Virtual reality (VR) is a natural place for physics based videogames. Being in the virtual space watching as the chain reactions you’ve put in place by hand unfold like a complicated game of Mouse Trap is far more satisfying than watching the action unfold on a 2D screen, and now, BOUNCE, a physics based puzzler, is available on Viveport. Viveport subscribers can download the videogame for free.
In BOUNCEyou’ll be placing a complicated series of tubes, platforms and technology together in order to guide simple balls to a goal. Using treadmills and bounce pads, you’ll create elaborate solutions to navigate your ball to the goal.
It won’t be that simple though, as you’ll be having to avoid lasers and other obstacles that can most certainly ruin your trajectory. You’ll have to worry about the physics of course, but also your timing as you embark on a quest to solve all of the puzzles in the game.
VRFocus gave BOUNCE a four star review, praising the game’s 50 levels and addictive nature, saying; “So does BOUNCE have that perfect formula to challenge and keep gamers playing? For the most part yes. This isn’t a title that you’re going to get through in a hour. Many VR experiences are derided for their lack of gameplay time and BOUNCE isn’t one of them. With 50 levels to wade through there’s plenty to keep you busy for hours on end and that’s certainly a big plus mark. Whilst not being highly unique in terms of its core idea it’s the straight forward gameplay that aides BOUNCE’s addictiveness, and it’s certainly a title that those who love puzzlers should checkout if they’re looking for a decent challenge and a change from all the shooters currently available.”
Although the videogame is on Viveport, you can also get BOUNCE on Oculus Rift now, as it was released for the head-mounted display in the Summer of last year.
For more from BOUNCE, take a look at the videogame’s Viveport page where you can purchase the experience or add it to your Viveport subscription. If you want to see the experience in action, make sure to watch the trailer below. For all the latest news on puzzle videogames and experiences, keep reading VRFocus.
Virtual reality (VR) tends to do well with puzzle titles, from the slow consideration of titles like Statik, to fast-paced action of hybrid puzzle-action like Star Child, videogame puzzles and VR seem to go together like cheese on bread. So for Oculus Rift users who missed out on playing fast-moving physics puzzled of Bounce, now is the time to rejoice.
Bounce, produced by Steel Wool Studios is a neon-coloured VR experience that requires players to get a small sphere-shaped robot from one end of a room to another, either avoiding or activating various items and obstacles along the way.
The developers behind Bounce include several former employees of Telltale Games, Pixar and Lucasfilm, leading to a title that has both intricate gameplay mechanics as well as smooth animation and a narrative to follow through the various levels. Bounce was previously available on the HTC Vive, where it got a favourable review from VRFocus, saying: “Bounce is the epitomy of trial and error, you’ll probably whizz through the early stages and get really infuriated with the latter ones. But that’s part of the joy of these style of videogames. If it was easy then where’s the challenge and the fun, and Bounce certainly delivers that, literally making you jump through hoops to succeed.”
You can now find Bounce on the Oculus Store, priced at £10.99 (GBP), though Oculus users will need the Touch controllers in order to play. Similar to the HTC Vive version, Bounce has 50 levels to ply through, a scoring system and leaderboards so you can compare your score with friends, and the ‘Style Mode’ which adds longevity with the option to go back and reply levels while attempting to do things in the most outlandish way possible.
VRFocus will bring you further news on new VR releases as it becomes available.
Steel Wool Studios could be classed as a prolific virtual reality (VR) developer having launched several videogames for the HTC Vive head-mounted display (HMD). Each one has been different from the last, and now the developer has entered the puzzle genre with Bounce. Simple in its gameplay but fiendishly challenging, can Bounce continue the studio’s VR form?There are plenty of puzzle titles for HTC Vive so competition is fierce, with experiences needing to offer something unique and enjoyable. Bounce requires players to do one thing, get a small spherical robot from the end of one room to the other, avoiding or activating various obstacles on route with a limited selection of items on offer to achieve your goal.
Bounce starts you off nice and easy, and achieves a nice gradual difficulty progression throughout its 50 levels. The tutorial takes you through the basics which involve choosing the different panels, chutes, spring pads and other items on offer on one controller with the other allowing you to place and move said objects. For anyone well versed with the HTC Vive this all becomes quick and intuitive, enabling minute changes to achieve that perfect path through a level.
This lays the ground work for some highly complicated and patience testing puzzles ahead. Bounce is the epitomy of trial and error, you’ll probably whizz through the early stages and get really infuriated with the latter ones. But that’s part of the joy of these style of videogames. If it was easy then where’s the challenge and the fun, and Bounce certainly delivers that, literally making you jump through hoops to succeed.
Levels can involve gravity defying areas, vast distances, compact tight corners, rings that need to be unlocked in a certain order and so much more. There’s certainly plenty to work through, each one giving a ranking from one to three stars. Longevity can always be an issue with puzzle titles, as once you’ve solved them what’s there really to do. Steel Wool Studios has thought about this, not only with the star ranking system, but also with its Style Mode. This allows you to go back and attack each level again, but now you’re scored on the complexity of your solution. It’s certainly an inventive solution to replayability, especially on favourite levels and really challenges you to think outside the box.
So does Bounce have that perfect formula to challenge and keep gamers playing? For the most part yes. This isn’t a title that you’re going to get through in a hour. Many VR experiences are derided for their lack of gameplay time and Bounce isn’t one of them. With 50 levels to wade through there’s plenty to keep you busy for hours on end and that’s certainly a big plus mark. Whilst not being highly unique in terms of its core idea it’s the straight forward gameplay that aides Bounce’s addictiveness, and it’s certainly a title that those who love puzzlers should checkout if they’re looking for a decent challenge and a change from all the shooters currently available.
I lost track of how many times I failed while playing Bounce. Amidst the 50 levels, I must have failed at least 200 to 300 times, easily. I got frustrated. I cursed at the air around me, while wearing my Vive, flailing my motion controllers, and bumping into my wall more than once.
But each time I got stuck, I eventually figured it out, and reveled in the satisfaction. Bounce taps into that special feeling you get from finally beating a boss, or finishing a dungeon, or unlocking a long hidden secret in other games — except it makes you feel that way after each and every level.
Bounce is the latest VR game from Steel Wool Studios, the team behind Mars Odyssey and Quar: Battle for Gate 18. The instructions are simple: get the ball from point A to point B. Sometimes the levels require you to also pass through designated rings as checkpoints, or avoid obstacles in the world, but at the end of the day every level has the same overall objective.
Spawn a ball and get it to the goal node. That’s it. But it’s what happens between those two points that defines the game. At first, you’ll have a handful of simple tools. A ramp here, a tube there, and you’ll slowly figure out how to get the ball to the other end of the level.
And eventually you’ll be introduced to launch rings that blast the ball across the level, treadmills that the ball sticks to, bounce pads, and tractor beams, and others all fill out the list of tools and gadgets. Since the amount of each item you have access to is limited, that adds an intriguing layer of strategy and resource management to each stage.
You’re only required to transport the ball to finish the level, but you’ll also be rated based on how many — or how few — gadgets you use to finish each level. It creates an addictive cycle of replaying levels to try and cut down on resources as much as possible.
While solving puzzles, it’s helpful to think outside the box even more than you would in non-VR puzzle games. So rather than viewing Bounce as just another puzzle game, view it as a world of puzzles you’re physically visiting and mastering. You’re not sitting on your couch pressing buttons to move things around, you’re actually up on your feet or crouching on the ground to adjust item placement. Getting down on the ground to tweak trajectory, much like you would do in Fantastic Contraption, is a big part of the fun.
Instead of figuring out ways to go around obstacles, try going over them. Find cracks between objects for a well-placed tractor beam, or launch ring. Don’t underestimate the utility of bounce pads. And just because a level looks overly complex doesn’t mean it has to be — getting creative with solutions is just as important as the solutions themselves.
Trial and error is not only an inevitability, it’s a necessity. On more than one occasion I reached the end of a level to realize I didn’t have the right gadget in my inventory, so I had to re-assess the entire stage to try and free up more resources for the end. You’ll probably want to pull your hair out before it’s over and spend well over a half hour or more just figuring out how to complete level 49 like I did — but once you’re done, it’s all worth it.
Even though Bounce isn’t a wholly original idea that has a lot in common with other games, such as Grav|Lab and countless non-VR projects, it’s still an easy recommendation for fans of the genre. However, the physics did feel less than ideal in some cases and even though all of the levels are entirely possible, many feel more like exercises in patience than they do in actual creativity. The ability to fast-forward the ball’s movement through areas you’ve already figured out would be a welcomed addition.
Overall, Bounce differentiates itself with its polish, complexity, and purely good game design. It’s lacking any form of multiplayer and doesn’t feature a level editor, so this entry is only targeted at fans looking for a tightly-designed collection of difficult, but rewarding, puzzle fun.
Final Score:7/10 – Good
The relentless increase in difficulty is fair and balanced, ensuring the virtually each and every level is slightly more complex and difficult than the last. The ending is a refreshing twist on the charming world. While it’s not an original idea and lacks multiplayer or level creation tools, the 50 levels pack in enough creativity and replayability to earn Bounce an easy recommendation for puzzle game fans.
Bounce is available starting today on Steam at the discounted launch price of $19.99 with official support for the HTC Vive. Read our Game Review Guidelines for more information on how we arrived at this score.
Steel Wool Studios has become a virtual reality (VR) developer to keep an eye on, with it’s growing library of immersive titles. This year the developer has released Quar: Battle for Gate 18 and Mars Odyssey, along with securing $5 million USD in a Series A funding round from HTC. Last month the studio announced its next videogame for HTC Vive, a puzzler called Bounce, and today that experience has now arrived on Steam.
A physics-based puzzler, Bounce requires players to help robot companion D1G-B through a labyrinth of rooms. To do this players must utilise various panels, ramps, chutes and launchers to roll, sling, shoot and bounce the ball shaped robot.
Rooms range from simple layouts with little in the way, to complex areas filled with moving objects, laser grids, bottomless floors and more.
Rather than giving players set objects in which to solve the puzzles, the various items can be selected via an options menu on the controller. This allows players to construct suitable solutions anyway they please, allowing a unique approach to the solution.
“What I love about Bounce is that there is not one fixed way to solve any level, and you’re really tasked with using your own personal creative ability to use the tools at your disposal to help transport D1G-B to her destination. For every player, it means near-endless variation for solving each puzzle level”, said Jason Topolski, co-founder at Steel Wool Studios. “Everyone looks at problems differently, and it’s the same for player-solutions to Bounce. We’re excited to see how players solve the puzzles we’ve prepared for them, and look forward to seeing some new faces on the in-game leaderboards!”
Bounce is very reminiscent of another HTC Vive title, Grav|Lab by developer Mark Schramm. Currently on Steam Early Access Grav|Lab is another puzzler that involves creating a pathway for balls to take to a goal, although Bounce does feature a stronger narrative.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Steel Wool Studios, reporting back with any further announcements.
When theorizing about the types of games I want to play in VR, the list is pretty predictable. Fantasy role-playing games with deep and immersive worlds, realistic military shooters, bow and arrow games, a Sword Art Online-style MMO, and many other concepts that appear on most people’s list of hypothetical games. Well, those plus a new Metroid VR game of course.
What my list doesn’t include is a puzzle game that involves getting a ball from point A to point B in a 360-roomscale environment using various tools and gadgets in conjunction with the effects of physics and gravity. Fortunately, Bounce, from Steel Wool, is a game designed to let me know I want what I didn’t know I wanted.
I visited Steel Wool a few weeks ago, the same company that just recently received a large $5 million investment from HTC, to demo their new game and get a quick tour of the office. The multi-level space employs a handful of creatives such as animators and designers, in addition to other members of the company, that are all working diligently on innovative new VR projects. The heart of the studio is fueled by a powerhouse group of individuals that came together through years of experience at Pixar. Steel Wool originally made a name for itself as one of the first companies on the West Coast to officially receive an HTC Vive development kit from Valve in the formative years of the industry.
Bounce is something a bit different. Whereas Quar was the traditional game put inside VR that you could invest dozens of hours into if you wanted, Bounce is a unique puzzle experience created from the ground up just for VR headsets. At its core the simplicity of getting a ball to a goal is mind-numbingly basic, but the small details and steady difficult curve are where the magic resides.
The first tutorial level is incredibly simple. A ball drops from the ceiling, the goal is a few feet in front of it. I can spawn ramps with one hand and place them, suspended in the air, wherever I want. Plop down a couple in front of the drop point, slanted towards the goal, and done. That was easy.
Each level progressively adds more and more so that you’re never able to relish in your glory for too long. In addition to basic ramps, I also earned access to curved tracks, bounce pads, gravitational pull devices, boost gates, and so much more.
Eventually, the developers have even thrown in rings you must get the ball through prior to reaching the goal, moving lasers that must be avoided, robotic adversaries that try to derail you, and even winding, curving, labyrinthine levels that require careful planning and cunning to solve. It’s one of the best examples of taking a simple concept and expanding on it until it’s a fully realized game that I’ve seen in quite some time.
While there is a light narrative, that’s far from the focus of the experience. I don’t know how the story ends — that was something that they made particular note to stay tight-lipped about — but there was a lot of thought put into building the world this game takes place in rather than simply constructing simple mechanics that are fun to use in a game space.
When I met with Steel Wool, they were already discussing ways it could be expanded even further in future content updates. Having to physically move around and manipulate the world around you changes the dynamic of a puzzle game. Clicking around a screen and moving objects in 3D space each provide very different, visceral, and engaging experiences.
The animated short, embedded at the top of this article, is a small taste at the personality of the world this team has built. Steel Wool is planning to release a demo on HTC Vive for Bounce tomorrow on November 15th, with a full release coming later this year. They’re already hard at work on two very large upcoming properties that promise to be much more robust and expansive.
When theorizing about the types of games I want to play in VR, the list is pretty predictable. Fantasy role-playing games with deep and immersive worlds, realistic military shooters, bow and arrow games, a Sword Art Online-style MMO, and many other concepts that appear on most people’s list of hypothetical games. Well, those plus a new Metroid VR game of course.
What my list doesn’t include is a puzzle game that involves getting a ball from point A to point B in a 360-roomscale environment using various tools and gadgets in conjunction with the effects of physics and gravity. Fortunately, Bounce, from Steel Wool, is a game designed to let me know I want what I didn’t know I wanted.
I visited Steel Wool a few weeks ago, the same company that just recently received a large $5 million investment from HTC, to demo their new game and get a quick tour of the office. The multi-level space employs a handful of creatives such as animators and designers, in addition to other members of the company, that are all working diligently on innovative new VR projects. The heart of the studio is fueled by a powerhouse group of individuals that came together through years of experience at Pixar. Steel Wool originally made a name for itself as one of the first companies on the West Coast to officially receive an HTC Vive development kit from Valve in the formative years of the industry.
Bounce is something a bit different. Whereas Quar was the traditional game put inside VR that you could invest dozens of hours into if you wanted, Bounce is a unique puzzle experience created from the ground up just for VR headsets. At its core the simplicity of getting a ball to a goal is mind-numbingly basic, but the small details and steady difficult curve are where the magic resides.
The first tutorial level is incredibly simple. A ball drops from the ceiling, the goal is a few feet in front of it. I can spawn ramps with one hand and place them, suspended in the air, wherever I want. Plop down a couple in front of the drop point, slanted towards the goal, and done. That was easy.
Each level progressively adds more and more so that you’re never able to relish in your glory for too long. In addition to basic ramps, I also earned access to curved tracks, bounce pads, gravitational pull devices, boost gates, and so much more.
Eventually, the developers have even thrown in rings you must get the ball through prior to reaching the goal, moving lasers that must be avoided, robotic adversaries that try to derail you, and even winding, curving, labyrinthine levels that require careful planning and cunning to solve. It’s one of the best examples of taking a simple concept and expanding on it until it’s a fully realized game that I’ve seen in quite some time.
While there is a light narrative, that’s far from the focus of the experience. I don’t know how the story ends — that was something that they made particular note to stay tight-lipped about — but there was a lot of thought put into building the world this game takes place in rather than simply constructing simple mechanics that are fun to use in a game space.
When I met with Steel Wool, they were already discussing ways it could be expanded even further in future content updates. Having to physically move around and manipulate the world around you changes the dynamic of a puzzle game. Clicking around a screen and moving objects in 3D space each provide very different, visceral, and engaging experiences.
The animated short, embedded at the top of this article, is a small taste at the personality of the world this team has built. Steel Wool is planning to release a demo on HTC Vive for Bounce tomorrow on November 15th, with a full release coming later this year. They’re already hard at work on two very large upcoming properties that promise to be much more robust and expansive.
Today it has been announced that Steel Wool Studios, previously known as Steel Wool Games, the developers of Quar: Battle For Gate 18, is now bringing a physics-based puzzler to both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.
By looking at the teaser trailer below you can already get the same feeling as when you watch the famous Pixar Lamp intros to its earlier movies, and it’s no wonder as the developers are former Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Telltale Games employees. Bounce is all about combining narrative elements of animation films with intricate gameplay mechanics of VR to create the ultimate puzzle adventure. Players are to help D1G-B, their robo friend, in bouncing, slinging, jumping, shooting, and rolling his way through a labyrinth of rooms on a spaceship to get to his final destination.
“Bounce started off as an early experiment to see how far we could push the limits of VR to challenge players,” said Jason Topolski, co-founder of Steel Wool Studios in a press release. “By introducing a narrative element, which is core to our game philosophy, we think we’ve added a cool new dimension to the physics game genre that will keep the players excited about what happens next.”
The studio went on to explain: “As the journey progresses, so does the insanity, with moving blockers, laser gates, gravity wells, and multi-floor rooms all working to impede your advance. D1G-B’s fate is in the hands of the players… will they be able to keep their promise of helping their robotic friend reach his new home?”
There is no confirmed date for its release but it is for both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
For more on the latest releases, as well as all the news, updates, and features in the world of VR, make sure to check back with VRFocus.
If there’s one thing that the era of motion controls has taught us–going back to the original Nintendo Wii–it’s that everyone likes simple games where you hit pretend things with your body. Or, at least, that’s what we’ve been lead to believe. There are a lot of similarities between the Wii and the PS VR in terms of technological power, which is, overall, a bit unfortunate.
As a result, some developers see the head tracking and motion controls of the PS VR as an opportunity to seemingly shovel old Wii concepts onto a new platform. This notion brings us to a crossroads with Headmaster waiting in the middle, a PS VR launch title that basically just consists of the player using their head to bounce a soccer ball (usually) into targets. Through Headmaster, I have learned two things. First, the head tracking on the PS VR is actually pretty good, taking fine movements into account. Second, I really suck at hitting balls with my head.
Headmaster has a great set-up though, despite the seemingly simplistic concept. You are an inmate forced to take part in a weird re-education program within the prison that, for whatever reason, requires you to go through dozens of scenarios where you stiffly move around like a bobbing toy to hit the ball at targets for points. All the while, there’s a strangely calming British bureaucrat-type narrator guiding you through, with a distinctly and delightfully sadistic bent.
Each level has three attainable stars, each dependent on the amount of points you score. One star will get you through the level, but unlocking more levels costs stars. So, doing as well as possible leads to faster ascension. It’s not a complicated system.
What is complicated–for me anyway–was hitting balls at the exactly precise angles the levels require. Hitting the ball straight on or to wide angles is simple enough, but you’ll need military posture and very precise understanding of the subtle differences slight angle changes make on the ball’s trajectory.
Headmaster tries to change things up with different configurations of targets and even balls (the giant beach ball is probably the best for someone with my lack of skill.) There’s plenty of ball handling to be had here (just not with your hands!, but really, this isn’t a game designed upon deep and meaningful gameplay. Headmaster is the quintessential demo game for a launch. Anyone can try it, it’s fun even if you completely suck, and it’s entertaining to watch others play it.
As a side benefit, proper play requires excellent posture, so there might be some weird health benefits here. Maybe. Headmaster has you sit upright, arrow straight, while moving your hips–not your head. So, you look a bit like those inflatable punching dolls that you can knock over, but they won’t fall down.
Final Score:6/10 – Decent
Except I can fall down, so maybe don’t take the analogy too far. Either way, it’s amusing to watch and play in short doses. Headmaster is fun enough for what it is and the extra effort on providing an amusingly dark and sadistic background is a bonus. Just the same, this isn’t a game that will linger in your memory past the initial glow of acquiring a new toy. It’s a solid choice for getting newcomers to put the headset on, but that’s about it.
Headmaster is now available for PS VR for $19.99. Read our Game Review Guidelines for more information on how we arrived at this score. Jason D’Aprile is a freelance writer with work appearing in prominent publications such as Gamespot, Playboy, and many others.
