One of the more interesting puzzle titles to appear at Gamescom 2019 was Cortopia Studios’ Alices Adventures in Wonderland-themed Down the Rabbit Hole. Offering puzzle scenes which unfolded around you, the videogame was only shown on Oculus Quest with the studio saying other headsets would be supported. Now more have been added as well as the confirmation of a release window for early 2020.
Cortopia Studios has previously confirmed that Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR would all feature versions, but now Valve Index and HTC Vive Cosmos have also been added to that list. It wouldn’t have been too much of a stretch to imagine those devices supporting Down the Rabbit Hole thanks to SteamVR compatibility, at least it confirms the fact for players interested.
Down the Rabbit Hole uses the characters from the famous children’s book, so you’ll see the Cheshire Cat pop up as well as the Caterpillar, yet the story itself will be original. This time there’s no Alice, as the story takes place before she ever discovers Wonderland. So you control an unnamed female character who stumbles into this fantastical world, challenged to solve a variety of puzzles to find a way home.
Rather than a fully realised 3D world, in Down the Rabbit Hole you are essentially like the title states. In this underground hole, the levels appear as little diorama’s, growing and expanding around you as area are explored and puzzles solved. Because of these fluctuating scenes, players can turn the cave by grabbing onto various roots growing out of the walls. The experience isn’t entirely viewed from this point either. While some puzzles are interacted with directly, at various times you’re pulled into the scene for an immersive view of the experience.
When VRFocus previewed Down the Rabbit Hole at Gamescom 2019 we found: “From what was shown Down the Rabbit Hole is going to be a delightful little puzzle adventure. The gameplay uses the characteristics of VR in all the right ways, from all-encompassing scenes to deliver the story to lots of interactive elements that can be grabbed and pulled.”
Originally slated for a 2019 launch, Down the Rabbit Hole has shifted to Q1 2020, for what sounds like a multiplatform launch. As further details are released, VRFocus will keep you updated.