Select and hold
Players target a chess piece or environmental object with a tracked controller and maintain control while repositioning it.
Prototype snapshot · Independent project
VR Chess
A multiplayer virtual-reality experiment that turns a familiar board game into a spatial interaction challenge inside a stylized 3D environment.
Overview
Learning interaction through a familiar game
VR Chess was my first virtual-reality project. I used chess as a recognizable foundation so I could focus the prototype on the unfamiliar engineering problems: how players move through the space, reach for objects, and manipulate pieces with tracked controls.
The multiplayer format also reframed a traditional two-player game as a shared virtual place. The goal was not to reinvent chess, but to explore how physical presence and hand-driven interaction change the experience of playing it.
Interaction systems
Making the board usable in VR
The prototype combines direct object handling with two forms of movement so players can comfortably position themselves around the board.
Drop and interact
Objects can be released back into the scene, supporting the tactile pick-up-and-place behavior expected from tabletop play.
Move through the space
Joystick locomotion and teleport movement provide different ways to change position within the virtual environment.
Takeaway
Designing for hands and space
VR Chess introduced me to development concerns that are less prominent in traditional desktop games: interaction reach, controller mapping, object readability, player orientation, and locomotion comfort.
- Physical affordancesInteractable pieces need clear targeting, reliable selection, and predictable release behavior.
- Spatial readabilityThe board, pieces, and hands must remain legible from a moving first-person viewpoint.
- Comfort optionsSupporting both continuous and teleport movement acknowledges different VR navigation preferences.