This list was originally meant to simply encompass some of the most emotional VR experiences we’d had to date. We came up with a list of affectionate, memorable pieces that left us with more to think about than many of today’s VR games.
Once the list was assembled, though, we noticed something interesting; parenthood was a key theme in each of these experiences.
Perhaps that’s because VR, even in its primitive current state, is a chance to virtually reconnect with those we’ve lost, or tell them stories and help them relate in ways that gaming couldn’t have done before. We haven’t seen a VR masterpiece yet, but through their sobering focus on fears and occasional celebrations of the bond between child and parent, these are some of the most memorable experiences around.
Dear Angelica, from Oculus Story Studios
Oculus Story Studios’ latest app is its most memorable and potent yet, lovingly crafted in the virtual realm with all the same beauty you can achieve in the physical one. Created using the company’s now-released Quill app, it tells the story of a young girl remembering her mother, evoking a broad palette of emotions from within you as it unfolds. Dear Angelica is the right mix of whimsical imagery and heart-breaking tragedy that makes it unmissable for Rift owners.
Allumette, from Penrose Studios
Another visually striking piece that focuses on a parental relationship, Penrose Studios’ Allumette uses its airy setting of floating islands and flying ships to create a breathless tale that at times feels light and fluffy but also deals with some tough themes. Loss and sacrifice should never be taken lightly, but the fact that Allumette’s take on both hits so hard with so little running time is significant.
That Dragon, Cancer: I’m Sorry Guys, It’s Not Good, from Numinous Games
I’m sure you recognize That Dragon, Cancer. The 2016 PC game told developers Ryan and Amy Green’s unflinching story of their son’s battle with terminal cancer with astonishing bravery and commitment. It wasn’t made for VR, but the pair later brought one of its most biting and memorable scenes to Gear VR last year. I’m Sorry Guys is a candid, frank few minutes showing many parent’s worst nightmare, and bringing it to VR only adds to the dreaded weight that sinks in as the scene unfolds.
Ctrl, from Breaking Fourth
Ctrl was one of the first VR experiences to address some truly dark themes, and showed a genuine desire to push the boundaries of subject matter for the medium. It follows a young boy, imprisoned in an impossible situation, trying to do what he believes is best for his mother using the one skill he can depend on: gaming. We watch from inside an online championship while the real world he can’t control falls apart around him. Ctrl is a hard watch that leaves an impression that few other VR experiences can claim to make.
Pearl, from Google Spotlight Stories
Google’s best Spotlight Story has all the charm and love of an animated Pixar short packed into a VR headset. We watch, through both tears and laughter, a father raise his daughter as if we were passengers just passing by. Fitting, then, that the entire experience unfolds inside the pair’s beaten but beloved car, which anchors their relationship just as much as their love of music. Pearl has moments both young and old will relate to, which is probably why it is VR’s first Oscar-nominated short.
Assent, from Oscar Raby
You might know Oscar Raby for his work on the BBC’s Easter Rising VR documentary, but his first VR piece is a powerful visualisation of a harrowing scene that came to define his father, a member of the Chilean military regime. Assent, to Raby, is an opportunity; a chance to capture the moments of peace his father could have taken in moments before he witnessed nightmarish horrors. Its balance of bliss and shock is a rare concoction for today’s current VR climate.
Tagged with: Allumette, Assent, Ctrl, Dear Angelica, Pearl, That Dragon Cancer
I had a chance to talk about storytelling in VR with three of the co-founders of 
They all emphasized to me that it’s still very early days of figuring out the unique affordances of virtual reality as a storytelling medium, and that Oculus Story Studio is still doing quite a bit of experimentation. They were in agreement in believing that it’s likely going to take a long time to figure out what narrative in VR looks like, and that it could be another generation before VR finds its true form.
While I agree that VR storytelling is still very much within a Wild West phase of development, at the same time I do believe that there have been a lot of solid lessons learned about VR as a storytelling medium that I’ve covered on the Voices of VR Podcast. At the bottom of this post is a Top 50 List of Voices of VR interviews about storytelling in VR where the list is broken up into the following seven categories: the language of VR storytelling, interactive storytelling, multiple perspectives and empathy in storytelling, social storytelling, world building & environmental storytelling, plausibility & presence in narrative, and audio.