Virtual Escape Rooms

While virtual reality inherently allows agency and immersion for users to explore and interact with the 3D environment, OnBoardXR prototpyes first began specifically devising escape-the-room style experiences in 2022. These works use the cue system through a combination of clickable components for users to trigger changes to the virtual world and simulated moments where a performer manually deploys a cue seamingly upon the action of an audience member.

DEAN GREEN KRAKEN MACHINE

Students of the NYU Lab were also invited to participate in OnBoardXR: Port of Registry, creating and performing DEAN GREEN KRAKEN MACHIHNE, a choose-your-own-adventure short-form experience at Mozilla Festival and monetizing their work with the general public.

Audience members encountered a student who was being attacked by student loan debt, a spell from an evil kraken, and called upon the audience to help save them through live action role play. The audience was invited to choose different avatars, each possessing different “powers” that could help or hinder their battle with the kraken, performed by a live performer represented as a giant ‘avatar’ while puppeting animated 3d tenticle.

GROVE

Goldfish

Jason Wang, Candace Hudert, Elaina Chung and Dylin Cassidy Taylor present a first-look at a narrative escape room where audience members must help a coy fish explore the environment inside and around their lonley tank to help them escape.