Octopus Bar
Creator
Personal work | 2017 | HTC Vive Headset
VR game experience
Octopus Bar is an original VR fantastical game concept I created in the early days of VR to explore the capabilities of this new technology. I worked on various aspects of this project, including storyline & concept, 3D modeling, sculpting, rigging, and animation. I created props in Maya, modeled creatures using ZBrush, and simulated tentacles using Ncloth. I also worked on the layout and lighting, which helped to create an immersive game environment. Lastly, bringing it all together, key-framing the animation in Maya. I coded interactive gameplay mechanics using C sharp in Unity.
Development
Octopus Bar was my early exploration into virtual reality, created during a workshop at NYU in New York. I built this VR game entirely from scratch, from modeling, rigging, and animation to interaction logic, triggers, and sequencing. The experience was developed in Unity using state machines and custom C# scripting to drive gameplay and user interaction. The original scope was to grow this into a much larger fantasy game, and this project represents the foundation of that vision.
Octopus Bar Character Rigging and Animation
This octopus bartender character was fully rigged in Maya using an FK/IK setup to support expressive tentacle motion. The clip shows a keyframed opening and closing bar animation, designed to be readable in VR and to guide user onboarding through clear, animation-driven interaction cues.
YouTubers playing the game
Octopus Bar VR is an immersive game designed for players of all skill levels, boasting over 94% positive reviews on the Steam Store. Gameplay footage from popular YouTubers helped identify and resolve user experience issues, while validating the game’s potential for further growth and success.
Octopus Bar Trailer
Enter this hidden izakaya bar hidden deep in the magical forest, where the octopus serves you, fish float into the sky, and a frog enjoys your company while smoking his pipe. In this world the impossible is now possible and you are invited to discover the games and enjoy this whimsical scenery.
