The holy grail

The Holy Grail project served as our internship project within the Digital Arts and Entertainment program. Sam and Arne initiated contact with Historische Huizen Gent and proposed the development of a mixed reality experience set in the historic Gravensteen Castle in Ghent. The goal was to create an innovative and engaging way to bring the castle’s history to life for a new generation of visitors.

After several brainstorming sessions, we decided to design a cooperative mixed reality game in which players explore the old horse stables of the Gravensteen together with three friends. Working as a team, players must navigate the environment, solve challenges, and ultimately acquire the Holy Grail and bring it back outside so it can be revealed to the masses.

This project marked our first hands-on experience with mixed reality technology. Early on, we purchased a Meta Quest 3 headset to familiarize ourselves with the platform and begin experimenting with its capabilities. As development progressed, we quickly realized that implementing all of our ideas required a fair amount of creative problem-solving. Despite these challenges, after several months of iteration and testing, we successfully developed a functional prototype ready for user testing.

The main objective of the project was to attract a younger audience to the Gravensteen, while still ensuring the experience remained accessible and enjoyable for visitors of all ages. As players explore the dungeon-like environment, they encounter enemies, dodge traps, collect loot, and freely walk around the entire physical space, blending the real and virtual worlds seamlessly.

Overall, the project made extensive use of the new features offered by the Meta Quest 3, allowing us to push the boundaries of mixed reality gameplay while creating an immersive and educational experience rooted in Ghent’s rich history.