#1405: Mixed Reality Game Design from Cubism to Laser Dance with Thomas van Bouwel
Jul 24, 2024
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Solo XR game developer Thomas van Bouwel discusses the mixed reality game Laser Dance and minimalist puzzle game Cubism. Topics include hand tracking, unique gameplay adapting to space, Presence Platform functionality, custom programming, collaborating with Creature label, insights from architecture, and more.
Successful mixed reality games modulate existing context to transport players into immersive realms.
Mixed reality game design for Laser Dance involves adapting gameplay to unique space, evolving Presence Platform functionality, and custom programming.
Collaboration with Creature label supports innovative indie-driven mixed reality and XR games, shaping the journey of game development.
Deep dives
Cubism: A Puzzle Game in VR and Mixed Reality
Cubism is a puzzle game created by Thomas Van Bauw for virtual reality and mixed reality. Players fit pieces into shapes, evolving in complexity. Hand tracking and mixed reality are integrated. Thomas is developing Laser Dance, a mixed reality game utilizing space, body tracking, and immersive gameplay. Challenges and innovations in mixed reality gaming are explored.
Transition from Architecture to XR Development
Thomas shifted from architecture to game development due to a fascination with immersive technologies' impact on design processes. Starting at Resolve, a VR startup that merged his architectural background with new interests, Thomas pursued game development alongside. Cubism was a side project turned full-time endeavor, showcasing a blend of skills and interests.
Cubism: Gameplay, Level Design, and Sound Design
In Cubism, players solve puzzles by fitting blocks into shapes, focusing on spatial thinking. The game launched with 60 levels, later adding a level editor and user-generated content. Sound design involves a piano-based soundtrack tied to gameplay, enhancing the user experience. Puzzle design required playtesting to balance challenge and accessibility.
Laser Dance: A Mixed Reality Experience
Laser Dance is a mixed reality game requiring players to maneuver through laser obstacles spawned by virtual buttons. Challenges adapt to different room sizes, enhancing flexibility. The gameplay leverages body tracking, upper arm tracking, and dynamic occlusion on Quest 3, tailored for immersive experiences. Laser Dance aims to introduce players to varied mixed reality gaming styles.
Challenges in 3D Scanning for Laser Dance Game
Developing the Laser Dance game involves overcoming challenges related to 3D scanning accuracy. Issues like lower detail parts of the scanned mesh leading to misinterpretations in the game's environment heighten the need to find solutions for a more accurate gaming experience. Ensuring both playability and safety in the game by capturing lower detail mesh parts is a crucial ongoing development focus.
Iterative Design & Accessibility Features in Laser Dance
Iterative design processes and player feedback play a pivotal role in enhancing Laser Dance. Dynamic goals adapted based on room dimensions, and customizable height and shoulder width settings showcase a commitment to inclusivity and accessible gameplay. Thomas aims to maintain simplicity in game mechanics while offering deeper challenges, potentially turning the experience from a novelty into a sustainable, engaging game for a broad audience.
Laser Dance is a mixed reality game by solo XR game developer Thomas van Bouwel, who previously released minimalist puzzle game called Cubism. I had a chance to try out Laser Dance through Raindance Immersive, and it's one of those types of games that I think will really help define some of the key affordances of successful mixed reality games that modulate your existing context enough to transport you into another realm of play where you use your body as a controller.
https://twitter.com/tovanbo/status/1806323145000816867
I had a chance to catch up with van Bouwel to unpack more about the mixed reality and hand tracking lessons from Cubism in the first half of our conversation, and then we dive into many of the peculiar considerations of mixed reality game design for Laser Dance covering everything from gameplay that adapts relative to the uniqueness of someone's space, the evolving Presence Platform functionality for mixed reality along with the types of custom programming needed to solve some of the open problems, as well as collaborating with the newly-formed Creature label that is providing additional support for innovative indie-driven, mixed reality and XR games like Laser Dance, Thrasher (more on this experience tomorrow), as well as their flagship mixed reality game of Starship Home. We also cover some of the unique insights from architecture that have also really helped to shape van Bouwel's journey from architectural visualization into the frontiers of leveraging spatial affordances for mixed reality gameplay.
The release date for Laser Dance has not been announced yet, but you can wishlist it here.
This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon.
Music: Fatality
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