Cortopia Studios has had plenty of success with its virtual reality (VR) PvP title Wands, bringing the magical combat experience to several headsets. Now the studio is working on something slightly different, a puzzle experience called Down the Rabbit Hole, inspired by the classic children’s novel Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland. Making its debut during Gamescom 2019, VRFocus spoke with the team to learn a little more about this particular re-imagining of the tale.
While inspired by the book Down the Rabbit Hole doesn’t use the storyline. So there’s no Alice in this version as it takes place before she ever discovers Wonderland, but there are still a few familiar faces to be found along the way. For this edition, you control an unnamed female character who stumbles into this fantastical world, solving puzzles to find a way home.
The title puts you in a sort of cylindrical cave, with the levels displayed as little dioramas which can be peered into. As you progress through each one a new scene will appear, sometimes higher or lower than the last. Because of these fluctuating scenes, players can turn the cave by grabbing onto various roots growing out of the walls. The experience isn’t entirely viewed from this point either. While some puzzles are interacted with directly, at various times you’re pulled into the scene for an immersive view of the experience.
VRFocus previewed Down the Rabbit Hole, noting: “From what was shown Down the Rabbit Hole is going to be a delightful little puzzle adventure. The gameplay uses the characteristics of VR in all the right ways, from all-encompassing scenes to deliver the story to lots of interactive elements that can be grabbed and pulled.”
Speaking with Ola Bjorling, Chief Strategist for Beyond Frames Entertainment (an umbrella group for Cortopia Studios, Zenz VR, Odd Raven Studios and Moon Mode) he reveals how the experience came about and what to expect from the puzzle title.
Check out the video below or take a look at VRFocus other interviews from Gamescom including Somnium Space, Pixel Reef, Dark Curry and Carbon Studio. For further updates from Cortopia Studios, keep reading VRFocus.
via Mint VR