Draft:Richie's Plank Experience (video game)

Richie's Plank Experience is a virtual reality (VR) simulation game developed and published by the Australian game studio Toast Interactive. Released in September, 2016, the game has gained popularity for its immersive, fear-inducing gameplay that allows players to experience walking on a virtual plank extended from a skyscraper. It is available on VR platforms, including Meta Quest, Steam VR, Viveport, PlayStation VR, Pico and Oculus Rift.

Gameplay

The main feature of Richie’s Plank Experience places players on an 80-story-high wooden plank extending from a building, simulating a nerve-wracking balance challenge that tests players' comfort with heights. The game uses realistic VR environments to create the psychological sensation of vertigo, which often results in intense fear responses among players.

One of the unique elements of the title is its ability to measure and integrate a real plank for enhanced immersion.

In addition to the iconic plank walk, the game includes multiple modes:

• Hero Academy: In this mode, players can fly around a city environment, performing heroic tasks such as extinguishing fires and intercepting missiles.
• Sky Brush: This creative mode allows players to use VR controls to "paint" the sky using rocket-powered hands.
• Nightmare Mode: A scarier version of the plank experience that incorporates elements designed to heighten fear, such as spiders or other creepy effects.
• Santa Simulator: A fun holiday themed version of the game where the player throws presents into chimneys around the city at night to earn points (note this feature of the game is sold separately on Steam VR)

Development and Release

Toast Interactive, a VR-focused game studio based on the Gold Coast, Australia, developed Richie's Plank Experience with the intention of creating an accessible VR experience that would showcase VR’s immersive potential. It was designed with simplicity in mind, allowing even VR newcomers to experience a dramatic environment with minimal controls or instructions. The game has since become a staple demo for VR setups due to its intuitive and impactful design.

In November 2023, Toast Interactive released a major update for the game, introducing the "Canyon's Edge" downloadable content (DLC). This new expansion transports the plank experience to a natural environment set on a rocky gorge, drawing inspiration from landscapes in Australia and the United States. Additionally, the update introduced mixed reality mode capabilities, enabling players to bring a virtual elevator directly into their physical surroundings for an enhanced immersive experience.

Reception

Richie's Plank Experience has been well received by both players and critics, particularly for its effectiveness in simulating vertigo and height-induced fear. Due to its simplicity and strong impact, it has become a popular choice for VR demonstrations to new users, VR expos, and among personal VR users across many different headsets. Critics have highlighted its accessibility and ability to engage users of various ages and experience levels in VR, making it an influential title in the genre of VR simulation experiences.