Reiko's Fragments: Creepy VR Game with Social Fright Mechanic
A new VR game included in this year's Halloween Early Access lets you send scary messages from a simple webpage to a headset-wearing friend.
Reiko's Fragments by Pixel Canvas Studios looks like fun for the whole family, except maybe the person who is in VR.
The game sees one person explore a haunted house in VR, while friends, family or broadcast viewers can use any web device to place traps and send scares to the VR player as they walk around and solve puzzles.
If you've ever played any of the Jackbox games, you'll be familiar with how you use your phone or computer to participate - logging in and joining a game works in a very similar way.
Don't let the Jackbox comparison fool you. The only similarity between the two is how they use a web interface that allows others to participate. Reiko Fragments is a really scary horror game.
The VR player is placed in a haunted house with two floors that they will explore while being haunted by a ghost. He can throw objects to distract the ghost, but the main goal is to escape after finding a creepy doll hidden somewhere in the house. What's the catch? There are several fake trap dolls placed around the house by non-VR users before the game starts.
But that is not all! There is more creepy stuff - when the VR player explores the house, viewers can send different types of jump fears to scare the VR player. You can choose between flickering light, slamming a door, or sending out a gust of wind. However, you may not send them as often. But, the longer you watch, the less time you have to wait between sending terrible messages.
We tried the beta version, and you can really kick your ass while exploring the house when doors slam loudly and a gust of wind suddenly appears. The version we tried currently only has one card - Reiko's house - and one hard to find one. The main menu shows the second map, and more difficulties will be available later. The game will launch in Early Access later this month on October 28th, with support for Steam-listed devices such as the Vive, Index and Rift, as well as the Oculus Store and Viveport.
If you'd like to try out the horror ahead of time, Pixel Canvas Studios is also selling a beta version on their site right now. A tweet from the developer states that you can also use the code "SPOOKTOBER" for a 33% discount through the website before Halloween. The web interface for non-VR players is available online for free.