Posted May 12, 2025 by dd_group_5
EXPO Decision Board
4. Must have | A desk drawer that can open, so the player can pick up a newspaper. A bulletin board with research stuff with a photograph of Vilhelm that be grabbed. A book in a bookshelf to be found a picked up. An easel with the painting of Ida Hammershøi + different versions of the painting |
3. Should have | More books to be placed around in the office More office furniture |
2. Could have | Book hand grab pose Caracter body Typewriter |
1. Would like but won’t get | A second world (the Hammershøi apartment) |
Playable prototype
This part took way more than 6 hours.
Our VR-prototype was made in Unity. Four team members had to have access to the project in Unity to collaboratively code and create the game. We created 3D models in Blender to use as game object. We have added meshes, scripts and physics-components to make the game objects interactable. These requirements were critical to make even a simple interaction work and seem realistic. It took about 10 hours just to create a desk with a drawer that can open and store objects.
Games through Culture Promovideo
Inspiration
Pitching Games through Culture
What happens when someone disappears - not from life, but from history?
In Search of Ida is a short VR experience where you play as an archivist writing the final chapter of a book about Ida Hammershøi - the overlooked wife and muse of Danish painter Vilhelm Hammershøi. Something begins to shift as you explore her story through letters, photos, and books in your quiet archive office. The room darkens. Ida fades from paintings. The past resists your attempt to find her.
Blending cultural heritage with psychological horror, In Search of Ida explores the EU value of human dignity by asking: Who gets remembered, and who disappears into the margins? The game reclaims a forgotten voice in art history and invites players to reflect on the power structures behind cultural memory.
Created during the Cultural Game Jam, this VR prototype is the first step in building an immersive, narrative-driven experience that gives space - and dignity - to those left out of the story.
Expo plaque
Our plaque will be displayed on a real typewriter (see illustration below). We created two posters (see home page) to highlight the painting we chose from ARoS and to provide visuals from the final game prototype.
Evaluation of the game
Questions
Summary of evaluation responses
Player feedback highlighted a strong sense of atmosphere, with many describing the game as mysterious, immersive, and emotionally engaging – evoking curiosity, tension, and a subtle sense of unease. Most found the gameplay intuitive thanks to audio and visual
cues, though some noted difficulty with reading text, adjusting to VR controls, and absorbing multiple forms of information at once. What stood out most was the rich, detailed environment and the satisfying, escape room-like interactivity. Players especially appreciated how the experience blended narrative discovery with cultural reflection. Based on feedback, improvements such as clearer text, a short tutorial, and better pacing of information could enhance accessibility and flow.