The Under Presents
The Under Presents is a multiplayer VR game that blends live immersive-theater and an otherworldly, time-bending narrative.
Roles | Game Designer & Artist
Studio | Tender Claws
Duration | Since May 2018
Tools used | Unity. 3DS Max. VS Code.
About
Live immersive theater meets VR to bring an intriguing experience set between two worlds. Players will explore a jaunty vaudeville stage featuring different live and recorded acts in a dimension outside time and space, and uncover the harrowing story of The Aickman, a doomed research vessel stranded in time. Our most recent show "Tempest," in partnership with Oculus, is one of the worlds first ticketed, and commercially released, VR theater projects led by remote actors.
My Role
As a game designer and artist on The Under Presents and The Under Presents: Tempest, I had the opportunity to wear multiple hats on the project and contribute to various parts of the experience. My main focuses on the project were level and systems design, and art and animation.
I collaborated with the team to create a multiplayer interaction system that encourages exploration and teamwork. I designed key locations for a small open world space inhabited by both players and live actors, from conceptual planning and blockout to balance testing and polish. I worked closely with engineers and artists to implement multiplayer rituals, puzzles, and spells I designed, with the goal of inspiring feelings of wonder, curiosity, and awe, create a framework for non-verbal communication, and expand the narrative and mythology of the Under through environmental storytelling. I scriptedI additionally created VR UX/UI and modeled, animated, and scripted various creatures, pre-recorded characters, vfx, props, and reactive environments using proprietary tools in Unity.
Accolades
-
Emmy Awards "Innovation in Interactive Media" Finalist (2020)
-
VR Awards "VR Experience of the Year" Winner (2020)
-
Unity Awards "Best VR Game" Finalist (2020)
-
AIXR VR Awards "VR Experience of the Year" Winner (2020)
-
IndieCade "Spotlight in Performance" Finalist (2019)
-
Forbes "VR Game of the Year" Winner (2019)
-
Oculus "Immersive Storytelling of the Year" Winner (2019)