Impulse is an insightful interactive VR experience designed around an escape room concept. The principle of the game is intended to both educate the player about the effects of different substances on the body, and act as a metaphor for life, where bad or unhealthy choices can often prevent people from reaching their goals or progressing in life.
The escape-room game challenges players to navigate four rooms, making decisions about health-affecting substances to exit through the final door. Beyond entertainment, it serves as a life metaphor, emphasising consequences of unhealthy choices and promoting strategic decision-making for long-term rewards. The goal is to educate players about substance effects while encouraging thoughtful and strategic decision-making.
The game features consumable items influencing health, with dynamic progression requiring increasing health for each door. Unhealthy choices are strategically placed to tempt players, reinforcing the metaphorical aspect. Doors separate rooms, each demanding higher health, and the final door requires both full health and a key, adding complexity. This design ensures dynamic gameplay and strategic decision-making.
Unity's XR Interaction Toolkit was used for VR setup and interactions, creating an XR rig with essential components. Game management scripts like GameManager and RoomManager facilitated scene transitions and determined player progress. Player scripts, interactable items, doors, UI elements, and audio scripts were meticulously implemented, resulting in a polished and engaging gameplay experience. The project successfully merges thoughtful design with precise technical implementation.
The team hopes the game educates users on healthy behaviors, providing insights into resources for better life choices. Addressing substance abuse openly, the game aims to be a valuable tool for discussions with youths. While the project met its brief goals, future enhancements could include enhanced realism in object interactions as well as exploring more expansive level designs with more engaging puzzles and challenges.