VRChat does not require a VR headset to play; you can play on desktop (and your phone apparently). I took these pictures in this non-VR mode.
At the time a modpack for the game Minecraft had gone viral, which transformed it into a dreamy horror experience. VRChat users are quick to hop on these trends with avatars and interactive worlds. Their finger is on the pulse for many underground things.
This world featured a functioning fishing game. When I spawned in I was surprised to see no one, only to find them all lined up side-by-side on the shoreline.
My friend from the last session told me he likes to go “people watching”, which I have to agree is fun. It's not something you can do in the real world without getting punched in the face, that's for sure.
VRChat's camera lets you move the lens remotely through the world, allowing for an unrestricted view of the environment. I used this to give a better perspective of where this map is set in. It's quite unique!
This is a tiny bedroom inside of a cable car, suspended high above a dense forest in the dead of night during a moderate rainstorm. I find the lack of visible entry amusing in how such a space would only make sense in a game like this.
This tiny patch of carpet provides a cozy pseudo-conversation pit. This is also where you can adjust the settings of the world, as well as donate to the world's creator. Many users make it their livelihood creating this game. I'm curious how lucrative that is.
An aesthetical view of a highrise apartment at night. The contrast between the warm yellow interior with the royal blue night is inspired.
This is an actual conversation pit. I should mention now that the plastic action figure you see is actually me! I've placed myself here to demonstrate how these spaces might be occupied under ideal conditions.
I can't stress enough how these worlds have to be hand made, or the digital equivalent of that. You can't rely on natural terrain or lighting to fill in the space. Everything has to be determined by the user, right down to the direction of grain on the wood.
Which is why spots like these make me sad. There were at least 12 people in this particular world instance, yet they all gathered in one spot. It makes sense why, but that leaves areas like these unappreciated I feel.
I think I've mentioned graffiti before. It's always fun to find these in random areas. I wonder who drew it. Why did they draw it? What were they drawing?
Since this work is 3D you also have to consider where the art was drawn physically. I surmised that the artwork was drawn from this perspective, as the lines bowed outward from here, kinda like drawing from the inside of a fish bowl.
This would be a lovely place to live. I think if I had to call any of the places I've visited so far home, it would be this one. Shame I never will.
I found this world based on the Frutiger Aero aesthetic, which was a common industry design language popular around the early to mid 2000s. It focused on presenting hyper clean and ecologically centered environments and designs.
It's become popular as of late primarily in response to the current industry aesthetic dubbed "corporate minimalism". Seen here are some users in the front lobby watching a Youtube video together.
As a kid I remember this aesthetic being tacky as hell, mainly because it presented an incredibly deceptive reality that tried associating commercialism with utopian ideals. However, with this age of design long gone I'm starting to see it in a more positive light.
A common sentiment I see online is that Frutiger Aero was "the world we were promised". I still feel a bit uneasy when I think about the implications this statement has. What's worse: the erasure of a bright future or a generation in collective despair?
I found this amusing scene while wandering around. These users weren't moving so I assume they were sleeping, which is something users do apparently. I like to imagine this is a girlfriend and boyfriend enjoying a quiet moment together, taking in the sights of the virtual world.
I think my favorite aspect of Frutiger Aero is its emphasis on clean water and ocean life. Something about the sparkles in the pool and the bubbles floating up makes me feel purified, like I can start over again brand new.
Solar power, wind turbines, renewable energy. There's an emphasis seen in Frutiger Aero on technology being a part of nature that I feel goes underappreciated. It suggests technology should model itself after nature, be more like it, rather than force nature to accept technology as its replacement. If only that were still true.
Found this kid having a blast. Yes he has no skin, but he seems fine enough.
I just find the contrast of this dreamy utopia with a beef boy to be funny. There's no deeper meaning here.
I'd love to have an office like this. You feel like you're outside, but still inside. I can understand why people these days stay in doors all the time. The outside does not look like this at all, why bring it in?
Taking a detour to The Black Cat Bar, I didn't find much besides this buff supermodel and a giant parrot chatting over a drink.
A girl sings to herself on top of a shelf. She was quite good.
This place was dreary. I can't explain why but this flat blue lighting gives me the feeling of one of those old point-and-click games inspired by MYST. I've never played MYST, nor many games like it, and yet these sad visuals still resonate with me.
I know there were other people here, but I couldn't find them. It made this strange world feel all the more ominous.
Still, there was a cozy aspect to this place. It looks sad, yet nostalgic. I wonder if sadness can enhance nostalgia in a backwards kind of way. The mushrooms are nice.
The architecture in this picture reminds me of Dr. Suess, mainly with the strange stair layout and lack of hand rails.
I decided to conclude this sad day by attending an acting game called Audience Anarchy. I've mentioned before that users are encouraged to be more performative, so a game that makes use of this phenomenon is quite ingenious.
Of course, when your improv cast consists of online strangers who spend a bit too much time online, the quality of the performance is bound to be "experimental".
This performance in particular was no exception. The plot was that a cop had to get a confession out of a criminal, only for the tables to turn on the cop. You can't tell that's what's happening in this picture because the actors kept breaking script by switching avatars constantly.
It was kinda funny, although I've seen better performances in this particular game. While user freedom is lovely to see, I do get a bit annoyed when users start showing off rather than playing.
Still, it's neat to be able to get engrossed in a performance, then look to your right and see other users sitting and watching the performance as well.
It's fun to see a disorganized group of strangers come together to play a game. I feel in the real world you need some kind of mediator to organize such an event. In VRChat, however, these performances are managed automatically, allowing instant user interaction and participation.
To the left of me was a couple chatting about how they first met while the performance was going on. I wish I could throw popcorn at them to get them to stop, just like real life.
Maybe one day I'll get on stage and show these amateurs how it's done. I easily could! Unlike real life, nothing is stopping me from giving the best performance ever.