Game designer Keita Takahashi sees something that most of us don’t: the whimsy in our everyday lives. It was evident in his videogame debut, Katamari Damacy, which put you in the shoes of a puny lime-hued Prince as he rolled up inanimate (and animate) objects to shoot into space to form a new star. His creative world view is also visible in the work he’s done since the cult hit—from the never-officially-released competitive game Tenya Wanya Teens, to the educational ALPHABET, to even his personal blog, where he draws characters over daily real-life pictures. And now, Takahashi’s latest meditation of what makes reality so charming shines again with the release of the augmented reality sandbox WOORLD, available now on Google Play… but not for everyone.
the whimsy in our everyday lives
WOORLD is currently available only for Google Tango-enabled devices, meaning only the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro for now. Tango is an augmented reality-focused project, where smartphones are adequately built with the appropriate sensors and computer vision software to make more dynamic AR-experiences than, say, something like Pokémon Go on a measly iPhone.
WOORLD’s playstyle is unclear, though we’ve seen glimpses of growing flowers, causing rain, and even some sort of toilet functionality. But before all that, WOORLD begins with allowing your satellite-clad buddy scan the room, which I’m guessing is where those Tango sensors and vision come in, to make the best of its AR capabilities. In a launch-day video detailing the project, Takahashi notes that after a currently-secret goal is reached, a delightful sandbox mode is unlocked, giving the player free reign with all of WOORLD’s wide assortment of playful tools.
You can watch Funomena’s launch video for WOORLD below.
