Next time you’re in an elevator, instead of looking off in the corner of the ceiling contemplating life’s crucial concerns—like why you just had a 2,300-calorie taco salad for lunch—think about going anywhere, and being able to throw things at people from said elevator, in virtual reality.
If you ever wonder happens when you pour coffee into a plant as you alternate through lava and graveyards, Floor Plan, the unpredictable puzzle experience where users go through an elevator, moving from floor-to-floor of a building and solving puzzles on each, should be a game to keep your eye on.
Initially debuting at the Global Game Jam last year, Floor Plan is game developer Turbo Button’s first original title, and it will soon be coming to Samsung Gear VR and the Oculus Rift. The VR experience was made through using Unity Technologies.
“It’s not your normal elevator,” said Holden Link, founder of Turbo Button. “We really like the concept of being able to go to a bunch of different places on the Samsung Gear VR without having to actually move anywhere.”
Link, who previously was a producer and designer at Magic Pixel Games, shifted his focus and dedication to building games in VR early last year when he founded his Los Angeles-based indie studio. In short order, they developed SMS Racing and Adventure Time: Magic Man’s Head Games. The latter is based on the popular Cartoon Network series.
Link joined [a]listdaily to talk about his up-and-coming game.
How did the idea for Floor Plan come about?
For us, we were looking at point-and-click adventure-style games, and we were inspired by a lot of the mechanics in those. They give you a bunch of items and let you figure out what to do with them. It becomes a game about learning relationships between items and characters and locations. With Floor Plan, we’re trying to translate that kind of gameplay into virtual reality. You’re able to see these characters and go to these places, somewhat at will, by going up and down the elevator. I think that in terms of the puzzle solving, and teaching that to people, we’re able to introduce things one at a time with our mechanics. It’s a contemplative game, in that regard.
How would you describe the payoff of playing the game?
The game is about understanding the relationships, so we make the process very rewarding. Along the way, you’re going to do a lot of experimentation and try different things to understand what the characters want. They’re going to give you that feedback through animations and expressions and even potentially throwing items around you, and that kind of thing. So we make it a very physical and slapstick kind of interaction with the characters. There’s a constant desire to see how certain characters will behave in different situations.
You founded Turbo Button in 2015. How do you envision VR developing in the next handful of years?
I think that it could go in any number of directions. What I do know is that all of those directions are going to be good. We’re really excited that the Gear VR is such an accessible platform. Floor Plan will also be supporting the Oculus Rift where it will have a few more features on it. We’re also trying to take advantage of all of these new features coming out on headsets. We’re also well aware that in this first year, that the number of people that have these headsets are not going to be as big for other platforms, but we’re definitely trying to take the opportunity to learn about it right now to be better prepared moving forward and start helping people get more excited about it. We have to give them cool experiences.
How can the industry overcome that?
In that sense, it’s certainly a smaller install base for some of the headsets, but I don’t necessarily think it’s a different problem from any other platform. We came from working on console and mobile games. That was a very competitive area itself. The number of people making VR games right now is not nearly as big as the ones making mobile games, or apps. Targeting virtual reality for a small company like ours makes a lot of sense because it allows us to stand out and get in there a little early and make something for a passionate group of fans.
What’s the target audience you’re trying to reach?
We’re going for a fairly broad audience on the Gear VR. The platform itself, at least for this game, we’re looking for ages 13 and over. The game is still currently in development, but we’re looking to have a version out later this year.
What’s the execution plan for getting Floor Plan looking like?
We certainly have a plan. For now, we want to finish the game. When we release it, we’re hoping the game will be a cohesive experience on its own. We’re taking our time to make sure that what we put out is going to be something that people really enjoy, and has a lot of value.
Follow Manouk Akopyan on Twitter @Manouk_Akopyan
