FURREEDOM

Platform: Oculus Quest 2 with controllers

Duration: 2 weeks

Tools: Unity, Rhino3D, Visual Studio Code, Blender

Role: Programmer, Game Designer, Environmental Designer, Gameplay Technical Designer

Teammates: Xun Zhang (Programmer)

Kesha Bagadia (Programmer)

Keying Du (Artist)

Xue Chen (Artist)

Yaxing Tu (Sound Designer, 2D Artist)

The game is about a dog helping a trapped bird escape the room.

Our goal is to communicate the characters' need for help to the guest (player), who should feel a sense of fulfillment from aiding them in their adventure.

The Design:

When we first settled down the theme and characters of the game, the first thought that came to my mind was to create a unique movement control system that could simulate the dog walking experience to amplify the VR experience.

Thus I utilized the pedaling motion of the controllers as the mechanism to direct in-game movement, aiming to mirror the natural motion of a dog's legs.

Pedaling to walk

As the game development progressed, I chose to integrate intuitive actions for interactions, seamlessly weaving them into the gameplay to create a more immersive experience.

Using head or hands to knock down the lamp

Turnning off switch

Using a downward swing to turn off the switch

Using head shaking or nodding gesture to throw the ball

These design decisions turned out to be successful; the guests understood how to interact within the game world without instructions once they mastered walking and became aware that the controllers represented parts of the character's body.

The Environment and the Level:

Basic game environment sketch

Following our gameplay discussion, I designed the room's layout, adjusting the scale to ensure players could move freely without the space feeling too constricted or too vast. Subsequently, I created a sketch model using Rhino3D to provide a clear reference for the 3D artist.

Given that players will experience the game from a dog's perspective, with a lower eye level than typical games, I decided to adjust the ceiling height and concentrate on adding details closer to the ground. With level and narrative design in mind, I crafted a scenario where a pile of books, knocked over by the frightened bird, becomes a step for the dog to reach a switch intended for human use.

In the final stage, I also utilized the lamp and shelf assets crafted by our artists in the late game, utilizing them to unveil the key item – the tennis ball.