New Quest unwrapped? 6 mixed reality games for your first week

The Quest is out of the box, the headset is set up, the room is scanned. Now what? The store is packed, and most best-of lists are aimed at people who’ve been playing VR for years. For your first week we packed a different list: six games that show what mixed reality can do — games where your real room stays visible and becomes part of the game.

A few words up front: mixed reality works best in a well-lit room with clear floor space. And because mixed reality features are most mature on Quest 3 and Quest 3S, it’s worth checking each game’s store page on older models to see which headsets are supported.

1. First Encounters: the free first taste

First Encounters is Meta’s own mixed reality demo and it’s free. Little fluffy aliens break through your walls, and you catch them while your room gradually opens up into an alien world. It’s short, but in a few minutes it shows how passthrough, room scan and virtual objects work together.

Best for: your very first evening with the headset, to understand what mixed reality even is.

Skip if: you’re looking for a game to sink many hours into. First Encounters is more of a showcase than a long campaign.

2. Tank Avenger: your floor as a battlefield

Tank Avenger turns your floor into the map. You mark out the area where the battle will play out, and a miniature fortress and enemy tanks appear on it. You control a little tank from above and walk around the battlefield while doing it, through 202 levels across four worlds.

For beginners it’s a good second step after First Encounters, because the controls are explained in a three-stage tutorial and the camera never moves artificially. The store rates it “Comfortable for most.” Two mixed reality moments stick with you: attack drones hang from a cable that you slice through with the controller, and sometimes you catch a falling atomic bomb and toss it away.

Space needed: at least 1.5 m² of clear floor plus a free area of 0.6 × 0.6 m, with about 2 × 2 m recommended.

Best for: beginners who want an accessible arcade game with lots of short levels, families included (PEGI 7).

Skip if: you want to play without an internet connection (the store says a connection is required) or you’re looking for a multiplayer title.

3. Laser Thief: your living room as a laser vault

Laser Thief stretches lasers across your room. You duck, step over beams, wait for the right moment and bring the loot back to the starting pad. According to the studio, the beams end at your real walls, and the levels adapt to the shape of your room. It can be played with hands or controllers.

Space needed: room-scale; the store recommends 3 × 3 m.

Best for: anyone who wants to move around in their first week and enjoys “heist movie” moments (PEGI 12).

Skip if: your room is small and packed with furniture and nothing can be moved out of the way.

4. Cubism: calm puzzling in your space

Cubism is a puzzle game where you fit colored blocks into a given shape. It’s calm, with no time pressure, and can be played with passthrough so the puzzle floats in your room. A good counterweight to action-heavy games.

Best for: puzzle fans and anyone looking for something quiet in the headset after a long day.

Skip if: you want action or movement. Cubism is played almost entirely standing still.

5. Eleven Table Tennis: table tennis without a table

Eleven Table Tennis is a well-known table tennis simulation with realistic ball physics. In mixed reality mode, the virtual table stands in your real room. You can train against the computer or play online against other players.

Best for: sports fans who want a movement simulation with a real learning curve.

Skip if: you have little space in front of you and to the sides. Your arm needs room on the backswing.

6. Demeo: a board game adventure on your table

Demeo is a dungeon crawler in the style of a tabletop role-playing game. Miniatures, dice and cards sit on a game board that appears in your room in mixed reality mode. Play is turn-based, solo or together with friends.

Best for: board game and RPG fans, especially if your friends have a headset too.

Skip if: you’re after quick rounds. An adventure in Demeo takes more like an evening than a few minutes.

How to plan your first week

One possible order: on the first evening, First Encounters to understand the principle. On the second evening, Cubism to get used to the headset without stress. After that, Tank Avenger for short rounds and Laser Thief for movement, and on the weekend Eleven Table Tennis or Demeo for longer sessions.

Three ground rules apply to all six games: clear the floor, get pets out of the room, and take a break as soon as you feel dizzy or your eyes get tired.

Price and platform note

Tank Avenger – Mixed Reality cost £9.99 in the UK Meta Horizon Store on Oct 10, 2026 (Quest 2, Pro, 3 and 3S). Laser Thief cost £7.99 in the same store on the same day. First Encounters is free. For Cubism, Eleven Table Tennis and Demeo, check the current price and supported headsets directly in the Meta Horizon Store, since both can change depending on country and timing.