The 6 Best Activities for the Winter Break holiday near Helsinki – 4 of Them Can Be Found Right Here at OLiO VR in Shopping Center Jumbo, Vantaa!
- Marttin Backman
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Have you thought about what you’d like to do during the winter break? If the sledding hills are packed or the frost is biting a bit too hard, it’s the perfect time to head indoors. At our VR arena at Jumbo near Helsinki, even the widest smiles are guaranteed!
Bowling, mini-golf, movies, laser tag, or swimming are familiar to everyone by now—so isn’t it time to try something completely different and unforgettable holiday activity? Something that suits a 7-year-old bundle of joy, a 78-year-old "Iron Lady" from Mexico, or a relaxed family from Karelia alike?
Come and adventure at the Virtual Arena in Shopping Centre Jumbo!
At OLiO, our main attraction is Arena VR gaming. This is reflected in our massive selection of arena games—the widest in Finland—and our specialized peripheral equipment. Here are three of our top favorites:
Cook'd Up - Cooking with a Smirk
Our most popular and fun game is undoubtedly this one! Your mission is—or rather, should be—to make burgers for customers. However, the game usually devolves into chaotic fits of laughter as patties burn, buns roll across the floor (following the five-second rule, of course), and ketchup flies at the walls or right into your friend’s face.
Cooking might sound "boring" on paper, but it’s anything but once the game starts running!
Cops & Robbers - Heist
What was more exciting as a kid than playing Cops and Robbers? We’ve modernized the classic into a VR experience! In this family-friendly story game, your mission is to stop a bank robbery.
You’ll hop into a police car and head to the bank, where you're greeted by a gang of trigger-happy crooks with grenade launchers—but they’re facing at least as trigger-happy police (you!) with dual pistols! The job ends in a wild chase with flying missiles and buzzing buzzsaws!
(Psst! Many have asked, and we’re happy to say that in the future, we’ll also have a mode where you can be the robbers and heist the bank yourself!)
Dead Corps - Killing Spree
This is a personal favorite: a mind-blowing, action-packed zombie experience. It’s at its best when you put on the haptic vest and grab a haptic game gun.
Imagine the feeling of going full "Rambo" with your friends in the middle of the apocalypse. Suddenly, your teammate screams as a tongue wraps around them to drag them away, and their haptic vest reacts instantly. You spin on your heel and rush to help with your Remington shotgun, feeling the powerful recoil against your chest modeled through the game weapon!
Writing this makes me want to play right now! Luckily, I have the keys to the hall.
VR Escape Rooms
We have a huge variety of escape rooms—nearly ten, and the list is growing! The wild side of VR escape rooms is that they don’t have to obey the laws of physics.
The Parvus Box - Join a Science Experiment
Our most popular escape room. Your sense of scale goes topsy-turvy as you are shrunk to microscopic size. At one point, things go "south" when half the group stays tiny while the others grow into massive giants!
Good luck passing ingredients when the salt shaker is taller than your head!
The Wayfinders - Escape an Exploding Space Station
A highly recommended, fun, and moderately easy VR escape room. A failed space mission is about to end in the destruction of the base, and your only chance is to escape safely.
There’s a hilarious moment (at least for onlookers) where you have to pump for your life with bicycle pumps. Just imagine how it looks to the rest of us.....
Face-off with Game Weapons and Haptic Vests
In Finland, "Megazone" is basically a synonym for laser tag. But if you’re looking for a modern twist on the sport, we offer laser tag in Virtual Reality.
As one local "Karelian host" put it after a session: "Oh boy, that was some fun! Something flew from the ceiling and got me, and then the vest started buzzing!"
His family played a few rounds of Quantum Arena, which features environmental traps like spinning blade "contraptions." They were staying at the nearby Sokos Hotel Flamingo for the holidays and decided to drop by. Judging by the loud laughter echoing down the hallway as they left, they didn't regret it! Next time, they’re set to try Re:coil, which fully supports haptic vests and game guns.
The Classic Roomscale VR
Do you crave traditional, "room-scale" VR? Don't worry, we have plenty of that too! We have games for kids, teens, and adults.
While traditional VR might be a bit more complex than the streamlined Arena play, it’s still hilariously fun. You can travel the world in Google Earth, play rhythm games like Rhythmic 2 (similar to Beat Saber), or buy a day pass and play through the legendary Half-Life: Alyx on our high-quality headsets!
Nearby Restaurants
Just below us in Jumbo’s Entertainment District is Aangan, a fantastic Nepalese restaurant. I could eat their naan bread and butter chicken every day, but luckily the mirror by my front door reminds me that home cooking is also a good option. But what can you do when you have a weakness for great food?
Rest Your Head at a Hotel
Even on holiday, you need to recharge. While we have enough activities to fill every waking hour of your week (we have extended opening hours during weeks 8–9, Mon–Sun 11 AM – 10 PM), the cure for exhaustion is right next door.
Sokos Hotel Flamingo is just a few steps away! You can go straight from the virtual world into a soft hotel bed and come back for more right after breakfast.
In a Nutshell: The Best Winter Break Plan
If you want to avoid the "I'm bored" complaints and experience something people will still be talking about at Midsummer, here is your ticket to a successful holiday:
What: Wireless VR Arena gaming, 30+ games, escape rooms, solo play, and VR Laser Tag with haptic vests.
Where: Jumbo Shopping Centre, Entertainment District (2nd floor), Tasetie 8, Vantaa.
When: During winter break (weeks 8–9), we are open extended hours, daily 11 AM – 10 PM.
For Whom: Everyone from "babies to grandpas." No previous gaming experience required—we’ll guide you every step of the way.
Bonus: The best Nepalese in town (Aangan) and the softest beds (Sokos Hotel Flamingo) are in the same building.
Book your experience now
The most popular times (especially weekends) fill up fast. Don’t leave your crew out in the cold—secure your spot on the virtual arena today from here!
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