Laboratory
Project description in 5 sentences
Laboratory is an exciting Virtual Reality game. The aim of the game is to create an opportunity to learn chemistry. Players will learn the principles of chemical processes through interactive experiments and tasks/tests. All mechanics of the game have the sole purpose of teaching players the basic and advanced principles of how chemicals interact with each other. Players will also gain hands-on experience in a laboratory setting.
Project Challenge
During the development of the project, we placed a strong focus on the player's interaction with the objects in the scene to create a realistic immersion in the atmosphere of laboratory research. This was not a trivial task and proved to be challenging, but we were still able to accomplish it. This emphasis on developing one aspect of the game helped us greatly in bringing the game closer to realism and was well received by the first testing groups.
General characteristics of the project
Platforms
- Oculus Quest 2/3
Genres
- Simulator
- Puzzle
Localization
- English
References
- VR Chemistry Lab
- UnrealChemist VR
Duration
- 34 weeks
Key technologies of the project
Team members
- Meta XR SDK
- Universal Renderer Pipeline
- Zenject
- Custom Editor
- Game Designer
- Unity Developers x2
- UI/UX Designer
- 3D Designer
- VFX Designer
Client's request
The client came with a request to create a game that would help in educating schoolchildren/students/laboratory assistants, making their experience more practical and applied.
Result
We have developed a game that includes multiple levels of difficulty, carefully tailored to different levels of participants' knowledge. In the early stages of the game, players undergo training in interacting between elements and conduct experiments corresponding to their current level of competence. As the levels become more challenging, less support is provided, encouraging players to experiment with elements based on their own knowledge. Advanced levels offer various tests and tasks that require players to solve independently, emphasizing their research skills and the application of chemical knowledge.
Customer's Feedback
Steve
Steve
"My first experience in game development turned out to be very favorable, thanks to the collaboration with the BG Games team. They professionally and clearly explained all aspects of creating such an application, while also addressing some shortcomings in the initial concept. The team provided feedback throughout the development process and openly responded to new ideas. Thank you for the successful implementation of this exciting project!"
Since the Laboratory project is quite extensive, the project manager used various tools to ensure that the development process was clear, organized, and, most importantly, efficient:
Weekly reports for the customer - every week the project manager generates a global report with the work done. It consists of described tasks, attached videos and screenshots, and at the end a playable build with integrated innovations.
Jira - for general task control, we use Jira. Here are all the tasks in order, as well as links to the technical tasks attached to each card.
Notion - in this space, the game design team generates a global GDD that describes all parts of the project in as much detail as possible.
Figma/Google Drive - these two services fulfill one task - control and storage of all visual materials of the project.
Daily calls/meetings with specific team members - every day the project manager has a meeting or call with one of the groups of specialists (UI/UX, Developers, etc.).
Weekly meetings with the whole team - every week there is a big meeting where the whole team discusses global tasks, work done, and clarifies the plan for the next week.
Weekly reports for the customer - every week the project manager generates a global report with the work done. It consists of described tasks, attached videos and screenshots, and at the end a playable build with integrated innovations.
Jira - for general task control, we use Jira. Here are all the tasks in order, as well as links to the technical tasks attached to each card.
Notion - in this space, the game design team generates a global GDD that describes all parts of the project in as much detail as possible.
Figma/Google Drive - these two services fulfill one task - control and storage of all visual materials of the project.
Daily calls/meetings with specific team members - every day the project manager has a meeting or call with one of the groups of specialists (UI/UX, Developers, etc.).
Weekly meetings with the whole team - every week there is a big meeting where the whole team discusses global tasks, work done, and clarifies the plan for the next week.
The process of working on the "Laboratory" project was notably enhanced by the use of the Agile methodology. Making decisions together with the team during weekly meetings allowed us to promptly adapt the game's functionality, taking into account the feedback received. This flexible approach enabled us to achieve significant results in the shortest possible time, maintaining a high level of communication and the ability to consider the opinion of each team member during the development process.
Project Manager's comment
Target audience
Group 1:
Age: 8-16 years old.
Interests/expectations:
Interests/expectations:
- Interest in the experimental part of the game where they can explore and come up with new; combinations of chemical elements;
- A competitive element and socializing.
Type of players according to Bartle: - Explorers;
Socializers.
Features: - The desire to learn about the world around us;
- Obtaining practical knowledge.
Group 2:
Age: 17-25 years old.
Interests/Expectations:
Interests/Expectations:
- Chemistry students looking to expand their knowledge and skills;
- Virtual reality fans looking to combine entertainment and education.
Type of players according to Bartle: - Researchers;
- Hoarders;
- Socializers.
Features: - Have a basic knowledge of chemistry or seek to deepen it;
- Open to the use of new technologies.
Group 3:
Age: 26-45 years old.
Interests/expectations:
Interests/expectations:
- People interested in chemistry and its use in everyday life;
- Fans of scientific and educational content and interactive learning.
Type of players according to Bartle: - Researchers.
Features: - Interested in the creative and educational use of game formats in learning.
Three features that make the project unique
- Extensive experimentation system.
- Realistic interaction with game objects.
- Realistic game graphics.
The project is intended for internal use in educational institutions. Revenue from the project will be generated from purchased licensed copies of the game and subscriptions.
Pixel aesthetics
The main task of the visual component of the game is to create the feeling of a different, unfamiliar world, which you want to learn and explore. For this purpose, we chose a bright color palette, and all models are unique adaptations of creatures familiar to humans.
Team of Visualizers/Designers
UI/UX Designer
Creates a user-friendly interface and develops its animations and transitions.
Creates and animates three-dimensional models for the game world, including landscapes, architecture, objects, and characters.
Creates visual effects and develops shaders and special effects to control light and color, enhancing the game experience.
3D Designer/Animator
VFX Designer
Key technologies of the project
- This is an SDK for integrating extended reality (XR) functionality. The SDK was created by Meta, the owners of Oculus, to fully utilize the capabilities of Oculus devices. Features such as passthrough, hand tracking, mixed reality scanning, and more are included in this SDK, enabling developers to create games that are significantly more engaging and functional.
Meta XR SDK
- Cross-platform rendering that optimizes game rendering and enhances game visuals. A highly popular solution for creating games with high-quality graphics.
Universal Renderer Pipeline
Custom Editor
- This is an open-source dependency injection (DI) framework designed for use with the Unity3D game engine, providing functionality across most platforms supported by Unity3D.
Zenject
Creating a new extension for the Unity Editor to enhance and expedite workflow.