News

Kid Friendly VR Games For HTC VIVE

Among all the content we regularly demo on Steam VR, there’s a good amount to choose from. Whether its a multiplayer shooter like Onward or social environments like Rec Room, there’s a little something for everyone. We’ve even see you create VR workout routines out of games to help you lose some extra pounds — fantastic.

But one question we see more frequently and expect more of as we get closer to the holidays in a couple months is recommendations for kid friendly VIVE games.

There may not be a perfect answer, especially since it often depends on the age of the child. But we know kids learn quickly and room-scale VR can be pretty darn intuitive. And as the consumer base of VIVE users grow, some developers are also making a more conscious effort to create experiences that can be enjoyed by all ages, or even heights.

For example, when speaking with Jon Favreau about his latest VR demo experience, Gnomes & Goblins, that just hit the Steam VR store earlier this month, his developers were mindful of the ability to scale virtual worlds to a variety of users — big and small.

gnomes-goblins-favreau-wevr-vive2

For Favreau, creating a comfortable VR experience for all users, whether a towering six-foot eight man or a tiny child just feet off the ground, was something very important. It was essential that no matter what the users height, they would still be able to enjoy the same interactive story and engage with the characters in a similar way. All of which pushed them to create a start menu that calibrated the experience to the users height, having them move a candle to light another candle and registering average height. A small detail, but makes a world of difference in this fantasy interactive story world.

candy-kingdom-vive-steam-vr

If you’re looking for a game for holiday family gatherings, Crovax Studios just released a candy shooter for the HTC VIVE today as well. Candy Kingdom is a bright vivid world where you or a young one dual wield candy blasters to take on some cookie targets. The entire thing feels like a shooting gallery at Disneyland with sounds of a slot machine casino. There’s even a leader-board for those with a more competitive side. Just remember that when you start, or I mean your kid starts, that they pickup the guns inside the train.

candy-kingdom-vive-steam-vr2

Appropriateness of games may vary depending on age group, but if you’re looking for other experiences to entertain OR educate the young ones, here are a few suggestions.

Gaming Experiences

theblu-steam-vr

TheBlu – Experience the wonder and majesty of the ocean through a series of habitats and come face to face with some of the most awe inspiring species on the planet.

tilt-brush-music-video

Tilt Brush – Bring out your child’s inner artist and let them paint in 3D space. Three-dimensional brush strokes, stars, light, and even fire, you won’t have to worry about cleaning up after this VR canvas of infinite possibilities.

the-lab-vr-htc-vive

The Lab – A compilation of Valve’s room-scale VR experiments set in a pocket universe within Aperture Science. Fix a robot, defend a castle, adopt a mechanical dog, and more. Still not sold? It’s free!

felt-tip-circus-htc-vive

Felt Tip Circus – No need for a trip to the local circus when you have this tiny festival right here. Throw knives; launch acrobats; walk tight-ropes; tame lions; hone your skills solo or compete with up to four friends in a race to win the crowd.

adventure-time-htc-vive

Adventure Time – Magic Man’s Head Games is a unique VR game that transports you into the Land of Ooo. That jerk, Magic Man, is messing with you! Use Finn’s sword and Jake’s stretchy powers to chase down Magic Man and break his curse.

Education Experiences

apollo-11-htc-vive
Apollo 11 Experience – Story of the greatest journey ever taken by humankind. This VR experience is a recreation of the events which took place between July 16th and July 24th 1969. Now for the first time ever they’ll get to experience this historic event through the eyes of those who lived through it.

realities-htc-vive

Realities – See some of the most mesmerizing places around the world, letting you pick a spot on the globe and virtually travel there by the push of a button!

discovr-egypt-king-tuts-tomb-htc-vive

Discovr Egypt: King Tut’s Tomb – And when it comes to travel, who doesn’t want to see King Tut’s tomb. Step into the ancient tomb of King Tutankhamun and not only learn about some of the rich history surrounding his legacy, but also uncover his treasures.

star-chart-htc-vive

Star Chart – Their very own Planetarium! Explore the solar system and night sky in a beautiful and accurate real-time simulation.

If you have any other suggestions that have worked for you, let me know in the comments below.

About the Scout

Jonathan Nafarrete

Jonathan Nafarrete is the co-founder of VRScout.

Send this to a friend