Q3 - ENTER THE VOID is centered around the player's spatial experience inside a 2m³ box which is projected on from four sides. Players can move this cube they are in by holding a VR tracker in the desired direction. The closer they get to the edge of the box, the faster the movements.
The Team
Vivien Schreiber
Artstyle, Colour Composition, 3D Asset Creation
Artstyle, Colour Composition, 3D Asset Creation
Anna Schiffels
Game System Design, Concept, Level Design
Game System Design, Concept, Level Design
Uliana Schoeller
Game System Design, Level Design
Game System Design, Level Design
Moritz Steinbeck
Technical Direction, 3D Asset Creation
Technical Direction, 3D Asset Creation
Mikka Wild
Arduino, Programming, Level Design
Arduino, Programming, Level Design
It became apparent to us that the only option we were interested in was to have an object projected onto, rather than a flat projection on a wall. We decided on a 2m x 2m x 2m wooden cube with 4 back-projection screens, which are seamlessly illuminated from the outside. This cube was planned, financed and built by ourselves. For this we had the prize money of MIRROR.INK at our disposal.
With this project we approached the subject of projections and how to combine them with an interesting gameplay. However, since we had not yet played/created such a game, it took a long time to find solid concepts for the system. This ultimately led to the development of four levels and four similar, yet very different, experiences:
RABBITHOLE is a high-speed racing track, challenging the players sense of stability and dexterity
ORIENTATION is a labyrinth of tunnels and rooms, challenging the players sense or, well, orientation
STUCK is an intense flythrough of a field of abstract shapes, challenging the players spatial awareness and aim
MANDALA is meant to guide through striking viewpoints, challenging the player's abilities in pattern-seeking
The players guided through all of these levels by geometric shapes - in some, the players have to be fast enough to catch up with them, in others the challenge lies more in finding them.
We decided against a "classical" menu for Q3 - ENTER THE VOID. When players enter the cube, they can move the VR tracker toward one of the four sides, simultaneously learning the controls and also selecting a level.
RABBITHOLE
Playthrough:
Playthrough:
ORIENTATION
Playthrough:
Playthrough:
STUCK
Playthrough:
Playthrough:
MANDALA
Playthrough:
Playthrough:
The artstyle was inspired by artists such as James Turrell. The declared design goal was to blow the audience away and make them forget the world outside the cube. Another important point was that projectors usually only create weak color contrasts in daylight - which means one has to choose particularly stark colors on the screen to make
Q3 - INTO THE VOID glow properly.
Q3 - INTO THE VOID glow properly.
These neon-like colors are composed individually for each level and are further accentuated by a wireframe effect, which is designed to emphasize the three-dimensionality. Each path in each level is rewarded by an escalation of the color scheme into increasingly unnatural and immersive compositions.
I learned a lot about working in a larger team on this project, especially regarding the conceptual phase of the project. Equally important for me were the learnings about using and playing with space, in contrast to a monitor, and what designs could work well in this new spatial setup.