A non-euclidean virtual reality maze where sound and portals guide players, created to explore new methods of spatial navigation, non-linear gameplay, and immersive VR mechanics.
Phaze explores what happens when the rules of space aren’t fixed. Each maze is uniquely generated, and the space shifts in ways that break familiar patterns. Portals move you between areas that don’t quite connect, and audio cues help guide you through paths that aren’t always linear. It’s an exploration of spatial perception and how people find their way when the usual rules don’t apply.
The idea for Phaze came from wanting to create something special and memorable for The Clarice’s annual NextNOW Fest, an arts experience at the University of Maryland that celebrates imagination, creativity and community. I didn’t want it to be just another VR game—I wanted people to step into a world where space and reality felt ever-changing and unexpected.
The portals needed to do more than just transport players—they had to feel like an integral part of the maze. I placed them in spots where players would question their surroundings and rethink their sense of direction, exploring how space and perspective shift in virtual environments.
With sight unreliable in a maze designed to disorient, sound became the most logical guide. I developed a system where sound cues would dynamically respond to player movement, guiding them toward the exit. The key challenge was making the sound subtle enough to feel natural, yet strong enough to pull players in the right direction without explicit instructions. Each adjustment to the audio cues was a test in balancing subtlety with clarity, ensuring the experience felt intuitive.
I kicked things off with two rounds of pilot testing to catch any major bugs or confusing mechanics. Pretty quickly, I noticed people were walking straight through walls or getting stuck inside parts of the maze—which turned out to be a timing issue with the box colliders not loading as fast as the rest of the environment. Some testers didn’t even realize the portals were interactive—they just walked past them. One person said, “I thought it was just a weird mirror or something.” Based on that feedback, I fixed the collider timing, added subtle visual cues to the portals, and reworked the audio system to better respond to player movement.
I tested the prototype with 20 participants. About 60% reached the end, and the rest struggled with unclear audio cues or unexpected portal behavior. Their feedback helped me strengthen the spatial audio and refine how portals functioned so the maze stayed surreal but more navigable