TV Magic VR
Play the game within the game in this unique 3D/2D puzzle platformer for VR and PC
Platforms
Oculus Quest
PC-VR
PC
Playtime
~40 minutes
SideQuest Stats
Download builds available below (Please note Oculus Quest and VR releases have an earlier version of the game (~17 levels) since there are some bugs to be worked out, the PC Version has the full experience!)
Oculus Quest
PC
VR
A unique 2D/3D "game-within-a-game" puzzle platformer for VR and PC. Players find themselves in an abandoned warehouse playing a mysterious “magic” console, using real objects around them to help their 2D self in the game.
The prototype for the game was made over a weekend and won the 'New Perspectives' award at the first ever online version of Nordic Game Jam 2020.
It was developed further over the next 4 months as my graduation project for my Master's Degree at the National Institute Of Design. I worked on the game with a fully remote and global team of - a 2D Artist, a 3D artist and a composer.
I was responsible for the Game Design, Level Design, Production and Game Programming for this game
Gameplay Footage
The video below takes you through the key mechanics and how they're used in the game, it also shows the ending of the game. (Narrative is explained below)
Narrative Design
The narrative takes inspiration from Hansel and Gretel, with the TV giving the player more and more to play but only to consume them later
Project progress over 4 iterative development cycles
Nordic Game Jam Prototype
48 hours
PC Game
Placeholder art
6 levels, 2 "magic" objects
VR Jam 2020 Prototype
7 days
Representative Art
VR Game
7 levels, 2 "magic" objects
SideQuest Release
2 months
VR Game
Production Visuals
17 levels, 3 "magic" objects
Early Access Release
4 months
VR/ PC Dual Release
30 levels, 5 "magic" objects
Object Interaction Framework for Puzzle Design
I used this as a lens through which all mechanics could be looked at to avoid redundancy and overlap. It also helped ensure consistent behavior across levels
Developing two games at once - A parallel PC/VR design approach
Replacing VR interactions with a point and click interaction system allowed us to increase the reach of the game, it also made testing levels easier since VR users are harder to get hold of
The PC mode was added back in the 4th phase by overlaying it on existing VR interaction systems in the game
Level Blueprint
We used a level blueprint to get an overview of all the levels with their mechanics in one place. This allowed planning a level out before starting to design it as well as moving levels around after they were made to adjust for difficulty
Playtesting During a Pandemic
Remote playtests were conducted over Zoom to validate the concepts, these took approximately ~1 hr, close to the intended playtime of the game
Playtesters said that they had multiple "aha!" moments during their playthrough!