Bootstrap Island is a promising looking survival experience, currently in development for VR headsets. The game, billed as ‘an intense VR roguelike survival game’ is coming to PC VR. No other formats, including PSVR2 or Meta Quest 2, have yet been announced.
Bootstrap Island is a Robinson Crusoe-style roguelike survival game set in the 17th century. Players will find themselves shipwrecked on a mysterious tropical island. They must quickly learn to adapt and survive. Explore for food, drink and weapons. Make a fire for heat. All the while, risking encounters with ferocious beasts and tribal natives.
“We are designing this game specifically for virtual reality, and focusing on creating immersive gameplay with a compelling narrative. Thanks to VR technology, players can experience the island we have created so believably, that they will feel like they have washed up on the shore of a classic adventure storybook,” explained the game’s Creative Director Rein Zobel.
Bootstrap Island Not Bootstrapping Development
Bootstrap Island is being developed by virtual reality studio Maru VR Productions. The studio boasts that it is the first Estonian company to receive support from the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme for game development. The maximum support of 150,000 euros was allocated for the development of the game.
The program has been open to Estonia for over 20 years. However, Maru VR is the first Estonian company to have successfully secured this grant.
“We are very proud that we managed to get this support for the development of a virtual reality game, because VR is still in the early growth stages of the gaming industry. Considering the intense competition in the Creative Europe program, this is a big win for the Estonian VR community and also for the game development sector,” said Maru VR’s CEO Lilit Palmar.
Maru VR Productions has created more than 35 different VR experiences and games since 2016. Recent projects include Kalevipoeg’s Journey to Hell, Fly around the TV Tower and Musical Journey.