What Do They See?
A short first-person VR experience built as part of the FIEA graduate application. Players put on a pair of glasses and swap between three colored lenses - each one revealing a different layer of a hidden world that exists within the same scene. The core mechanic uses custom shaders to selectively show and hide objects depending on which lens is active, creating a puzzle experience built around perception and discovery.
Trailer & Screenshots
Custom Shader System & Visual Mechanics
The core of the experience is a custom shader system that controls object visibility based on the player's active lens. All objects in the scene exist simultaneously - the shader filters what renders depending on which lens is equipped, so switching lenses reveals an entirely different layer of the environment without loading a new scene or swapping geometry. I built each lens as a distinct material pass that selectively renders tagged objects, allowing the red, green, and purple layers to coexist in the same world space and transition instantly when the player changes lenses.
VR Interactions & Meta Framework Integration
Player interactions were built on top of Meta's Interaction SDK, which provided the hand-tracking and grab foundation for in-world object manipulation. I used the framework to implement the lens-swapping mechanic as a physical action - the player reaches up, grabs the lens on the glasses they are wearing, and replaces it - as well as the book pickup that triggers a hidden wall reveal and the safe interaction that requires the player to enter the code they observed through the red lens. Teleportation locomotion was also implemented within the framework to move the player between the key areas of the level without breaking immersion or introducing motion sickness.
Level Design & Scripted Sequence
I designed the full level layout and authored the progression sequence that guides the player through the experience without explicit instruction. The red lens introduces the mechanic by revealing a code written in the environment that is invisible without it. Swapping to green surfaces a book that, when picked up, moves a hidden wall and exposes a safe behind it. The player then returns to red to use the memorized code on the now- visible safe. The final sequence equips the purple lens - the player turns around and is met with a scripted jumpscare using environmental triggers and audio to close the experience. Each beat was designed to teach the lens mechanic naturally through use rather than tutorial text.