Introduction
There are many worlds to visit in VRChat. But it's not often that you'll find a world with a story among the sea of hangout worlds. At least that's the case for me. I'm not too much of a "world hopper" (someone who hops around VRChat worlds) though my friends absolutely fall into that category. No, unfortunately for me, I go with whatever pops up in the recommended tab in VRChat. VRChat has no algorithm for worlds, so it's really up to the user themselves to go on their own adventure.
I digress. So, for context, my closest friends and I will hang out on the weekends during the evening. Usually, I'll be the one deciding our activity for the day and everyone will humour me and go with whatever I've decided we're doing. I had originally intended for a "world show-and-tell" to happen, but my buddy was like "I got something neat to show you". He dropped down a portal (VRChat's method of transporting from place to place) to a place called the Sensory Rooms.
Immediately upon entering the world, I was entranced. The aesthetic was unlike anything I had seen before in a VRChat world. You could interact with the different NPCs and they'd talk with you! Basic game mechanics, absolutely, but that's the point! VRChat, above all else, is a social game. You don't play VRChat to play single-player games. You play VRChat to hang out. Which is why it's such a big deal when something like this exists in this space.
Unfortunately, my friend was only showing me a quick demo of the place. I wanted to run off and explore the entire world. But I couldn't. That would ruin the fun for me when the actual weekend hangout came around. So I waited. During that period of time, I slipped into what I think was probably my worst mental breakdown of the year.
What I experienced was a complete dissociation of the self. Granted, I had already been going through these problems for most of my life. See, I define myself by my creativity. I always have some sort of story going on in my head. But it's another thing to get that story down from my brain onto words on a screen. I'd started writing by hand, granted they were just story ideas, into a notebook and that helped with organisation. But I rarely found myself actually writing.
Creativity. Writing. Those are my two main reasons for being alive. I've had to accept over the course of my life that nothing else will be consistent. Humans are complicated creatures. Dynamics change. People grow and move on. Things happen to people. But so long as I am alive, I can create. As long as I am alive, I always have something to brainstorm, something to write, something to think about. So I must stay alive. I must stay alive so I can write.
When I say I experience a dissociation of the self, I mean I recognised that I identified as a creative... but didn't create anything. I thought back to my younger self, who had no issues spending multiple days writing. Granted, my younger self had ample opportunity to do so. Bus rides to school, bus rides home from school, waiting in an after-school program for Mom to pick me up when I should've been doing homework, writing during school when I should have been paying attention, writing at night when I should have been sleeping, writing in the bathroom... whenever I had an ounce of downtime... I would write.
How? I had a portable typewriter, basically. An Alphasmart. Getting an upgraded Alphasmart I think slowed my writing down significantly, because anytime it went without charging, all of the data would get erased and I'd lose significant progress on all my stories. I would eventually get a laptop, but with a laptop you can get more easily distracted. An Alphasmart is made for writing. You sit down and you write. There is nothing else for you to do but write.
I didn't not put together the perfect circumstances that my younger self had for her creative talent to flourish. At the time, those long periods of waiting were more than annoying. As an adult, I'm incredibly grateful for them because they turned me into who I am today. I had specific blocks of my life I could dedicate to writing. I think as I've gotten older, those periods of time spent waiting have been occupied by other things. The introduction of the smart phone gave me no end of ways to entertain myself until I reached my destination, for instance.
Other distractions meant I wasn't writing as much because there were other things, quick things that would pump a shot of dopamine into my system. Rather than sitting there and writing whatever the fuck came to mind. Maybe I should just get another Alphasmart.
But yes, I wasn't creating. I thought to myself "what good is a creator that doesn't create?" and thus started an influx of mental questions I was not prepared for. My entire existence centred around the goal to create. And if I wasn't doing that, what good was being alive?
I've always said I have a lot of ambition but not enough motivation and focus to follow through on ideas. Unfortunately, my attention span jumps all over the place. I think my ADHD has been made worse in recent times, where we have access to easy things that give us dopamine with minimal effort. YouTube was my kryptonite and I couldn't resist the endless stream of videos it fed me.
I downloaded Cold Turkey (insert link here) and blocked websites. I made deals with myself not to engage with YouTube for a whole month. I knew that if I blocked the distractions, I'd run out of easy ways to give myself dopamine, and I'd have to walk the harder paths. I would write, yes, but this would only last for so long.
I struggled. If I wrote, I would be incredibly lucky if my motivation extended into the next day. Normally, motivation came in bursts and I'd have to take full advantage of it when it was around. Sometimes I'd get lucky and it'd extend into three days. Unfortunately, I have a horrid tendency with my motivation. Whenever it does come around, I don't know when enough is enough. I don't know when to stop. So I continue to push myself more and more, because I'm finally doing it, I'm finally writing. Then I stop because I'm mentally tired.
So, I tried to find ways to get myself on track. (Everything but buying another Alphasmart for some reason? I should probably buy one.) They fell through. So by the time this mental breakdown hit me, it hit me hard. I told myself that my stories really weren't telling. I told myself that they were just little self-indulgent worlds I would explore. I told myself that no one would care as much about my work as I did. I told myself it was silly.
But the biggest thing that was holding me back was my fear. I wanted my work to be perfect. Which is not possible. But I wanted it to be the closest thing to perfect it could possibly be. To be so well-polished that there would be minimal criticism. My Mom was a fairly large critic of mine growing up. I would show her my art, for instance, and she critiqued it instead of lifting me up. When I told her I wanted to be an animator, she discouraged me, saying it was a competitive field. Which it is.
Later, she would try to backpedal on these remarks by purchasing an animation software for me. She had nicer things to say about my art after that, I suppose she had changed her mind, but the initial damage was already done.
But I moved on from wanting to be an animator. Instead, I decided I wanted to write. I wanted to make stories. It made me happier. There would be times where when my Mom was driving me home from school, I would tell her stories about my characters, and she would sort of shut me down and say that she wasn't the target demographic for my stories. Still, I continued to try and speak to her about my stories. Same result. Eventually, I stopped.
I recall one time I was so upset by my Mom's remarks, I wrote out the backstory for my big project, printed it, and then taped it to her door for her to read when she woke up. She praised me for the storytelling but again, the damage had already been done. I started to feel self-conscious sharing my stories with others. What if they found them childish too? What if they weren't interested?
My Mom would often try to teach me how people would react in social situations... by acting how she thought people would react in social situations. I hated it. Because that meant there would be times where I was talking about something I cared deeply about and she would yawn. So I quickly learned that my Mom did not really care about my passions. I told her I wanted to go to school for writing and she said "you should pick something else, you can do that on your free-time"
So, I thought if my work was perfect, there was no way Mom could criticise it. There was no way that others would be able to criticise it either. But that stopped me from writing all-together. I used to be able to write for myself, but then I would look back on my writing and critique myself for how it looked. I would critique myself for literally everything, pick apart every single sentence, analyse everything... and then I would give up.
I knew my work was not going to be perfect, but knowing this was not enough to put my mind at ease. There were a variety of other "critics" in my life. Old friends, partners, all of their comments came together as one and had created this gigantic monster in my mind that just shot down everything I tried to do creatively. I was miserable. All I wanted to do was write but nothing felt good enough.
And I didn't feel good enough, for that matter. I had been struggling with my identity for over a decade. I didn't know who I was. Everything I thought I was had crumbled around me. I felt like nothing. So for a while, I clung to the Vessel from Deltarune as an identity. I felt like nothing. But I knew I wanted to create. I wanted to, but lacked the motivation to do it.
So an identity crisis mixed with a mental breakdown. That's what I was dealing with when I walked into the Sensory Rooms with my friends during that weekend hangout. Everyone knew I was going through some shit during that time, but they were still supportive. They would be willing to listen to me if I needed it. But I had already talked about it at length with another friend. I didn't need to talk about it. I needed to figure it out. But right then, I needed a distraction.
So I threw myself in head first to the Sensory Rooms. I loved every part of it. I exhausted all the dialogue in every single room. I didn't find all sixty-four rooms that night, I had already extended the hangout session by an hour in the world. By the time I came back around to the main central area, everyone was laying on the ground at spawn talking among themselves. So I decided to come back on my own time.
During this exploration, I had found an NPC. Specifically, a Patreon NPC in the Library of the Sensory Rooms. This NPC belongs to Aria__ and the dialogue that this NPC gave me changed my way of thinking. I don't want to say that this was the turning point, but this dialogue paved half of the way toward the conclusion I finally came to. I would come back to this part of the Sensory Rooms often and sit with this NPC, occasionally recycling through her dialogue to read it again, to make more sense of it.
![Little white pixel blob says: I send you my best wishes, [PLAYER]. I know you won't disappoint me, because I know whatever you make will shine.](./images/aria8.png)
I could say more about my creative journey, but I don't want to take up the whole ramble with that alone...
The Sensory Rooms was a wonderful experience. It was exactly what I needed at the time. There's little pieces of lore sprinkled around the world for you to pick up on, there are quests you can follow, the environment is charming, the world is charming, and the music was all made by the world's creator, KewlBunny! The Sensory Room is such a masterpiece and I'd recommend it to any VRChat player, desktop, quest-player, or PCVR player. It can be played regardless of what you decide to use.
The only issue is that some folks might have a bit of a difficult time navigating through the world on their first go around. The Sensory Rooms is all about exploring, paying attention to the dialogue, and figuring out what to do just by walking around. I wouldn't call it a puzzle game experience, but you could easily miss some stuff if you're not paying attention.
There's a distinct lack of documentation about the Sensory Rooms online. And while I've gone through the world about five times to full completion, I feel it would be a grand disservice to simply tell you how to fully complete the world. Instead, I'm opting to go the Professor Layton route and give you hints. But you don't have to spend any Picarats! Aren't I generous? ;]
Guide
OKAY SO
If this is your VERY first time visiting the Sensory Rooms, you're going to want to take an immediate left once you leave the spawn area. Then from there, you're going to want to take another left once you reach an area with five different routes to travel down. If you're following this guide correctly, you should be in an area with crunchy leaves and three different routes to travel down. You're going to go into the area with the pond and talk to all the NPCs there.
That's basically your tutorial.
OTHERWISE.
The first thing you're going to want to do is explore every room you possibly can. This is a world where it is absolutely not recommended to skip any of the dialogue from any NPC. So regardless of whether or not you like what those little pixel creatures out there are saying, you're gonna have to put on your best customer service face and listen. There's some dialogue that matters more than others. If the NPCs refuse to repeat themselves, you can pull up your KewlGear and review the dialogue there.
Also while you're in your KewlGear, go to your settings and click on accessibility. Turn on the option that allows for plain text and extend the lifespan of those NPC dialogue bubbles. Unless you read and digest information quickly, then I guess adjust them to your liking.
The second thing you're going to want to do is pick up the Pixelite around the the world. If you visited the pond area like I told you to, one of the NPCs there will explain what Pixelite is. But I'll also explain it for you: Pixelite is the Sensory Room's currency. It's scattered all across the world in the form of various clickable objects. You don't get anything for collecting them all, Pixelite respawns when you leave and rejoin the world.
AND ANOTHER THING!!!!
SAVE! FREQUENTLY!
I personally like to save when I enter a new room or after I collect a bit of Pixelite. I grew up with a faulty DS that didn't properly read game cartridges so I'm a bit scarred into saving regularly. You WILL want to save your progress in the Sensory Rooms as much as you can. It would suck to lose your Pixelite and all the progress you've made. Ask me how I know!!!! :'D
You will want to collect as much Pixelite as you can. Because eventually, you will find a store. And I suggest you try to find this store before visiting a certain techy area.
I know I said I wouldn't spoil much but I am going to tell you this. There will be a certain room where an NPC will give you something called a "HotFix" for free. If this NPC gives this to you for free, RELOAD IMMEDIATELY. You have essentially soft-locked yourself out of discovering something later. Theoretically, you could access this later secret by using a flying avatar, but only TWO places in the Sensory Rooms require a flying avatar.
SO YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BUY THE HOTFIX FROM THE SHOP. DO NOT LET THE NPC GIVE IT TO YOU.
While you're there, you're going to also want to pick up the teleporter. This will let you transport to different rooms that you've already been. Pretty much anything in the shop is fair game, except for the Hacker's Surfboard! If you've been talking to the NPCs around the Sensory Rooms by now, you might have come across a Patreon NPC that encouraged you to buy the Hacker Surfboard for later! Don't! It does not do jack fucking shit and it doesn't even contribute to your items collected!
I'll update this section if I'm made aware that the Hacker's Surfboard does do something but otherwise don't buy it. It's not worth the money.
Alright, that should be everything you need to have in mind. From this point on, this guide is going to take a bit of a different turn. I'm going to write out different places I personally got stuck on. You can click the ones you want hints for, but I'm not going to directly give you the answer to any puzzle. If you really REALLY want to spoil it for yourself, there's a few videos on YouTube that'll directly give you the answer.
But honestly, where's the fun in that? It's much more fun to figure it out for yourself with a bit of guidance.
I would ask you, the reader, to please try and complete the Sensory Rooms as much as you can without this guide. If you are absolutely stuck and need help, yes, use this. But there's so much of this world that you can figure out on your own by poking around. Once again, please try to do as much as you can on your own before proceeding forward!
Q:How do I get up the invisible ramp in the mouse area?
A: Without light, it cannot be seen. You will first need to find a way to bring light to an area that has none. Once you have brightened the days of those in need, return to the area that was once dark, and there you will find what you're looking for.
Q: How do I get into the locked room in the Laboratory?
A: Speak to the NPC in the area to the right of Light Mode. You will not be able to access this area until you buy the HotFix from the shop. The NPC will offer you your first clue in this quest. You will need to find another NPC that looks like that NPC. You will be able to find him by looking around and he will send you on the rest of your journey.
Q: What does the raccoon in the forest want?
A: He's hungry. You'll need to find someone who has food.
Q: This poor NPC in the rain room is soaked, but I can't find an umbrella for them!
A: Poor dear. After you speak to the NPC, you'll need to look around for someone who might be able to help you. They may not be in the same room as the poor rain soaked NPC. Keep an eye out. What protects against the rain?
Q: I found the exit to the Sensory Rooms...? But I still can't leave...?
A: Congratulations! Are there others with you in the exit room? There should be a bunch of them! You're going to want to talk to EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Pay very close attention to what they say. Once you've talked to every single NPC, why not walk back into the Sensory Rooms? Other characters might have new things to say...
Q: I found the exit to the Sensory Rooms and I don't know what to make of the dialogue.
A: I see. Well, you've had a long journey. You must be hungry. Why not stop by the mouse area again, have a chat with them, and see if they can offer you something to eat? But if that doesn't fill you up, maybe return to the summer area - the place with the big bonfire? Talk to everyone there as well. Once you've had your fill of food, return to the love room - the place with the mirror - and talk to everyone there too. From there, piece together everything you've learned.
Q: I talked to all the NPCs you've said to talk to and I'm still confused.
A: I can't give you the direct answer, but I can tell you a comfortable place to think! But before that, save your game for me, rejoin the world, and load your save file again. Then, head on over to Order, sit yourself down and think for a little while. Get comfortable and think about all the clues you've gathered so far.
Q: How do I get into places with the eye symbol?
A: Go have a nap in Order, as recommended in the clue above. After it's time to wake up, it'd be best to explore everything you can! You might need to fall a bit to reach your answer for this one.
Q: What do the grey crystals mean?
A: FIRST. I said at the beginning of the guide you should switch on an accessibility feature that allows you to see plain text. FOR THIS PART SPECIFICALLY, you need to switch that back off. Afterwards, click on the crystals and move around the room. Where else have you seen crystals? I'd recommend getting a pen and writing down what it tells you. That way you don't forget.
Q: How do I know which crystals to click on?
A: Each crystal has an assigned element. Is there anyone who's spoken about these elements before?
Q: What does 'right at last' mean?
A: Hmm. Well, you don't need to physically move to the right. Maybe there's a different way to go "right"? Reminds me of entering a cheat code...
Q: I'm missing two secret rooms. How do I unlock them?
A: I'll just straight up tell you that if you're on Quest, you're out of luck unless you have a PC friend who has a flying avatar. But otherwise, you will first need to obtain the item that allows you to pass through walls that previously had an eye on them. Afterwards, you will reach an area that will allow you to explore beyond what was normally allowed.
Tips
Some of the Patreon NPCs will give you Pixelite after talking to them. You can find a lot of the Patreon NPCs in the laboratory and library.
Pay extra close attention to what the NPCs tell you after you "escape" the Sensory Rooms. One NPC will give you a hint to unlocking an area where you'll never have to worry about Pixelite again. You'll just need to obtain an item that'll increase your luck first and foremost... thankfully, you can both find this item somewhere and you can buy it from the store.
The "video link" inside of the secret rooms does not lead anywhere. I've checked. I'll update if I'm wrong.
ONCE MORE, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE A FLYING AVATAR FOR 99% OF THE SENSORY ROOMS. UNLESS YOU LOCK YOURSELF OUT OF ONE OF THE SECRET AREAS BY OBTAINING THE HOTFIX THROUGH AN NPC, YOU ONLY NEED A FLYING AVATAR FOR TWO SECRET ROOMS. You do not need a flying avatar for the main story!!!
The first time you "exit" the Sensory Rooms, a lot of dialogue for the NPCs across the world changes. If you really want to get the most of the Sensory Rooms experience, go through all of the rooms again and talk to all the NPCs.
Make sure you visit all the rooms before looking at any of the hints!
listeN
