The amusement

Synopsis

The Amusement is a narrative VR adventure game set in the 1920s in which the user plays as Samantha Burkhart. Sent by her mother to check her late-father’s abandoned amusement park, she is quickly facing complex childhood memories, as she uncovers and solves mysteries hidden in the park. The exploration of the park uses redirectedwalking techniques translating every real-life step into the game, creating an intense and fully immersive adventure. Samantha visits the old amusement park for one final inspection: a magnificent maze, the ruins of Atlantis… and of course, a rollercoaster! Each attraction becomes an opportunity for Samantha to recall fragments of her childhood, marked by the turbulent relationship between her parents, Bridget and Hans. The latter died in the Great War, but still haunts Samantha’s thoughts. The park is heavily inspired by luna parks from a 1920s post-war period, providing both the setting and aesthetic of a game in which sorrow and nostalgia are tightly intertwined.

Statement

Our goal was to create an intense experience that pushes the boundaries of immersive storytelling in VR. By leveraging redirected walking techniques, players are able to truly explore the beautiful environments. This induces a high sense of presence, supporting the deep narrative about a broken family and the tragedy of war.

Credits

Director

Eike Langbehn, Marc Barnes

Production

Curvature Games

Running Time

180'

Language

English

Country

Germany, France

Main Cast

Marc Borchert, Jocasta Godlieb, Gesa Penthin, Marc Barnes, Fred Hilke, Peik Erik Ludvig Stenlund

Screenplay

Marc Barnes, Eike Langbehn

Editor

Tim Mayer

Music

Benjamin Gallagher

Sound

Marc Barnes, Malte Husung, Benjamin Gallagher, Made Indrayana

Art director

Lucas Donderis Barrachina

Lead developer

Malte Husung

Developers

Daniel Neves Coelho, Kolja Kirsch, Alina Janice Fasen

Lead designer

Marc Barnes

Designers

Malte Husung, Daniel Neves Coelho, Kolja Kirsch, Alina Janice Fasen, Eike Langbehn

Artists

Lucas Donderis Barrachina, Melodi Esgin, Tim Mayer

Technical team

Ole Jürgensen