In collaboration with Dreamscape at ASU, I contributed to "Phantom Haven: The ShadowScape," an innovative 3D immersive gaming experience designed for virtual reality (VR) pods. This project transports players into a dark, mysterious forest, challenging them to navigate puzzles, spectral entities, and shadowy creatures to escape a deserted island.
As the XR Experience Designer & Narrative Lead, I played a pivotal role in crafting an engaging narrative, designing intuitive interactions, and ensuring a seamless user experience within Unity, showcasing my expertise in extended reality (XR) and immersive design.
Overview:
Phantom Haven: The ShadowScape" is an escape room-style adventure where players embody an adventurer stranded after a hot air balloon crash. Guided by fireflies, they discover an abandoned lighthouse, meeting 'Buddy,' a spectral companion who aids them through three levels of challenges. The goal? Activate the lighthouse beacon to dispel the shadows and escape. This project demanded a blend of creativity, technical prowess, and collaborative effort, all while adhering to strict deadlines and delivering a polished product for VR pods.
We addressed these challenges with strategic approaches:
Buddy Character: A spectral guide offering hints and storyline progression, voiced and scripted by me for emotional depth.
Interactive Challenges: Players activate buttons and navigate dynamic VR environments (e.g., collapsing floors, shadow creatures) to progress.
To ensure players could seamlessly navigate from one level to another, I designed a clear and engaging user journey that balanced exploration with guided progression. Here’s how the flow works:
This user flow was prototyped in Unity, tested for intuitiveness, and refined to minimize frustration, ensuring a smooth transition between levels while maintaining immersion.
Delivered on December 3rd, 2023, "Phantom Haven: The ShadowScape" achieved:
View our final scenes here. Highlights include the eerie forest, multi-level lighthouse, and Buddy’s animated interactions in VR.
"Phantom Haven: The ShadowScape" demonstrates my ability to design compelling XR experiences, blending strategic UX with innovative problem-solving. Through collaboration with Dreamscape at ASU, I delivered a captivating VR adventure, honing skills critical for extended reality innovation. This project positions me as a strong candidate for XR opportunities, ready to drive engagement and impact through design.
Potential enhancements include: