Desert Mothers
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
Desert Mothers is a multiplayer virtual reality meditation circle. Players begin in the same procedurally-generated environment. This diverges for each as their personal environment, composed of individualized weather and hallucinations, responds emotionally to the player's actions.
The constraints within which the players interact are discovered during play, and revolve around the body, simulated breath, drawing in the air, and out-of-body exploration of flora, fauna, and abandoned human habitations.
"El ambiente que se logra nos pone a prueba, nos exige que reelaboremos continuamente nuestra relación con el espacio y el tiempo, nos sugieren que la meditación y la introspección establece una nueva relación con el afuera y pueden efectivamente cambiarlo." - Guido Saá, Game On exhibition catalog
("The environment that is achieved puts us to the test, it requires us to rework continuously our relationship with space and time, they suggest that meditation and introspection establishes a new relationship with the outside and can effectively change it.")
Virtual reality version requires Windows with Oculus Rift and Touch controllers, or Quest 1-3.
Non-VR version requires an XBoxOne/360 controller.
Selected for the following exhibitions:
xCoAx 2021: the 9th International Conference on Computation, Communication, Aesthetics and X, Lisbon, Portugal and online
MOWNA Biennial, online, 2021
Animality and the Planetary, International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA), Montreal, Canada, and online, 2020
Game On - El arte en el juego, in Buenos Aires, 2019
IEEE-GEM (Games, Entertainment, Media) 2019 Exhibition at the Center for Collaborative Arts and Media, Yale University
Second and Third Tri-Annual Maryland State Arts Registry Juried Shows at Maryland Art Place, Baltimore, 2019 & 2023
Slamdance DIG Showcase at the Wisdome, Los Angeles, 2019
Status | Released |
Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
Release date | Sep 15, 2019 |
Rating | Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars (6 total ratings) |
Author | Aaron Oldenburg |
Made with | Unity, Blender |
Tags | Altgame, Atmospheric, Exploration, Low-poly, mind-bending, Multiplayer, nature, psychedelic, Relaxing, sitting-simulator |
Average session | About a half-hour |
Inputs | Xbox controller, Oculus Rift, Playstation controller |
Multiplayer | Server-based networked multiplayer |
Links | Homepage |
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $2.99 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Development log
- Networking updateJan 13, 2020
- Hamilton Arts Collective showJan 09, 2020
- Game On!Nov 18, 2019
- issues with heads in multiplayer VROct 14, 2019
- Release and networked art exhibitionSep 15, 2019
Comments
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Looks like an interesting app, and I've just added it to my site I'm currently developing, however, I would love to have the trailer embedded with the listing but unfortunately I can only embed Youtube videos at the moment. Do you have a Youtube channel with it on? Please point me to it if you do, thank you. https://www.vrexplorer.net/
Does the Gear VR version work on Oculus Quest with Quest controllers/can you add support for it?
I just got a Quest, so will be working on porting it over... hopefully toward the end of summer.
That would be awesome; thanks!
Hey, I've finally gotten the Quest version in pretty good shape. You can download it from itch.io and install it yourself, or in a few days it should be on SideQuestVR.
Thanks so much!