Designing AR/VR Games: 6 Tips from a Game Designer
Designing games in AR and VR is similar to designing any other game, the key differences being scope, user interaction, and space.
Here are my top 6 tips for designing game for AR/VR:
Be Realistic About Scope
This isn’t a super fun tip to hear, but it is a reality that impacts most parts of a design which is why I’m starting this article off with it. The performance of a game on a device has impacted the level design, systems design, interactions, among many other things on the projects I’ve worked on. I’ve dealt with this factor across a few different companies and projects, so it’s definitely not something to overlook.
If you expect to make a giant MMO that would be great for PC and try to make it on a mobile device or something like a Quest, you’re going to be surprised how many challenges you’ll run into.
Design Simple Interactions
An object should react to the player’s input and it should be clear what can be interacted with and what cannot.
One way to help players learn a language for interaction is to set a color palette for each type of object. In the image below, we defined dynamic objects as warm colors, and static objects using cool color. In addition, Keep interactions simple and uncomplicated. Large text, big buttons, and less “modes” to enter into, the easier it will be for players to use.
Get a Feeling for the Space
The first spaces I’ve designed have always been too big or too small. Every time I’ve gone to make a level in VR it’s been about 2 times the size of what it should really be, and I can’t tell until I’m in there feeling my own height and the height of the space. In larger spaces, you’d need more dynamic objects to create more interactions, so I’ll refer you back to my first tip on scope.
Account for the Player’s Real World
The player’s real life should be accounted for in the design. It’s important to ask yourself:
- Where do you expect people to play?
- How long do you expect someone to play through the game?
- Are there any hardware limitations like battery life or performance to account for?
- How will they interact with the real world and the space around them?
In the design of an AR game I worked on, we had to ask ourselves these things to ensure player’s safety. Using iBeacons, we placed points of interest around the 4 levels of a building. We made sure we placed interactions and points of interest according to the high traffic areas, the staircases, and exhibits to keep the gameplay flowing and players safe.
Surface Information Intentionally
I see a lot of devs get wrapped up in the ‘cool’ factor of world space that they forget that screen space information still has its place.
A few questions to ask yourself when you’re designing an experience:
- When does the player need this information?
- Where will they exist in the real world when they are looking at this information? On their couch? Standing in VR? Walking around a park?
A rule of thumb I use is that all the information needed to actually run and play a game should be in screen space and game mechanic information should be in world space.
The World is Your Reference
Don’t be afraid to use other experiences as references that aren’t on AR or VR platforms. Some of my favorite inspiration has come from road-tripping across the US and other games that are in screen space.
Do you have any other tips you would note for designing AR or VR games?
