Augpets
Augpets is a multiplayer Augmented Reality virtual pet game made in Unity in which players take care of and manage virtual pets that can be placed throughout scanned surfaces in a real-world area. The backend utilizes the Augmented Space Library (ASL) for multiplayer synchronization and functionality. The game was developed as the culmination of undergraduate research under Professor Kelvin Sung at University of Washington Bothell.
Project
The video demo below shows two users in the same multiplayer lobby but in different locations playing the game, with the user on the left scanning their own surroundings and sending those surfaces to the user on the right, which is visible and usable even though they are not in the same room.
Screenshots
Development
Original Idea Presentation
Abstract
The goal of our project was to understand the development process of Augmented Reality (AR) applications while supporting multiplayer collaboration using the Augmented Space Library (ASL). With this goal in mind, we created a multiplayer game that allows players to manage and take care of miniature, virtual pets that are placed and moved throughout the world. Pets have their own behavior and attributes that pertain to how they move and interact throughout the world. To sync the AR world, players select surfaces scanned by the device’s camera to send to other players as platforms, where pets can be placed, allowing collaboration between players (Android or PC) while not in the same room. Future improvements that can be made to our game would be: allowing more interaction between players and pets, such as feeding them or placing toys they can interact with, and allowing players to purchase or find new pets or toys using an in-game currency. As a result of this development process, we learned how to utilize existing AR libraries and tools, as well as the difficulties of developing and debugging mobile, AR, and networked applications.
Inspiration
Minecraft Earth
Gameplay and Technical Concept Inspiration
