News

Global VR Challenge: The mobile VR contenders

We profile the developers targetting smartphones

Global VR Challenge: The mobile VR contenders

After receiving 80 entries for the Global VR Challenge, the shortlist is now down to 22 games.

The competition was created by Steel Media, publisher of Pocket Gamer, in association with China’s leading VR company, DeePoon.

The goal is to identify the best new VR games development talent and concepts from the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, and help bring them to the world’s biggest VR market, China.

The challengers

To get you more acquainted with the remaining contenders, we're shining a spotlight on all the games still in with a chance of winning from the $35,000 prize pool.

First, we're offering a sneak peek at the 11 games being developed for mobile VR. The entries come from all across Europe and the USA.

Please note that many of these games are still a work in progress.

You can find out more about the Global VR Challenge here.


Click here to view the list »
  • 1 BAMF VR

    BAMF VR logo

    Developer: Mikael W Bergene
    Where: UK
    Platforms: Mobile VR
    Genre: Adventure
    Game Engine: Unity

    Built by a one-man band, BAMF VR is a first-person teleportation platformer. Players travel via teleportation to collect crystals in various worlds while facing a multitude of different challenges and visuals.

    There are currently five levels available, in which players must make their way through mazes, darkness and past dangerous obstacles such as lasers.


  • 2 Chick'n'charge

    Chick'n'charge logo

    Developer: Orkitec
    Where: Germany
    Platforms: Mobile / PC
    Genre: Shooter
    Game Engine: Unity

    Chick'n'charge is designed as an cartoon-style endless VR shooter.

    Giant chickens are trying to take over the city, and you are the only one who can stop them. Using your laser gun, you travel across several regions to push them back.

    Potential future features include new weapons, an upgradeable armoury, shields and more.

  • 3 Flying Fowl

    Flying Fowl logo

    Developer: Rogue Guardian Studios
    Where: USA
    Platforms: Mobile
    Genre: Simulator
    Game Engine: Unity

    In this 360-degree 3D bird flying game, it’s time to take to the sky and rain down some fowl fun upon the unsuspecting townspeople.

    Why you may ask? Why not! It’s what birds do.

  • 4 RC Soccer VR

    RC Soccer VR logo

    Developer: Beatshapers
    Where: Ukraine
    Platforms: Mobile / PC
    Genre: Sport
    Game Engine: Unity

    RC Soccer VR is a high-speed R/C car football game for virtual reality headsets.

    Players take up a view from the edge of the pitch and must carefully control their vehicle to get the giant football in the back of the net.

    Concepts for the games feature set include competitive gameplay modes, 25 customisable cars with unique characteristics and online multiplayer for up to six players.

  • 5 S.P.Y. Robot

    S.P.Y. Robot logo

    Developer: CEO's Pet Software
    Where: Germany
    Platforms: Mobile / PC
    Genre: Puzzle
    Game Engine: Unity

    You pilot an unarmed robot S.P.Y. (Synthetical Private eYe), designed for private investigations through your company's test chambers for final QA. In each level, you have to hack a mainframe inside a green target zone.

    Specific hack skills can be downloaded to solve puzzles and harness the abilities of enemy robots. Current hacking skills include an explode sequence, video stream, target marker, shutdown systems, boot systems and faction switch.


  • 6 Smash Wars: DroneRacing VR

    Smash Wars: DroneRacing VR logo

    Developer: FaunaFace, Inc
    Where: USA
    Platforms: Mobile / PC
    Genre: Racing
    Game Engine: Unity

    Smash Wars: DroneRacing VR is an endless VR arcade racer. Using simple tilt or touch controls, the goal is to ‘smash till your crash’.

    As you fly and drift through obstacles, you can pick up shards to build your drone shield and thrust.

    Planned features include 14 drones to unlock and upgrade, four levels of difficulty and offline mode support.


  • 7 Space Box: The Journey out of the Box

    Space Box: The Journey out of the Box logo

    Developer: Tomasz Graczyk
    Where: Poland
    Platforms: Mobile
    Genre: Puzzle/Platformer
    Game Engine: OpenGL

    Space Box: The Journey out of the Box is a 3D puzzle platformer built for mobile VR.

    It uses a unique control system that requires the user to move their head to control the character and the world around them. Players must jump across platforms placed around each level to reach their goal.


  • 8 SwingStar

    SwingStar logo

    Developer: Computer Lunch
    Where: USA
    Platforms: Mobile / PC
    Genre: Simulator
    Game Engine: Unity

    SwingStar is a rope-swinging simulation game that lets you soar through colourful, low-polygon worlds.

    You can attach yourself to objects by looking at them. Successfully swing from object to object without falling to reach the resonator bell, which will warp you to the next level.


  • 9 The Body VR

    The Body VR logo

    Developer: The Body VR LLC
    Where: USA
    Platforms: Mobile / PC
    Genre: Simulator
    Game Engine: Unity

    The Body VR is an educational virtual reality experience that takes the user inside the human body. Travel through the bloodstream and discover how blood cells work to spread oxygen throughout the body.

    Enter one of the billions of living cells inside the body and learn how the organelles work together to fight deadly viruses.

    A narrated voiceover teaches users about the body as they travel.


  • 10 VRapids

    VRapids logo

    Developer: RGBird Games & Niobium
    Where: UK
    Platforms: Mobile / PC
    Genre: Sport
    Game Engine: Unity

    VRapids is a VR experience of canoeing in the wild 1800s North America.

    Using head movements, players can steer their canoe down the rapids and toward their goal.

    Players must be careful not to lead their canoe into cliffs or other obstacles in their way, or they'll risk crashing and falling into the rapids.


  • 11 Wrath of Loki-VR Adventure

    Wrath of Loki-VR Adventure logo

    Developer: The House of Fables
    Where: Poland
    Platforms: Mobile
    Genre: Hidden Object
    Game Engine: Unity

    Warth of Loki-VR Adventure is a hidden object game for mobile VR.

    Players are tasked with finding items and magic artefacts to help them solve puzzles and progress. Users can search levels for objects by moving their head around the 360-degree environment.


Head of Content

Craig Chapple is a freelance analyst, consultant and writer with specialist knowledge of the games industry. He has previously served as Senior Editor at PocketGamer.biz, as well as holding roles at Sensor Tower, Nintendo and Develop.