Last summer, the indie developer behind hoVRboard, Tomy Horst, revealed his next project. Called VRosty, it’s all about controlling and saving a snowman in a world that’s warming up. Originally earmarked for a 2023 launch, VRosty will now hit Meta Quest and PCVR headsets later this month.
As mentioned you’re a snowman but more specifically a snowman puppet. With a series of intricate platforming levels to complete, you have to grab VRosty and navigate this cool character to the goal. There’s a dual control system in play here because while you puppet the snowman with one hand, you’ll need to control your own virtual form with the other.
It’s also worth noting that VRosty obeys the laws of gravity and can’t jump too high. So you need to be skillful in guiding him safely over the platforms. You’ll also need to be on the lookout for collectable snowflakes, with over 100 scattered through the levels.
A VRosty reception
There’s a basic narrative with Horst saying: “VRosty’s journey is a journey through time. It leads him through the history of mankind’s development to our modern world. This story is told without many words, just through the changing environment. Will VRosty reach the end of the Anthropocene?”
While platforming is the main component of VRosty, that’s not all the game has to offer. With 30 stages to complete some will offer up combat challenges as well. VRosty might be a snowman but he isn’t defenceless, he can throw snowballs.
“You can make him throw snowballs with the trigger button and aim by tilting your hand. Together with the controls, it’s a strange mixture of 1st person shooter and 3rd person platformer,” Horst explains.
VRosty will be available for Meta Quest via App Lab and on Steam for PCVR headsets from 11th January 2024.