One part of the Udacity VR Developer Nanodegree Program is to run through a full development cycle creating a small and simple puzzle app for mobile VR: Starting with basic design questions that facilitate the creation of an easy to use, immersive VR app to, subsequently, verifying the design decisions with user tests and, finally, making adaptions according to the collected feedback.
Puzzler
The Puzzler app is a simple "Simon says"-like game in which the user has to activate floating orbs in a specific sequence in order to escape a closed setting.
Puzzler VR mobile App
Process
Persona
Photo by mentatdgt at Pexels
Since it is a simple app, we assume that our users do not have significant experience with VR and are excited to try apps that enable them to dip in the new VR world. We thus want to keep their excitement up by delivering an immersive VR experience that is easy to make their first steps in.
Sketches
The closed setting is a dungeon, in which we want to create a creepy atmosphere with mystic glowing orbs. In this context, we need two UIs: one at the beginning to start the game and one success screen at the end with the option to restart. We draw the UI in the 3D environment to not interrupt the user's VR experience.
Puzzler idea sketch
Puzzler UI sketches
User Testing and Iterations
First user test
The first user test checks if our scaling is right and the atmosphere is how we wanted it to be. In VR, the users find themselves within a 3D environment. Therefore, realistic scaling is key to an immersive user experience in which the user does not feel like a giant or a little mouse unless that was our desired goal. On questioning the mood of the scene one user answered: "Fantasy! The lights are really shiny."
First iteration
Puzzler lightning setup
The results of our first user test suggested necessary changes to our lighting. Users described the atmosphere as fantasy-like, so we trimmed down the environment lighting to make it a bit darker. We did not have to change the scale, as it was considered perfect by most users.
Second user test
In the second user test, we check our implemented movement system. Since we develop for mobile devices, we are a little limited in this regard. Our movement system moves the user to specific points where we want them to be. We take extra care not to accelerate the movement and focus the user's view in the direction of the movement. This reduces the threat of simulation sickness, ultimately contributing to a positive user experience. We not only asked if the movement feels comfortable but also if the objects the user has to focus on are in a comfortable distance. "The UI is like a big billboard right in front of my face" was one answer we took note of.
Second iteration
The users did not have problems with the movement and felt comfortable with it. The distance of the orbs, which we placed 3.5 meters away from the user's position, was considered comfortable when it comes to focusing on objects in the 3D environment. However, the UI elements required readjustments, as users felt they were too close.
Final user test
In the last user test, we make sure that our game mechanics work as intended, and that it is clear for the user what he or she has to do to complete the game.
Final iteration
In the last iteration, no changes were necessary. We did not even have to provide users with instructions on how to solve the puzzle. Instead, the visual and audio feedback alone enabled users to complete the game.
Breakdown of the Final Design
three steps in the Puzzler game design
In the Final version of our game, the player passes three steps. In the beginning, the player is presented with our start UI that consists of a welcome message and a button to start the game. When the player presses the start button he is moved to the play position with the 5 floating orbs in front of him. The Orbs light up in a random pattern witch the player then has to repeat. Upon successful repetition, the player is moved into the end position, facing our success screen with the option to restart the game.
Conclusion
We wanted to create a simple yet immersive VR experience for users with little to no previous exposure to VR. Based on our design decisions, we made a game our users could solve intuitively. By means of continuous user tests and iterations, we made sure to stay on track in order to deliver the desired accessible and smooth VR experience.
Next steps
Our dungeon currently consists of one room and one puzzle from which it would be easy to expand the game with more rooms and different puzzles. Instead of moving the user on rails, we could give him or her the option to take different routes through our dungeon, making it worth to play our game more than once. Alternatively, we could pull the player deeper into the dungeon if he failed too many times on the same puzzle, difficulting his or her ultimate goal of finding a way out.
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