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Here's my thread for Meow Wolf Las Vegas, and a warning: if you're truly wanting to experience Omega Mart with fresh eyes, DO NOT read on. To go in blind is truly incredible, as it's built entirely around discovery and exploration. As I said earlier, you will get lost and love it
Moving on, I was happy to be among the first public guests let into the experience at 3PM today. There photographers and people filming, and Meow Wolf was on hand applauding the first people entering.
Welcome to Omega Mart, by Dramcorp! Nearly everything on the shelves is REAL, and purchasable, AND edible. I'm not kidding. I bought some moon water. The items are packed full of humor and the perfect blend of surreality.
Strange videos play along the walls of the supermarket...
The employees act off-kilter...
You see these kiosks, but they don’t work, and you’re told to see a crew member in an apron for what’s called a “boop card”. This is where Omega Mart’s insane ARG begins.
Your boop card allows you to access the kiosks and begin your Omega Mart “employee training”.
It’s at this time you find out that the entire place is explorable with hidden nooks and crannies in the market letting you explore the hidden underbelly, but first the breakroom!
Turn a corner and you’ll constantly find something new. Omega Mart is a facade for an absolutely massive, surreal corporate world behind it.
The phones work. Call any of these numbers to hear messages from those inside Dramcorp.
Interactive robots? Yup
Is he uncomfortable? Yup.
Next we have the heart of Omega Mart: the factory with slides (that, YES, you can ride!!) as the arteries. The area is filled to the brim with steep spiral staircases and interactive games and activities.
For example, here’s an interactive light racing game that two people can play.
This factory also has jokes.
Another fun game that you can play in the factory!
The most jaw-dropping room is easily the village: a two-story projection-mapped rock outcropping with adobe homes and where our story skyrockets.
In the village, you’ll learn about Walter Dram (Omega Mart’s creator) and his family who lived here. You can enter their homes, access their computers and access the secrets and even be recruited to take down Dramcorp in a hacker mission.
It’s a truly, truly bonkers story that involves many searchable documents both via various tablets, clues and hidden features, talking to employees and exploring both the village and Dramcorp. I spent an hour playing it and I still don’t fully grasp it.
With your boop card, at first you access kiosks and do quizzes to become a good little corporate drone (even the big tablets have images of you as a literal robot), but once “The Monolith” enlists you, you can hack into various areas like this!
You even get to take over and cause an epic light show to occur in Omega Mart itself!
Finally, you have to go to the Dramcorp offices and hack into one their computers. This area is just super cool, with light beams as virtual cubicles.
After you hack into an employee’s computer, the monolith thanks and says they’ll be in touch. You’re free to explore all of the hidden documents that show Cecilia Dram, Walter’s CEO daughter trying to explain the mysterious disappearance of her father in a chilling zoom call.
A cute note: I met a couple who were friends with one of the creatives. There’s a file on one of the computers called “Cats” with well, pictures of cats. And they used their cat! Meow indeed
Yes, there are still more fun things to find, like... will the Herman Resources robot (love that name) actually respond to this? You bet.
I could go on. This place has just so much to discover and to do. It’s not just about the ARG and the story, and it’s not just about trippy visuals, it’s truly an amazing experience.
