Independent creative studio Tender Claws today released The Under Presents on Oculus Quest.
The new mind-bending game is available now for around $20 while the studio also works on a Rift version of the project. The Under Presents centers on an interactive theater called The Under and it is built around both live actors from a New York-based group called Piehole and scripted performance “that centers on themes of time, fate, and free will.” The studio previously made the incredible surrealist project Virtual Virtual Reality and we’ve been highly anticipating this follow up.
The Under is “where ever-changing stageshows are presided over by an enigmatic MC,” according to a press release. “The main show is The Aickman, a longform narrative where players explore the mystery of an ill-fated research ship. To uncover The Aickman’s secrets, players may manipulate time to restore scenes from the dramatic final days of its journey, and attempt to change the fates of its crew members. While the story of The Aickman unfolds over multiple acts, players can travel back to The Under at any time to watch a variety of other stage shows, or experience chance encounters with other players and even live actors.”
Other performances listed for The Under Presents include:
- Erin Markey sings “Wet Food”
- Sweaty Eddie does his laundry
- Shasta Geaux Pop thrusts exponentially
- Ronald Peet navigates the fog
- Deepali Gupta conducts murmurations
- Everyone’s favorite animatronics: The Lame Drivers
- Sean Spada takes it slow
- Apple Pie Bundy has some special friends he’d like you to meet
We’ll have some hands-on thoughts about the project soon but suffice it to say this is a completely unique project and one of the most unusual and intriguing pieces of software you’re likely to find on Facebook’s Oculus Quest.
“The Quest’s untethered freedom and remote accessibility enabled our actors to perform freely and made distributing this project possible,” said Samantha Gorman, Tender Claws co-founder, in a prepared statement. “We’re thrilled to have collaborated with Piehole to create this innovation into both theater and VR that blurs the lines between live performer or a pre-recorded NPC.”
