Welcome to a new collection of HTC Vive releases! This week includes quite a few free or free to play experiences with Wrecked looking to be the most impressive of the bunch. You’ll turn your couch or chair into a hovercraft and explore a vibrant and lush environment. Virtual Idea Area is a release this week that can help with your productivity. It’s essentially a virtual mind map with a ton of space to write out your ideas on cards, boards, and notes. Lastly, we have Containment Initiative which is a very capable zombie shooter. The game features realistic gun mechanics and reloading making you feel like a badass as you take on the infected horde in three different modes.
In the meantime, if you missed last week, you can see those new releases here. And don’t forget that UploadVR has a Steam community group, complete with a curated list of recommendations so that you don’t have to waste any money finding out what’s good in the world of VR.
We also have a top list of the absolute best HTC Vive games — which is updated every few months with the latest and greatest options.
New HTC Vive Releases on Steam
Virtual Idea Area, from Racaedym Software
Price: $9.99 (Currently Discounted)
Virtual Idea Area is essentially a VR mind map where you can manipulate multiple boards, cards, and notes. The app features different color pens to coordinate with, undo for over 250 steps, importing images, and more.
Recommendation: Very robust mind mapping program. If it’s something that enhances your workflow, see if it translates to VR for you.
Containment Initiative, from Gwyn Games
Price: $9.99
Containment Initiative is a shooter with realistic mechanics and reloading where you’re taking down an infected horde solo or with a friend. As you do more work you’ll gain money which can be used to upgrade your arsenal. The game includes three modes: Scavenge, Defend, and Survive.
Recommendation: This is a very solid shooter that should be a part of your library.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_Z9hTsNf4U
Wrecked: Get Your Ship Together, from Business Mouse Studios
Price: Free
Fax machines, spaceships, and hamster-powered engines. Wrecked brings whimsical wonder in this VR exploration game where you’ll turn your seating surface into a hovercraft for you to explore a vibrant world.
Recommendation: A beautiful and entertaining free experience. Grab it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvBIybWda-s
Hello inc VR, from VRAD, Inc
Price: $12.74 (Currently Discounted)
In Hello inc you’ll shoot and throw items such as shuriken as you defend your hub. Over time, you’ll have to take down massive kaiju before they tear down your HQ.
Recommendation: Keep an eye on it for Early Access updates, but pass on it for now.
The Ruins: VR Escape the Room, from Blue Entropy Studios LLC
Price: $4.97 (Currently Discounted)
As an archaeologist following in the footsteps of his grandfather, you’ll work through The Ruins to find a way out of an arcane excavation site. Search for artifacts and solve ancient puzzles in this escape the room experience.
Recommendation: Short and sweet escape experience. Add it to your collection if you love these sort of games, pass if you’re meh about them.
The Professor Presents: #GotHandles, from The Secret Location
Price: Free
#GotHandles is a Mountain Dew branded experience that challenges you to emulate the Professor’s handling skills.
Recommendation: Try it because it is free but, otherwise, dribble right over this one.
Virtually Impossible, from Growl Interactive
Price: $19.99
Virtually Impossible is a collection of mini-games for friends to challenge each other in, often ending with hilarious results. You’ll race your kart to achieve the furthest distance with challenges interspersed to test your abilities.
Recommendation: This is pretty pricey for a handful of mini-games. Pass for now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUb1sNK-EnU
Solaright, from Zabuza Labs
Price: $8.49 (Currently Discounted)
Solaright is a puzzler that takes advantage of the spatial awareness of VR by getting you to complete the circuit for the cube. You’ll have to rotate the cube while moving slides to get electricity to the Light Tree over 30 levels.
Recommendation: If you’re a puzzle enthusiast, this is a must.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs6ofcO7FRo
Amigo VR, from Amigo VR Studio
Price: Free To Play
Amigo is a seated experience that thrusts you into poker simulation set inside a luxurious venue. Test your skills with Texas Hold’em.
Recommendation: Free, but the production quality is lacking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1A8TpYX96s
Valkyrie Blade VR, from Bluehole, Inc.
Price: Free To Play
How are your reflexes? Valkyrie Blade is an intense first-person sword melee game that gets you moving your full body as you defend and attack swift enemies.
Recommendation: It’s a fun way to burn some calories but the movement is a bit glitchy.
TheWaveVR, from TheWaveVR
Price: Free To Play
We recently covered a couple announcements for TheWaveVR, a social experience with musical origins. Essentially look at this game as your psychedelic virtual music festival.
Recommendation: Definitely check this one out and see if it replaces any of your other social apps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7hA_o4Eoa8
Minotaur’s Maze, from Sisyphus Games
Price: $9.99
Minotaur’s Maze is your own tactical virtual tabletop dungeon crawler where you guide your character in an overhead view or up close and personal. The game includes random dungeon layouts and gear drops to keep things fresh.
Recommendation: There are some unique control issues to overcome, but a solid grab for dungeon delvers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GmsBVQnmyQ
PingBall VR, from Immersive Artz
Price: $9.99
Crossing over racquetball and breakout, PingBall is a casual arcade-style game that tests your reflexes. Clear the levels by taking out the bricks with the assist of a few powerups.
Recommendation: Fairly simple for the price. Better options can be found at a similar cost, though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94XKes9fREU
Escape: VR, from JapanCo
Price: $2.00 (Currently Discounted)
Escape drops you into a western themed environment with random encounters and various endings depending on the path you choose to escape.
Recommendation: Skip it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39nWFazYtOY
994 W 24th, from Fat Finger Foundry
Price: $4.99
994 W 24th gives you a whacky cartoon playground with online and offline elements. It’s a sandbox collection of mini-games with classic arcade games, riddles, and more to engage in.
Recommendation: Keep an eye on this one as it evolves during Early Access. Could be a great experience down the line.
AVOlight.Space, from AVOlight
Price: $19.99
AVOlight.Space is a multi-screen media player for multiple flat images and video to be on display at once.
Recommendation: Pass for now but circle back to see what new features are added during Early Access.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goYhwTe9n6Q
Desert Battle, from Megatron Technology
Price: $5.99
In Desert Battle, you’re dropped into a hot endless desert with a collection of duel-wield weapons to take down an incoming army of soldiers and robots.
Recommendation: Skip this one, it’s a bit bland and uninspired.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBuX_NMNZyc
The Hunted, from Sekai VR Ltd.
Price: $29.99 (Currently Discounted)
The Hunted is an intense arcade shooter that blends elements of popular action films The Fugitive and Rambo as well as the X-Files TV show. The game has a story that unfolds on-rails and you’ll be ducking and dodging as you shoot your enemies.
Recommendation: Production quality is bottom tier. Definitely skip this at the price point.
The Melody of Dust, from Viacom NEXT
Price: $2.99 (Currently Discounted)
The Melody of Dust is a virtual representation of the fever dreams of musician Hot Sugar. In this mysterious space, you have 80 different melodies to discover with an ethereal ambiance.
Recommendation: It’s a trippy and experimental adventure that’s worth the price of admission. Grab it.
Bottle Flip Challenge VR, from Justin Jimmo
Price: $3.49 (Currently Discounted)
This strange pop culture event had to come to a virtual space. Bottle Flip Challenge lets you test your dexterity in a collection of environments including the moon and a playground. You can manipulate the gravity settings as well.
Recommendation: It’s a cheap way to mess around with VR interaction. Give it a go.
New HTC Vive Releases on Viveport
No new releases on Viveport this week as of the time of writing.
