Wayfinder
A VR game where the player navigates a 3D maze using only controller haptics.
Platform: PCVR
Date: Spring 2025
Independent Project
Role: Developer
Wayfinder was a project I undertook for my independent capstone. During this, I explored the implementation of haptics in virtual reality. This project was my first time working in VR.
Initially, this project started as studying surface haptics, but soon evolved into a prototype for a game that can be played without sight.
In this game, you navigate a maze using only haptic feedback, as once you enter the maze, the entire level goes dark.
For this project, I utilized Meta's Unity SDK, which allowed me to use Meta Haptics Studio to create the haptics used in Wayfinder.
Pictured: Meta Haptics Studio
Meta Haptics Studio created haptics out of audio files. I was also able to manipulate various attributes such as the frequency and amplitude of the haptics to intensify or weaken the haptic feedback.
To build the maze, I used a maze generator website to make a layout, then placed the image in Unity to be used as a template. I then used Unity Probuilder to quickly and easily build the maze in 3D by manipulating only two shapes.
Pictured: Maze layout (left), Maze built in-engine (right)
Once the maze was built, I made a "haptic carpet" to help guide the player through the maze, with 3 different sections with accompanying haptics to follow a "Hot, Warm, Cold" formula. When the player is on the right path through the maze, they're on the "Hot" path, which has strong haptics to let you know you're on the right track. The "Warm" path is when the player has just deviated from the "Hot" path, with weaker haptics signaling the player that they took a wrong turn. If the player keeps going away from the "Hot" path, however, they'll hit the "Cold" path, with even weaker haptics signaling the player that they are far off the mark, and must find their way back.
Pictured: Maze layout with haptic carpet (left), haptic carpet samples in-game (middle), overhead shot of maze path in-game (right)
Maze Screenshots
Gameplay Video
