Parallax Atelier

Inspiration

Parallax Atelier explores a spatial question: what if a puzzle's answer depends on the distance between its pieces, not just their shape? The result is a compact, seated game about aligning colored contours on three translucent panes and watching their outlines converge.

What it does

Use a hand-ray pinch to turn the near, middle, and far panes. Crown teaches rotation. Swift and Spiral add a light control: shifting the light changes each pane's backboard offset by a different amount because the panes sit at different depths. Align the outlines and choose the intended light position to reveal each contour, then advance or replay. Reset restores the current puzzle. The controls also accept mouse clicks or keyboard input for desktop play: 1/2/3 turn the panes, R resets, and Space selects Light/Next/Replay. A short How to play guide explains hand-ray pinch, and unsupported browsers retain desktop play with clear VR availability feedback.

How we built it

We used Meta's Immersive Web SDK for the WebXR scene. TypeScript defines three puzzles, their starting and solution states, and a depth-dependent shadow-offset function. Procedural geometry draws the panes, contours, backboard, and completion cue. IWSDK RayInteractable targets drive the large controls. The shadow shift is computed from pane depth and light position; it is not a claim of physically simulated lighting.

Challenges and what we learned

The layers nearly share a view, so each pane needs a clear, reachable control while the light must change the solution rather than merely decorate the scene. We separated the controls, used distinct colors and depths, and made the wrong light hold the later puzzles unsolved. In IWSDK's Quest 3 emulator (IWER), hand-ray pinches solved Crown, Swift, and Spiral in sequence, including light changes, then selected Replay. We also exercised Reset. The public HTTPS build loaded and its Near and Reset controls responded to desktop clicks. These are simulator and browser results; we have not tested physical Quest comfort, frame rate, hand occlusion, or direct fingertip poke.

What's next

The tentative target launch date is March 31, 2027, subject to physical Quest testing and further iteration. Repeat the full hands-first route on a physical Quest when one is available, then measure readability, comfort, reach, and performance and fix what that testing reveals. The free playable WebXR build will remain accessible for competition judging.