Forgotten Spells

Cover Image (ai generated)
Game Description
Spells in Action

Inspiration

We drew inspiration from movies and books like Doctor Strange, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Harry Potter. Each of these worlds brings a unique approach to magical duels, elements, and spell-casting—something we aimed to bring to life in an immersive, multiplayer experience. We wanted to create a game where, when you’re hanging out at home with friends, you could transform your environment into a full-scale magical warzone. Now, any room can be the battleground for epic spell duels, blending virtual elements with the real world!

What It Does

Forgotten Spells is an MR co-location spell-casting game that allows players to engage in PvP duels in a mixed reality environment. Players physically draw spells in the air, which then summon magical projectiles or barriers that can be launched at opponents. The game encourages players to make creative use of their physical environment—hide behind real furniture or dodge around objects to evade incoming spells. Players can also cast defensive spells like shields to protect themselves in the heat of battle, transforming any space into a tactical battleground shared with friends and family.

How we built it

We built this project using Unity in combination with the Meta SDK, the Mixed Reality Utility Kit (MRUK), and Building Blocks for multiplayer and co-location functionality. For networking, we utilized nedcode and Building Blocks to establish seamless communication between players. To detect the symbols players draw in the air to cast their magic of choice, we implemented the $P Point-Cloud Recognizer. Initially, we scan the room using MRUK to identify objects within the environment, which are then transformed into barriers that can be used during gameplay.

Challenges we ran into

We encountered significant challenges while integrating multiplayer functionality using Meta’s Mixed Reality Utility Kit. One of the key hurdles was ensuring that all components of the game were compatible with multiplayer features. Achieving a stable host-client connection and synchronizing gameplay across multiple players proved to be a tough task.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Our proudest accomplishment was successfully implementing multiplayer and co-location functionality while staying true to our initial vision of blending mixed reality with multiplayer gameplay. The entire team committed to the goal and worked tirelessly through researching and troubleshooting to get the multiplayer system up and running. Despite the challenges, we are very proud of our dedication and commitment to getting this exciting feature to work.

What we learned

We learned how fun and engaging it can be to use multiplayer functionality, even though implementing it was a significant challenge. We gained experience in leveraging a variety of tools and features provided by Meta, along with machine learning algorithms like the $P Point-Cloud Recognizer. Integrating all these components together was a valuable learning experience in itself.

Additionally, we discovered the importance of task delegation, splitting responsibilities based on team members’ skill sets to make the most of our time. We also realized the critical importance of careful planning from the outset, ensuring we tracked our ideas and progress to avoid overlooking any crucial details later in the process.

What's next for Forgotten Spells

Looking ahead, we plan to expand Forgotten Spells by introducing a variety of new spells that will require more complex and creative spell-drawing techniques. We also aim to integrate the game with emerging AR glasses technologies, such as the Meta Orion or Snap Spectacles, which we were introduced to at the hackathon. This will allow players to easily transform their surroundings into a magical battlefield with minimal equipment and enhanced mobility.

Additionally, we have several exciting features we plan to implement: • Goal-Based System: We’re considering implementing a goal-based system similar to planting and defusing a spike in Valorant or CS:GO, which could add a competitive element and team objectives. • Multiplayer Expansion: We want to expand the game to support larger teams, potentially introducing 5v5, 10v10, or even an MMO-style experience. • Educational Aspect: We also see a potential for Forgotten Spells to be used as an educational tool, where players learning a new language can draw characters or words in that language to cast spells, making language learning an immersive, interactive experience.