Between Us

Lobby
Stage 1 - Platforms
Stage 2 - Rotating Obstacles
Stage 2 - Platform Triggers
Stage 3 - Maze Entrance
Stage 3 - Maze Overview
Stage 4 - Shape Rooms Overview
Stage 4 - Shape Room
Stage 5 - The Sync Diamonds
Last Stage

Inspiration

Between Us was inspired by the idea that trust is a skill worth practicing—at any age. We wanted to create an experience where teenagers and adults alike could rediscover what it means to rely on someone else. Distance, limited visibility, and shared timing become tools for teaching cooperation. Our goal was simple: make something fun, but also meaningful, where players learn how to move forward together.

What it does

Between Us is a cooperative platformer where two separated players can only progress by communicating, syncing actions, and supporting each other. The journey includes alternating platform paths, a guided labyrinth with asymmetric vision, timed dual-interaction events, dynamic obstacles, block-trigger puzzles, and a shape-passing challenge redesigned with protective spheres for smoother flow. An NPC guide and scattered tutorials help introduce mechanics gently.

How we built it

All 3D assets were modeled in Autodesk Maya and textured in Substance 3D Painter to achieve a soft, clean, ethereal atmosphere, tipical of Aethereal Studios' style. Inside Meta Horizon Worlds, we built the level design, scripted synchronized actions, created dynamic obstacles, implemented a custom top-down camera for the labyrinth, and designed onboarding through NPC guidance and tutorials.

Challenges we ran into

Balancing difficulty without overwhelming players, syncing distant rooms, making timing-based interactions fair, ensuring obstacles remained readable, and maintaining precision in the shape-passing system.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We created a cooperative experience that feels emotionally grounded, readable, and enjoyable for all ages. Communication truly matters, and every mechanic reinforces that sense of shared trust.