Graeme Devine, a revered Santa Cruzian figure in the gaming world, has been making waves with his latest venture into spatial computing. Known for his pioneering work on The 7th Guest, Quake III Arena, and his innovative role at Magic Leap, Devine's career has always been characterized by groundbreaking developments. His recent focus has been on Apple Vision Pro, where he is contributing to the immersive game, Haunted Chess, through the use of Apple's new TableTopKit.

Announced at last month’s Apple Developer Conference, Haunted Chess exemplifies the potential of Apple Vision Pro. This game, developed by Devine’s company GRL Games, is a murder mystery board game that uses 3D chess pieces and holographic cards to engage players in solving a mystery. Leveraging the powerful tools provided by visionOS 2, Haunted Chess showcases how volumetric APIs and spatial computing can create highly interactive and immersive experiences.

TableTopKit, one of the many new frameworks introduced in visionOS 2, allows developers to build shared, collaborative app experiences centered around a table. This innovation is pivotal for games like Haunted Chess, enabling multiple players to interact with 3D objects in a shared space, creating a new dimension of gameplay. Devine's game takes full advantage of these capabilities, making the most of the infinite canvas offered by visionOS.

VisionOS 2 also introduces HealthKit to Vision Pro, opening up new avenues for developers to create innovative health and fitness experiences. For example, 1640 LLC, known for The Museum That Never Was, is using these new APIs to enhance the immersiveness of their app. These advancements signify a leap forward in the realm of spatial computing, offering developers powerful tools to create new and engaging user experiences.

Graeme Devine’s Haunted Chess is a prime example of how these tools can be utilized to push the boundaries of traditional gaming. His return to the forefront of game development with Apple Vision Pro reaffirms his status as a visionary in the industry, continually exploring new genres, platforms, and technologies. As Devine himself has said, his career is defined by his versatility and innovation—a trend that shows no sign of slowing down with his latest project.

See the Haunted Chess video at: visionOS 2 brings new spatial computing experiences to Apple Vision Pro