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UNCANNY VR

Description

Uncanny VR was my first published game project. The game sees the player trapped in an abandoned mall at night as monsters disguised as mannequins slowly approach. The player’s only defense is a flashlight that repels the monsters. However, due to the flashlight’s limited batteries, the player would have to use it sparingly if they hope to survive. Uncanny VR was created as a part of the 2023 Halloween VR game Jam hosted on Itch.io by online content creator Fist Full of Shrimp.

Reflection

Uncanny VR was an excellent learning experience in working with new technology while keeping development time lean and efficient. The first decision I made was to restrict player movement. Many VR games struggle to make movement feel intuitive, with most games generally falling into two categories; immersion-straining teleportation, or clunky movement on an analogy stick. Many horror games however use a lack of movement to create a feeling of helplessness in the player. This initial design choice went on to influence the core gameplay. Because the player was stationary, the player's main form of interaction with the world became observation. This led to the development of the flashlight as the player’s means of defense, and the enemies were designed to only move when out of sight. By identifying the strengths and limitations of VR technology, I was able to make Uncanny VR punch above its weight in terms of presentation and atmosphere compared to its competition. 

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  While the horror of the game was praised by the people who played it, the original release of Uncanny VR had an oversight that arose from its short development time. The game suffered from a lack of clarity in the new player experience. The Core gameplay is a survival challenge, but during the original release, there was no indication of how long you needed to survive. Because the goal of the game was unclear, the game’s lack of information intended to induce fear of the unknown instead created ambiguity. Feedback included questions like; What am I even looking for? Why can’t I move? As the game's designer, I lacked the perspective of a new player who wasn’t clued into my intentions. It was an important lesson in communicating intent. Even in a horror game where the absence of observational information can be used to great effect, an absence of contextual information can be detrimental.

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