In this immersive multiplayer XR adventure you navigate, strategize, and communicate to defeat enemies and reach the gate to the overworld. Experience intense teamwork and captivating challenges on the river Styx.
Can you escape the underworld?
River tale
About the game
Project information
Team size
22 people
Duration
8 weeks, production to release
Release
Jun 2024
Platform
XR-Stage
Engine
Unreal engine 5.1
Specialties
Custom controllers
Responsibilities
Team Organization and Scrum Processes
Leading 22 members, I facilitated sprint planning, reviewed build progress bi-weekly, and adjusted goals to maintain high productivity. As the only producer on this team I relied heavily on collaboration between design, art and programming leads and me. Using Scrum and Jira, I tracked tasks, resolved blockers, and ensured smooth QA and task prioritization, enabling adaptability and consistent progress.
Mitigating Risks in a Custom Tech Project
In an 8-week project to develop custom controllers for a game, I acted as an advisor, focusing on sourcing parts, assessing feasibility, and enhancing user experience. Despite no prior experience with this kind of technology, we navigated risks by iterating on designs and staying adaptable.
Maintaining Team Motivation
I boosted morale by incorporating a stretch goal—adding a boss enemy—after evaluating its feasibility. The implementation was a risk but the team was a big fan of the character so we made sure we had time to implement her.
I also oversaw marketing material outsourcing, including promotional stickers, which helped maintain project focus and excitement.
Special Project - special tasks
As we were getting further in the project tasks that really didn't fall into anyone specialty popped up. In these weeks I found myself picking up a lot of these so every specialist in the team could continue with their work.
Burndown chart of sprint 3/4.
Documentation and Oversight
I maintained comprehensive documentation, including playtest reports, updates, risk logs, scope breakdowns, and budget tracking. This ensured transparency and streamlined communication, keeping the project organized and on track.
Example steering wheel functionality.
These were tasks like:
Spending two days painting 20, 1 x 1,50 boards of Styrofoam to look like wood for the exterior of the ship where the cannons and steering wheel were placed.
Taking the bike to all decoration and 1€ shops in town to buy fairy lights, fake candles and any knickknacks we could use to make our ship experience more polished.
Or building canons out of scrap wood that we got for free on marketplace.
Burndown chart of sprint 3/4.
Scoring: Top screen shows the main screen, bottom left is the screen on the ceiling, blue field does not get shown.
Sinking screen: show player stats, does not give a medal and restarts the game.
UI - Scoring system
I added a simple scoring system to the project. When a player wins or sinks it will show them how many enemies they killed, how many canons they shot and how long it took them to finalize their escape.
It then creates a score, comparing the shots and hits taken to the time and enemies killed to give the players a medal, ranging from bronze to platinum.
Stakeholder communication
I managed communication between the team and XR stage owners, who’s technology we were using, ensuring technology was used effectively and testing schedules aligned with shared access. Regular feedback ensured alignment with stakeholder expectations.
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