UNDR[H2O]
Guesswork VR is a startup VR development studio founded by Ohio University Games and Animation Alumni. Their premier game, UNDR[H2O] is a virtual reality game where the player is in a flooding basement and must fix leaks in pipes to save themselves from drowning. They use a variety of tools to handle a different problems. Currently we are developing an arcade-style gameplay format where the player will simply play until their room floods and then they will be given a score based on how long they have survived and the number of leaks that they have fixed.
The core mechanics utilize three-dimensional space in a way that allows the player to use natural movements to fix leaks and save themselves. One of the most interesting mechanics is the wrench and bolt leak combination which has the player attaching a wrench to a bolt and moving their controller clock-wise around the bolt to tighten it. To accomplish this we take the relative positions of the players hand that is holding the wrench and use the derived direction to attach a fake wrench and rotate it appropriately to this direction, applying damage in the proper directions
We also utilize a Cork and Hammer mechanic where the player places a cork into a hole and has to push it in. They then can take a hammer and knock it in further until it is tight. We do this by taking the distance the player moves towards the leak while the cork is being used. When that distance reaches half of the original distance, the cork is tight. Velocity is taken from the hammer upon impact to apply appropriate damage to the leak and push the cork in further.
The last Handheld tool currently in use is the Duct tape. This is pulled from top left to bottom right to apply tape to the pipe covering the hole, surprisingly this one was the easiest by simply calculating a change in y position value, as it is not common for a player to tape bottom to top.
Another passive tool the layer has is the drainage system, which will help lower the water level. This will help the player survive longer, but the drains also suck objects towards them. If the objects are on top of the drain, the drain till lose suction and draining power. This forces the player to check up on the drains to make sure they aren't clogged up and to keep them clear of debris.
Check out the video below to see different mechanics I developed for the game in action!
The core mechanics utilize three-dimensional space in a way that allows the player to use natural movements to fix leaks and save themselves. One of the most interesting mechanics is the wrench and bolt leak combination which has the player attaching a wrench to a bolt and moving their controller clock-wise around the bolt to tighten it. To accomplish this we take the relative positions of the players hand that is holding the wrench and use the derived direction to attach a fake wrench and rotate it appropriately to this direction, applying damage in the proper directions
We also utilize a Cork and Hammer mechanic where the player places a cork into a hole and has to push it in. They then can take a hammer and knock it in further until it is tight. We do this by taking the distance the player moves towards the leak while the cork is being used. When that distance reaches half of the original distance, the cork is tight. Velocity is taken from the hammer upon impact to apply appropriate damage to the leak and push the cork in further.
The last Handheld tool currently in use is the Duct tape. This is pulled from top left to bottom right to apply tape to the pipe covering the hole, surprisingly this one was the easiest by simply calculating a change in y position value, as it is not common for a player to tape bottom to top.
Another passive tool the layer has is the drainage system, which will help lower the water level. This will help the player survive longer, but the drains also suck objects towards them. If the objects are on top of the drain, the drain till lose suction and draining power. This forces the player to check up on the drains to make sure they aren't clogged up and to keep them clear of debris.
Check out the video below to see different mechanics I developed for the game in action!
