The sliding doors at 2712 N. Central Expressway in Plano, which once opened for customers buying baby clothes, diapers and more when the building housed Buy, Buy Baby, will soon provide a passageway for gamers and families to a unique interactive experience.

Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue will open to the public Oct. 18 in Plano.

“For the first time ever, the Minecraft community will have their chance to experience a real-world, immersive, interactive Minecraft adventure,” a company news release stated. “...giving longtime Minecrafters, players and non-players alike, and families of all ages their first chance to be heroes in a real-life, in-person Minecraft quest.”

The setup

The experience is slated to last one hour. Attendees will be given a quest then embark on a rescue mission with other Minecrafters.


“On this interactive scavenger hunt, adventurers will journey through multiple Minecraft biomes while building structures and interacting with iconic mobs—some more friendly than others,” a company news release states. “Minecrafters can gush over pandas and dolphins as well as face skeletons, spiders and—of course—creepers.”

The details

The creative and producing team from Supply & Demand, a Canadian company that designs exhibits, is led by Olivier Goulet, who is also an executive producer for Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue.

Most of the production work for this touring exhibit was done in Montreal. This project was conceptualized about two years ago.


“We look for partnerships with brands we appreciate and love and know we can create something compelling,” Goulet said. “Minecraft is an amazing game. It's the only game my kids are allowed to play with no supervision which was crucial for us. It is not only compelling but also respectful.”

What’s next

Goulet said Plano was chosen as the first stop in the worldwide tour because there are a lot of gamers and families in the area. Additional factors include the size of the space, 20,000 square feet, was the right size for the experience, the location has easy access and there is ample parking.

As of right now, Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue is slated to stay in Plano for 15 or 16 weeks. A decision to move to the next location will be made based on attendance. Future tour stops have been determined but are not being shared at this time.


Quote of note

Goulet said during production his team focused on the end user’s experience.

“Authenticity was our keyword. We made sure when fans stepped in here they recognized it. ” Goulet said. “You have no idea how much time [it took] making sure our pixels are the right size ... so when a kid steps in here they feel they are in scale with the game. We went into the finest details to make sure it was authentic.”