Playing videogames with friends has been a part of the experience for gamers since the earliest days of arcades. It has long been a criticism of virtual reality (VR) that it isolates players and removes the social aspect. Fancy Bear Games are aiming to change that by bringing a party game selection to Steam Early Access.
Following the pattern set by fast-paced party games such as the Warioware series, Schlocks pits players against one another with a series of micro-games. Each segment is only ten seconds long, and comes at the player suddenly with minimal instructions as to what to do. To beat the other players, it is critical to rapidly work out what is needed and accomplish it flawlessly, which of course, will not be easy.
Schlocks is available with 4-player local competitive mode, and the Early Access version comes with over 50 micro-games. The development team at Fancy Bear Games hope to up that to over 100 micro-games by the time of final release, and the team are accepting suggestions for what micro-games can be added. Currently, players will need to hit beehives, make sandwiches or wash dishes, along with a host of other tasks.
Fancy Bear Games CEO Patrick Ryan said in a statement: “The future of virtual reality is social! With Schlocks, we want everybody to enjoy tons of micro-games with family and friends, without over-complicated controls and mechanics. There are so many great games for VR, but we want to make Schlocks so simple and fun that everyone can join the party.”
The title is currently available through Steam Early access and is compatible with the HTC Vive. It is priced at $14.99 USD. The developers expect it will take roughly three months before the title is ready for a full release. Further information can be found on the Steam store page.
VRFocus will bring you further news on Schlocks and other Early Access VR games when it becomes available.