Finding Victor is a virtual reality escape room that aims to tell a compelling story of Indigenous youth, Victor, overcoming homelessness and stabilizing his life. The entire experience is set around Victor, an Indigenous artist that has recently lost a close friend which has been the catalyst to a downward spiral into partying, criminal activity and ultimately homelessness. The player is a friend that has been given the task of following Victor, solving clues and uncovering his journey back to support.
The intention of the experience is to engage players in this story and to begin conversations about particularly challenging topics and to ultimately encourage them to reach out to access supports. Finding Victor is a fun, virtual reality escape room, but is also combined with critical thinking skills and gateways that encourage others struggling to reach out for supports.
Research indicates that Indigenous youth are ten times more likely to experience homelessness than their non-Indigenous counterparts. The types of homelessness they experience is more risky, longer lasting and that they often experience violence. The intention of the game is not to solve homelessness, but to bring awareness to the services available and to start conversations about the reasons they may be experiencing challenges. Research often indicates that addressing trauma, reflecting on choices that have lead to homelessness and accessing services are primary ways in which youth can stabilize their lives and overcome their barriers.
The innovation of this experience extends beyond it’s compelling storytelling and potential impact, but also into the VR programming as well. It is visually compelling and highly immersive into real life scenarios experienced by those ‘sleeping rough’. The inclusion of Indigenous urban musicians, such as A Tribe Called Red, G.Ruu, Eekwol, Straight Up Feather, add a uniquely Indigenous voice to the experience. As well as Indigenous actor Telly James and Actor Stacy Da Silva lending their voices to key roles to keep the story and innovative hint system moving along. Overall, our team incorporated strong Indigenous leaders in our community into the project whenever possible.
