But it's also been an adventure for the Belmont North family, bringing them closer together and encouraging them to remember their late game-loving daughter and sibling Chani in a new way.

"People are in this space laughing - and that's the kind of person she was," mother Charmaine said. "She would absolutely enjoy every single minute of this and would be part of it 100 per cent."

The family - Charmaine and Cornelius and children Chani, Conrad and Christy - emigrated from South Africa 14 years ago. Chani died by suicide on August 30, 2016.

"Chani loved games and was very competitive," Charmaine said. "I still remember her using goggles and a phone for virtual reality and really getting into it, ducking down and moving around."

Electronic engineer Cornelius and therapist Charmaine had been considering building a giant snakes and ladders board for Charmaine to use with clients when they started learning more about virtual reality. They signed a lease on the Realtime VR premises on the corner of the Pacific Highway and Ridley Street in Charlestown in December and travelled to China, where they ordered eight machines. Cornelius said the funds Chani left to her family have been a "significant" part of the project. "From the inability to help Chani we are discovering what we can do to help other young people," he said. "Chani felt alone and a place like this would have drawn her out. People have to live their own lives, but we can give them a place like this to come together instead of pubs or getting into trouble, where it is exciting, where they can relax, have a chat, or where they can have distractions. We want to inject something into society where kids will be drawn out of their worries and into something enjoyable to do."

Charmaine said trying the experiences may also help people overcome their initial fears. For Christy, this rings particularly true. She said she was initially sceptical about the project, but was now "all in" after seeing it take shape. "It's brought us closer together than we ever have been before - we have the same goal."

Charmaine said "everybody is trying to cope - and you cope better together". "It's as if we are now able to accommodate our grief, instead of getting stuck in the uselessness of sadness," she said. "We're not just sitting and waiting, we're moving forward. She's always part of us and we're always saying 'Chani would have loved this' or 'Remember when Chani did that?' We take her with us, especially in this sort of venture." Lifeline 13 11 14