Puzzler VR

I created the Puzzler VR experience as my first project for the Udacity Virtual Reality Developer Nanodegree. I designed and created this simple puzzle game through an iterative process, utilizing feedback from user testing along the way. The finished mobile VR application gives users the opportunity to enter an abandoned vault, where they must solve a puzzle challenge in order to exit.

The Experience

Puzzler VR begins in a forest at twilight, where a welcome screen hovers in front of an abandoned vault. Upon selecting the “Play” button, the user proceeds into the dimly-lit dungeon where a group of interactive glowing orbs will light up and chime a musical note in a random sequence. In order to exit the vault, the user must select the orbs in the correct sequence, utilizing both visual and auditory memory.

The Process

Statement of Purpose: Puzzler VR is a mobile application for new VR users that challenges them to solve a familiar type of puzzle in a new way.

Audience

This application is designed for a target audience with a low amount of experience with virtual reality and who have access to a simple mobile VR viewer, such as the Google Cardboard. Puzzler VR could serve as an easy and fun first exposure to virtual reality for this target demographic.

With this audience in mind, I created a fictional persona to serve as a representative of the intended user for this application.

Design

I began designing the application with a few opening sketches of the environment and the user interface.

With these sketches as an outline, I created the scene in the Unity game engine.

User Testing

After each stage of the design and creation process, I conducted user tests to determine what was working successfully and where there was room for improvement.

User Test 1
When I had a basic scene set up in Unity, I conducted my first user test to determine the effectiveness of the environment and lighting. As a result of this user test, I decided to dim the lighting to create a more mysterious feel. I also adjusted the scale of the room to be more lifelike and changed the placement of a few scene elements to make them more visible.

User Test 2
Next, I user tested the user interface to see whether it was straightforward and usable. Due to feedback from this test, I made the UI larger in order to be more visible to the user.

User Test 3
My third user test checked the performance of the movement mechanics in the game. After this test, I made the in-game movement slower to reduce the possibility of motion sickness and also placed the player further into the room during gameplay.

The Breakdown

I chose to create a custom forest terrain in Unity in order to add to the mysterious ambience of the experience. After beginning in the middle of this dark forest, the game guides the user into the dungeon, where the glowing, purple orbs are waiting.

When creating the orbs, I decided to give each one a custom music note sound so that the game is not just a test of visual memory, but also of auditory memory. The orbs each chime in a random order and light up in turn, creating a short melody in a minor key. As the user looks around the room and hovers over an orb, it lights up to show the user that it can be selected.

When an orb is selected, it plays its music note once again. If the user selects the incorrect orb, a short failure sound will play and the orbs will once again light up and chime in their pattern. If the user selects the correct orb, then the gameplay will continue until all of the orbs are selected and the user exits the vault to be met with the Restart screen. At this stage in the experience, the user has the option to play again or to quit the application.

Conclusion

I enjoyed creating Puzzler VR and feel that the final project is successful as an introductory VR experience. This project taught me about the importance of utilizing user testing and an iterative design process to create experiences that are both functional and enjoyable.

Attribution

Hand Bells audio clips created by InspectorJ of Freesound.org.
Night Skybox created by qianyuez of the Unity Asset Store.