Category: VR Game Design Blogs

Finally, I tried to play Beat Saber, the most popular game on VR platforms. What I learned though, is that this game is not just a test of musicality but also a full-body workout that leaves you sweating and craving more.

Beat Saber is insanely simple in its mechanics. Players wield two lightsabers, one red and one blue, and slice through color-coded blocks that fly towards them in time with the music. The blocks come with directional arrows, dictating the angle of your slice, adding a layer of complexity to the seemingly straightforward task. The game’s difficulty scales from easy to expert, being convenient for a wide range of players. The flow is seamless, with a perfect blend of music and motion that creates an almost trance-like state as you play.

The true beauty of Beat Saber lies in its ability to transport players into a virtual concert where they are both the audience and the performer. The Meta Quest 2’s (as well as any other VR platform) experience enhances this, allowing for uninhibited movement. This is what makes this game only good for the VR. You’re not just playing a game; you’re conducting an orchestra of beats. Each session feels like a performance, and the instant feedback of the vibration of the saber meeting block is immensely satisfying.

Among the many tracks, “Escape” featuring Summer Haze stands out with its catchy melody and energetic beats. It’s a song that exemplifies the game’s ability to make you feel like a rhythm warrior. However, no game is without its flaws. Beat Saber’s original song list is somewhat limited, and while there’s a growing library of DLC, it comes at an additional cost, which is definitely not cool. Moreover, the absence of a multiplayer mode in the base game feels like a missed opportunity for shared fun and competition. Imagine, if it was possible to play only drums, while your friends play the piano and the guitar – whenever someone misses the key, the song goes worse and sounds more abrupt.

Beat Saber VR is a triumph in the VR space, proving that simplicity and depth can coexist. It’s a game that beckons you back with its addictive gameplay and the promise of a good time. While it could benefit from a more extensive base soundtrack and multiplayer capabilities, these are small critiques of a great example of an amazing VR experience.

Simulsomnia – $1 Million Pitch

When introduced to the assignment, I was very confused about how I could create a side quest for the co-op multiplayer game mostly focused on the co-op side of it. After some time thinking, however, interaction with some characters while trying to clear the level can be itself its own side quest and it means I only have to develop it more clearly.

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Angry smoking citizens

Sometimes a player can accidentally meet a smoking person standing in one of the rooms. Based on random probability, if there is a cigarette pack and if the player decides to interact with the cigarette pack in this room, there will be a 30% chance that this NPC will approach you.

Now another random probability comes in hand – a 50% chance is that the NPC will initiate a conversation with the player in a good tone, where you will be able to choose from options of answers. NPC will ask about your smoking habit and favorite cigarettes and etc, If answers sustain the good vibe of the dialogue, NPC will give you another pack as a gift.

The pack of cigarettes can be used as an item to sell between the levels. It can also be used in some of the dialogues later on to ‘exchange’. 

Another 50% chance, however, will make NPC angrily approach you with screams and you will have to run away from this room and maneuver to get away. If he catches you once, you will have to throw one of the items at him to distract or use ‘weapon’ items to fight back (only allows you to push him back and run, you can never win this fight).

After he loses sight of you, he slowly returns to the room. While he is away, your friends (or you, if you know a faster way to get there) can go to the room and loot more.

If you accidentally appear in the room with him again, he will get angry and run after you again, unless you have found items to change your identity. That way he will forget you and in order to create a memory in this room (or retrieve a memory made there already) you can give a cigarette pack to him to make him happy. A very small (1%) chance will make him angry again, as it makes him just mad about cigarettes overall, so in order to make him happy you have to give him something healthy you found before.

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Old Wise Guy

Rarely (5%) you will be able to meet an old man sitting in one of the rooms. While interacting with him, he will ask for an item that you will not be able to find at this level. He will also give you advice on some of the NPCs and ‘Monsters’, helping your game overall. At the end of the dialogue, he will give you a good item that will be very helpful later on. He will give you a very wise hint to save this item for later.

The item will be very rare and you could sell it after clearing this level for a lot of in-game credits.

On the next level, he will appear with a 100% chance after appearing for the first time and will sit right at the exit. There, you will be able to interact with him again and he will ask you if you got the item he needed. This item could be found with the item he gave you before and will make it easier (however there is a chance you will be able to find it on your own without the item he gave you). He will still give you advice on some of the rooms and NPCs.

If you give him the item he wanted, he will grant you a very rare item that helps you clear the levels much easier and get better items on a level. The item is going to disappear after one usage during any level you want and will make most of the ‘enemy’ NPCs friendly and will make the level easier. Moreover, the level after you used the item, this old man could be found (100% chance) in one of the rooms. He will remember you and ask for a similar thing as it was before.

If you interact with him but say you couldn’t find the item because you sold another one, he will not get angry as he is the old wise man, yet he will give you another hint for a small treat (you will have to give him a very healthy item, such as a fresh apple or a med kit, so something that is very important for you too). He will give you a hint on how to find him again (and at first it will look like he fooled you, but if done correctly, after the actions he told you to do, he will appear on the next level). For that, he will give you an item to make him come again to your dreams/level.

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The reason why the side quests are not as deep as in other games is because of the focus of the game on different levels and it is hard to make the side quest going while having completely different levels, each being short to include a full side quest inside.

The items in the second side quest are described only as ‘items’ because they need to be developed in further detail.

Will Wright was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1960. From a young age, he showed an interest in design and games. As a child, he spent countless hours playing with his vast collection of toys and models, constantly rearranging and redesigning them.

Will Wright’s headshot.

Wright studied architecture and urban design at Louisiana State University before switching his focus to computer science and artificial intelligence. After graduating, he began working at a computer game company called Maxis in 1987.

At Maxis, Wright pioneered new approaches to game design that allowed for open-ended gameplay driven by the player’s choices rather than following a linear story. His breakthrough came in 1989 with the release of SimCity, a game that let players build and manage their own virtual cities. SimCity became a massive hit and is considered one of the most influential games in the history of the medium.

As a kid, I used to play this game and could spend hours building my city and solving the problems of my citizens.

Building on that success, Wright developed games like SimEarth and SimAnt that applied his innovative “sim” formula to different subjects. But his biggest achievement was The Sims in 2000, a virtual doll house where players controlled the lives of simulated people. The Sims shattered sales records, transcended games to become a cultural phenomenon, and spawned numerous sequels and expansions.

One of the core memories from my childhood is sitting with my mother and her siblings, building our family in the character customization (creation) menu, and then trying to develop ‘us’ in this ‘alternate’ universe.

The Sims is a revolutionary game itself as it was one of the first games with so many details in this particular character customization mechanics, plus it was a full-on life-simulator. Moreover, because the game did not have a story to follow, the players had an opportunity to simply create their own stories, exploring different outcomes of their actions. The game lets the people try doing things they could (and could not) do in real life, which for its time is a mind-blowing mechanic and idea (that also came to life).

Wright left Maxis in 2009 after over 20 years there. He founded a new gaming company called Stupid Fun Club to continue exploring the frontiers of simulation gameplay. One of their first projects was HiveMind, an online gaming platform driven by player creativity. Unfortunately, this game did not get the same amount of enthusiasm among the players.

Throughout his career, Wright has been lauded for his ability to create compelling gameplay through simple mechanics that tap into human psychology. He is widely considered one of the most original and influential designers in gaming history. Among his many accolades are being the first computer game designer to receive the BAFTA Fellowship in 2007 and being inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences’ Hall of Fame in 2011.

Sniper Elite VR is an interesting game to play, especially in VR. In the game, you basically play as a sniper on the battlefield using a high-powered rifle. The original game is popular among players because of its visuals after you make a shot – you see a close-up X-ray shot of the victim’s insides after the bullet penetrates and explodes.

Compared to a PC version, here although there is a storyline, you as a player only experience the levels and the narrator’s voice. But the storyline in this game is not the most important part – most players play for that exciting feeling when you make a shot and see how the skull of your enemy is being crushed. In VR you can feel it even better, as you have to hold the gun still and aim with your hands, not the mouse or a controller. But then when you get this perfect shot and the camera zooms in to show how the bullet went through the body, it gets very disorienting. I personally feel like the game will make you sick if you haven’t played other VR games and in general, tend to have this VR-sickness.

When you first boot the game you choose from 3 options for different levels of comfort, and these settings affect both visual and control changes. On the lower settings, you have no freedom of movement, relying on teleporting around the place to make your way through the level. There’s also some vignetting when moving and turning to reduce nausea.

On higher settings, however, you get full 3D movement and can run around the level to your heart’s, or stomach’s, content. But these controls are making it a bit hard + the hardware is barely enough, making the game lag sometimes (or maybe it is just my headset).

What I didn’t like is that there are no melee weapons at all and you have to swipe enemies that approach you with your rifle, which feels too simple and weak for a game of such level. Moreover, although they made it feel realistic, some functions, like reload, where you can’t hold your sidearms with two hands, and you must manually reach in and pull out the magazine when you want to reload, feel a bit weird and complicated.

Another not-very-pleasant function is that when you want to crouch in real life, the game shows that you are ‘out of bounds’ and you have to press a button that makes you crouch. That makes you lose the immersion in the game, which they obviously wanted to achieve with all the other ‘realistic’ functions.

Sniper Elite VR is good enough to satisfy the craving for a solid World War II shooter on the VR headset, but its forced story and lack of cohesion can sometimes slow and even ruin your experience. The mechanic of the game is fun and that only makes this game fun in VR as well, yet even this function gets you disoriented. But overall, the game is pretty fun and if you like shooters with sniper rifles, you should check it out.

Figma Project is Here

For this project the task was to create a mockup/prototype of the game that visually fully explains every step of the game from the main screen until the player exits the game. I created a working ‘prototype’ for the main screen and the lobby and choice for the lobby and the character customization system. Later, for the game itself I made 2 slides with one showing how it feels and one explaining the function.

The main screen is going to look like this with minor animations of the background (wind, flying dust particles and leaves/trash, flickering of the lights).

The Settings button will lead to settings page.

Here everything is straightforward and subject to change depending on the development later on. However, basic settings are outlined here.

Next page from the main screen is connect.

Here the player can either choose to join open servers with random players or join by code to the lobby of someone who sent them a code.

Now, Play button.

Here the host can adjust difficulty levels (small description can be added there under the line) and choose different save files. The reason for that is to allow players have different progress with different friends/alone/random people.

After creating a lobby you will go to a lobby menu.

Here, the list of players will show their levels and their status before the game starts. You can also choose the character and if you click on to any of them, it will move you to another menu.

The character will have small description to make players base their choice on some factor and not looks (since the looks can be adjusted). To do so, the players can press ‘customize’ button.

It will allow players to customize different parts of the character. Every section has subsection and can be better reviewed on Mini-Challenge blog post.

After the menus, I decided to go into a gameplay itself and how different rooms will look like as well as the UI and UX Design.

The first picture is one of the rooms just to show how the User Interface will look like. We have few slots for the items, including the journal with the missions, map, flashlight, and a walkie-talkie (the list will be revised).

The map will look like this and will feel like a tablet in the hands of the playable character. It will have top-down view and a side view on the building to make sure the player can have at least a bit of sense of space when locating in the game (as the building itself will be very confusing).

Another level here is showing how players will interact with different objects in different rooms.

The next 2 slides show how the vibe of the room will change after creating a memory.

Memories will also be created when interacting with NPCs. They can, however, be neutral, good or bad.

After class presentation I got a comments about the items that can be collected in the rooms and from NPCs, thus I decided to develop them a little bit more.

I attached some Previz illustrations for some items to show how they might look like.

As it was said, the items can be neutral (and collectible for the future levels and developments), good (that give you perks/buffs in this level and can be saved for later on), bad (that debuff you one way or another), or random items (pills, pandora box, etc.)

• Neutral items will include stuff like can of soda, bag with coins, DVD disk, bandages and etc. They can either be used for small buff/debuff or for crafting later on.
• Good Items will include ace of spades, golden coin, lucky cat, etc. They are lucky items that help you on your way (give you more stamina to run, better vision, hints, longer memory, assist in finding the way). They will have limited use (once for most of the items) and will vanish after.
• Bad items are the items that debuff the player and bring ‘bad luck’. It includes pack of cigarettes, clown’s mask, rotten food, etc.). They will look good and safe so that players can learn on mistakes + some rooms will require their usage to regain the memory (for example, the room that associates with smoke and got ‘forgotten’ will require the player to smoke it in the room which will make him dizzy and affect his stamina, health, and vision). Some bad items will also make NPCs angry and will make you get haunted by some (if it is in your inventory).
• Random items are the items that implement the mechanics of dice – randomly can give the player either good or bad effect. Pills or pandora box are in this list – using them can either give you good buff/produce a better item (from pandora box) or bad effect/haunted bad item.

I am planning to add Mobs that will haunt the players and attack in some cases to make them more motivated to finish the levels faster and create the suspense of ‘not-so-good-dream’. This will be added this week.

As part of my Pre-Visualization Package I have created a pre-viz of a character customization menu just to show that there will be such a feature. Here I wanted to dive into it deeper and create a proper visualization of how it will work.

After joining/creating a lobby with your friends, you can choose a character based on their name, abilities, and personality. This will affect your way of clearing the level and escaping the building. The character of your choice will be lit up and more in focus compared to other characters and if two or more players will choose the same character, the random assignment will be given if both will try to press “ready”.

After the choice, players can jump into a customization menu, where they have options to customize fully how visually the character looks.

For example, pressing any of the available buttons will lead to a slight move of the character to the left and opening a new window with options to choose from.

 

Please Don’t Touch Anything is a VR game developed by Four Quarters and ForwardXP studios about a button. The introduction to the game is that your coworker goes to the bathroom and asks you to just cover their break. The coworker asks you not to touch anything and then leaves.

The most interesting part starts here – we see a red button in front of us.

Upon pressing the button many other different scenarios happen – other buttons/sliders/num-pads/etc appears out of the desk and different order of actions leads to a different ending.

For example, the simplest ending is pressing the button 20 times which causes the world to end (Nuke Ending). After that the game restarts.

Overall, there are 30 endings and the game itself is just the same PC game but in VR. However, I believe that the VR setting is perfect for it since the game takes place only in one room and you can easily explore it.

I liked the easy controls and setting of the game and its attention to detail. Almost every object in the room can be interacted with and has a meaning behind it. Besides, some of the endings require you to do other endings before, which is a great mechanic that chronologically stores your data – for example, the last achievement “Once Again” you can get after opening all endings and deleting the save file.

Another very nice thing that adds to the game is the fact that it has easter eggs as some of the endings. They include endings that refer to “Papers, Please”, “The Stanley Parable”, “Space Odyssey”, etc. When you open your first few endings you are intrigued by what kind of other endings can you achieve and while the further you go the harder the instructions get, the first 10-15 endings are very straightforward, yet very very interesting.

In my opinion, the game is a good introduction to VR for people who just got it since you do not need to move a lot but can feel the space fully. The music, the sounds of the environment around you, the buttons and objects that are interactive – everything makes you feel like you are actually there and have a task to do. Maybe I have a bias because I played a PC version when I was younger, but in the VR version of the game, I still could not figure out some of the endings and had to look them up (some are really hard to get without instructions).

Good game, recommend trying it out and seeing what other endings you can open without help (be ready to struggle and sometimes be really scared or shocked).

For the game I am making in this course, I decided to go with a simple stylized visual map system. The ordinary top-down view of the map (only around the player) will be shown when interacting with a map item in the game that will look like this:

As the core idea of my game is different perceptions of the same location by the players, on the map it will be shown as well – the player can only open their own map and see in which rooms they have been and how this room is saved in their memories (and on the map). Here, it is seen that the labels and colors depict how different rooms are saved differently – the cooking room is yellow, for example.

However, as the whole level of the game is generated randomly and has different levels, you can have a side view as well for the rooms that are on the edge of the building:

This view gives a better perception of the locations for the players since some of the rooms will be elevated and tilted which will result in a seamless movement from one floor to another. Here, again, different rooms the player has visited already will show differently – the love room is pink, the cold room is blue, the innovation room is greenish, etc.

Such a visual map system will not only help players to locate themselves and each other but also have a clue in where they are located since the building is very dense and it is going to be very easy to actually get lost.

These images were made with MidJourney AI (except for hints saying “top-down view” and “side view”) and will be polished for a final Previz package with better labels and UI.