Engine: Unity
Tasks: Artificial Intelligence, game programming, stylized shading
Bot Band Jazz is an immersive VR game that lets players interact with various objects and participate in mini-games set inside a bustling theater, culminating in a thrilling musical performance. Showcased at the Dutch Game Garden (located at the Hengelo Heim Museum), the game has garnered significant praise, earning a public vote award.
Artificial Intelligence
My role in the development of Bot Band Jazz involved implementing a friendly cleaning robot as an AI-controlled NPC. To achieve this, I utilized a finite state machine-based approach. The robot was designed to patrol the theater and tidy up scattered objects. It was also programmed to respond to player input – for example, reacting when objects were thrown at it or when players dropped items on the ground.
Game programming
In addition to my work on the cleaning robot, I also implemented several mini-games that added to the overall immersive experience of Bot Band Jazz. These included:
An interactive popcorn machine that allowed players to press a button in VR to create popcorn, which they could then scoop out of the machine using a virtual scoop.
And a cotton candy machine that allowed players to create their own virtual cotton candy by holding sticks inside the machine.
Stylized shading
To enhance the game’s aesthetic, I developed a custom cell shading technique that included an outline post-processing effect and a stylized material. To achieve the desired look, I modified Unity’s BRDF lighting function, and implemented both depth and normal-based edge detection. This approach allowed me to distinguish outlines inside and outside of objects separately, creating the unique visual style that the project team envisioned.
Screenshots
Gameplay video
Leon Brands 