An Immersive AR/VR Puzzle Adventure of Love, Loyalty, and Mystery
INTRODUCTION
Explore a magical island, solve intricate puzzles, and rescue Pierre from a dark curse in Roark Island, an immersive AR/VR experience designed for Apple Vision. As Veronica, players must navigate the island, solve puzzles, and break spells to free Pierre and others trapped by its magic. This thrilling adventure blends emotional storytelling with cutting-edge interactive gameplay, challenging both minds and hearts.
Additional context:
- This is part of an ongoing project associated with the New View AR/VR Awards for 2024 in collaboration with Parsons the New School.
- My roles are game designer, creative director, and preliminary developer.
- Future plans would be collaborating with more advanced Unity developers.
Project Breakdown
STORY SUMMARY
Veronica’s love, Pierre, has disappeared on Roark Island, which is controlled by a dark force that manipulates the minds, hearts, and souls of its inhabitants. To save him, Veronica must solve puzzles and destroy three enchanted orbs that hold the islanders under a spell.
If she fails, both she and Pierre will be lost to the island forever.
Gameplay Concept
Participants must follow clues hidden in ancient Mayan tablets to uncover secret buttons, levers, keys, and maps that unlock the three powerful orbs.
The orbs represent the minds, hearts, and souls of those trapped on the island. To break the spell and free everyone, all three orbs must be smashed. However, if participants can find the specific orbs tied to Pierre before anyone else, they can win the game by freeing him first.
But beware—on Roark Island, nothing is as it seems. Smashing the orbs may not be the true key to freeing Pierre. The island holds hidden secrets, and only by following them carefully can the entire curse be broken.
Participants must decide: follow the obvious path or dig deeper for the island's true mystery.
Participants must follow the clues from the ancient Mayan artifacts scattered across the island.
These artifacts, based on Mayan logic, reveal the truth about how to break the curse—but only when the correct pieces are assembled. Some artifacts, while appearing to be part of the puzzle, are decoys that can drastically change the game if used incorrectly.
The challenge lies in discerning the real Mayan clues from the false ones to uncover the island’s hidden secrets.
Explore Roark Island, uncover hidden clues, solve puzzles and avoid hidden traps.
Beware of the island’s temptations—if you don’t follow clues correctly or solve puzzles in time, you risk being trapped.
Find and smash the three orbs that control the minds, hearts, and souls of the islanders.
As Veronica, players must race against time to free Pierre before he is lost forever.
Visuals + Art Direction
Below are a few key creative directions that outline the visual direction for the game
Imagining Roark Island
Moodboard
Roark Island is meant to be cursed and cause disorientation if people stay there for a long time. The initial concepts were inspired by St. Simon’s Island, National Geographic, and artwork by Martin Johnson Heade.
Imagining Veronica and Pierre
Moodboard
I went back and forth whether to give Veronica and Pierre mystical powers, but I haven’t decided fully yet (hence the horns). I’ve also played around with their age range and what would be appropriate for both the characters and what would appeal most to participants of the game.
Imagining the Game Pieces
RED ORB
The Red Orb holds the power to control the hearts of those trapped on the island. When participants find and smash the Red Orb, they release the hearts of all who have been bound by the island’s curse, freeing them from its emotional grip. This critical action not only advances the story but symbolizes the restoration of compassion, love, and emotional freedom for the island’s victims, including Pierre.
BlUE-BLACK ORB
The Blue-Black Orb in Roark Island holds the souls of those ensnared by the island’s dark magic. When participants locate and smash the Blue-Black Orb, they free the trapped souls, lifting the final piece of the island’s curse. This act represents the restoration of spirit and identity to the islanders, including Pierre, symbolizing their full release from the island's grip and their return to wholeness.
PURPLE ORB
The Purple Orb symbolizes control over the minds of those trapped by the island’s curse. When participants discover and shatter the Purple Orb, they release the minds of the islanders, breaking the spell that clouded their thoughts and restoring their free will. This action is crucial in freeing Pierre and others, symbolizing the return of clarity, knowledge, and independence to those under the island's control.
MAYAN ARTIFACTS
Ancient Mayan tablets and artifacts scattered across Roark Island hold the key to breaking the curse. Participants must carefully piece them together to free Pierre and the other trapped souls. However, some artifacts are false clues meant to mislead, and if combined with the real ones, they can change the game. Success depends on using wits to separate truth from deception, as only the correct artifacts will reveal the island’s secret and break the curse.
PROTOTYPE
Gameplay Interaction:
Wireframe showing how Unity’s physics engine powers the player’s interactions with objects in the world, combined with STYLY to enhance AR/VR experiences.
Hidden Button:
In Roark Island’s jungle and foliage, several of levers or buttons are hidden to help bring down the orbs and other useful tools (i.e. food, flashlight, first aid kit, etc).
Summary of Potential Interactions:
Picking up and combining artifacts
Puzzle-solving with levers, buttons, and hidden mechanisms
Exploring and interacting with hidden clues
Smashing or unlocking orbs in immersive ways
Shifting environments or illusions to reflect the island's deception
Gesture-based puzzle interactions
Time-based challenges to heighten urgency
Clue collection via interactive journals or AR scanning
These interactions would create an immersive, engaging experience that blends the island’s mystery with challenging gameplay, making full use of Unity’s game mechanics
and STYLY’s AR/VR capabilities.
Conclusion (or to be continued)
Roark Island explores the powerful themes of love, loyalty, and human connection, all while pushing the boundaries of immersive storytelling in AR/VR. This project blends emotional narrative with challenging puzzles, offering a unique and engaging experience for players. It stands as a testament to how design, technology, and storytelling can come together to create something truly magical.