BARC: Supermarket Universe

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  In Engine, Base Level

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Inspiration, What it Does, How we Built it, Accomplishments

BARC started as a research project for the University of Singapore, our goal was to take ordinary actions and make them entertaining in real life or VR. In many VR games, memorable moments come from everyday motions like grabbing, sorting, and moving objects. We wanted to take one of those actions, scanning barcodes, and push it as far as we could go. The idea was to take something as mundane as barcode scanning and turn it into a chaotic, fast paced mechanic that feels completely alive inside VR.

The prototype was a physical barcode scanner, a receipt printer, a virtual conveyor belt with enemies. The early stages showed us promise, the pace and rhythm felt satisfying. Once we added monster reactions, item effects, and wacky hazards, the idea clicked. BARC became a game about turning a normal task into something that can save a universe.

We were featured in a museum exhibition, earlier this year at MBS in Singapore. It was great to see real life reactions to our little game. More importantly we were able to do our first playtest on quest which seemed like an impossible task at first

What we learned and Whats Next for BARC

We learned the importance of immersion and instant feedback in VR. Everything needs clear reactions, and details like scan timing, sound cues, and readability make or break the immersion. We also learned that players enjoy experimenting far more than following instructions. Next, we're expanding BARC with new conveyor worlds, themed items, monster logic, and more challenges. Before we get to launch.

Built With

• unity