The start of 2020 has been a little slow when it comes to new virtual reality (VR) titles but things are starting to pick up. Cortopia Studios, the team behind magical combat game Wands is preparing to launch its next project, a puzzle adventure called Down the Rabbit Hole. A launch date has now been slated for March.
Originally revealed during Gamescom 2019, Down the Rabbit Hole’s storyline is a prequel to Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland tale where players step into this fantastical world before Alice ever does.
In Down the Rabbit Hole an unnamed girl searches for her lost pet, stumbling into Wonderland in the process. The world wraps around the player as an immersive diorama which can be grabbed and spun as more locations are unlocked. Certain puzzles transport players inside scenes, offering new viewpoints and challenges.
“We’re excited to share that Down the Rabbit Hole, our long-anticipated, new VR game, will be available to play starting March 26,” says Ola Björling, chief strategist at Beyond Frames Entertainment, publisher of Down the Rabbit Hole in a statement. “For those who are curious, our team at Cortopia have been taking all the impossible things — from playtests to design updates to mad tea parties to bring this new adventure to life.”
Björling added, “We are all very excited for players to experience our interpretation of the magical and mythical world that Carroll created and look forward to delighting players with many surprise encounters, challenging puzzles and hidden secrets as they explore our miniature Wonderland diorama. It’s truly a Wonderland experience, and we cannot wait to share our creation with gamers and see their reactions when the game launches in March.”
VRFocus originally previewed Down the Rabbit Hole at Gamescom 2019, finding: “From what was shown Down the Rabbit Hole is going to be a delightful little puzzle adventure. The gameplay uses the characteristics of VR in all the right ways, from all-encompassing scenes to deliver the story to lots of interactive elements that can be grabbed and pulled.”
Cortopia Studios will launch Down the Rabbit Hole across multiple platforms including PlayStation VR, Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift and Steam VR on 26th March 2020.