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Apophis

Take part in a perilous mission on Apophis, a bizarre VR space world, and recover your lost friend from its hostile grasp.

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Apophis is a new kind of VR experience. Explore, collect, restore and progress through a hostile, fractured world to uncover the truth about your lost friend’s whereabouts.

Imagine a world suspended in the vast void of space, shaped by surreal organic forms and shimmering crystalline structures. In Apophis, players don’t just explore this mysterious landscape—they unravel a tale of discovery, survival, and innovation. This VR adventure combines exploration, resource management, and immersive storytelling to create an experience like no other.

A render of the in-game world of Apophis
The core: a mischievous antagonist, confronting the player with challenges and riddles
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At the heart of Apophis lies the desire to create a fresh and captivating VR experience. Players take on the role of a scientist piloting a versatile vehicle designed for exploration and resource collection. Their journey? To traverse an alien world filled with obstacles, puzzles, and secrets, all while facing a looming threat embodied by a mischievous off-screen antagonist.

Gameplay

Designed for the Meta Quest 3 VR headset, Apophis prioritizes simple, intuitive gameplay to ensure accessibility for new VR players while still captivating seasoned explorers. The single-player experience offers a smooth and immersive world that encourages players to advance at their own pace.

An outside look at the player's space rover
A render of the player's space rover
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The gameplay in Apophis revolves around three primary elements:

  1. Exploration: Navigate four distinct areas, each presenting unique environments, dangers, and opportunities.
  2. Resource Management: Destroy certain parts of the world to gather resources and unlock new paths. Players can use harvested materials to replicate key items, progressing further into the game.
  3. Obstacle Navigation: Utilize the vehicle’s various modes, including a gravity gun, laser, and flamethrower, to overcome different challenges.

Each obstacle requires players to think critically and leverage their resources wisely. Tutorials guide players when encountering new mechanics, ensuring a seamless and engaging learning curve.

Development

Apophis was developed as part of the master class Augmented & Virtual Reality within the Interactive Technologies master program at University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten during the 2024 summer and winter semesters. The game was developed in Unity using C#. Audio was implemented using the Wwise middleware. The 3D team used a combination of Maya and Blender for creating our assets. Furthermore, Notion was used for project management.

My Role

  • audio lead
  • UI/PX lead
  • development

My roles in the project were audio lead, UI/PX lead and developer. I was responsible for conceptualizing and implementing the game’s audio and crafting an intuitive user interface and an enjoyable player experience. Additionally, I contributed to various development tasks, including gameplay mechanics and system integration.

Credits

Core Team

  • Lukas Heinzl: project lead, development lead
  • Cajetan Grill (me): audio lead, UI/PX lead, development
  • Dawid Lewandowski: world building, level design, 3D
  • Srdjan Pajic: story lead, animation, 3D
  • Ewelina Pawlik: 3D lead, environment design
  • Martin Steinmetz: game design lead, development
  • Isabella Willmann: story, marketing, graphics

Support Team

  • Alma Dzehverovic: audio / sound design
  • Arno Enk: 3D modelling
  • Finn Schneppenheim: logo, UI design

Supervisors

  • Manuel Bonell: project supervision
  • Flavia Mazzanti: project supervision
  • Matthias Husinsky: project supervision, head of master class
  • Peter Judmaier: project supervision, deputy head of master class