. In the latter, I was sure my short stature would be an advantage, but unfortunately, my sweeping culotte trousers hindered me!
To conclude this elusive review, I highly recommend visiting SENSAS in London. It’s a fun day out for a group of any size (four people minimum), and suitable for those aged 7+. Whether it’s a family outing or one with colleagues, it’s a great way to foster collaboration and good communication. Just be mindful not to communicate what you’ve experienced with anyone outside the experience – the fun is in not knowing before you enter…
