HappyGiant has today has launched its critically-acclaimed HoloGrid: Monster Battle on Microsoft’s HoloLens. A tactical strategy videogame that combines elements of chess, board games, and collectible card games, HoloGrid: Monster Battle is now on five leading augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) platforms.
Tailored specifically to take advantage of the HoloLens platform’s core technologies – spatial mapping and spatial sound, gaze tracking, gesture input, and voice control – this new version of HoloGrid: Monster Battle ‘reads’ the player’s environment and then allows them to place and scale the board and characters into the real world accurately.
“HoloGrid: Monster Battle allows you to see table top games in an entirely new way, mixing digital holograms of chess battle with the real world,” said Brandon Bray, leader of Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality Developer Ecosystem. “It’s amazing! I’m excited to see HappyGiant pioneering the path to bring games to life in your own home.”
Inspired in part by the Star Wars HoloChess scene, and created in conjunction with two-time Academy Award winner Phil Tippett, HoloGrid: Monster Battle features gameplay is similar to that of videogames like HearthStone but set on a grid like Chess. Players can play against AI driven opponents.
“Playing HoloGrid on HoloLens is the ultimate experience. It fulfils the purest vision yet of the game we set out to make, and that I was inspired to play 40 years ago when I saw Star Wars as a young kid,” said Mike Levine, HappyGiant Founder and Creative Director. “Phil Tippett called it “magic” when I showed it to him, and I think that says it best.”
The new HoloLens version of HoloGrid: Monster Battle is available at the Microsoft Windows Store for $4.99 USD. The Gear VR version of HoloGrid: Monster Battle is available on the Gear VR site for a suggested retail price of $4.99 USD. The mobile AR version, with physical playing cards, is available on Amazon.
HappyGiant continue to support all versions of HoloGrid: Monster Battle with frequent updates. VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details.