Dimensional Double Shift sends you to a Texas-inspired dimension in its first paid growth as we speak on Quest.
Launched final September, Dimensional Double Shift has now launched its first ‘Dimension Pack’ after the co-op hand monitoring multiplayer recreation lately surpassed 500k downloads. As workers of Gasoline N’ Grill, you are now tasked with serving patrons throughout Hexas and that is filled with “demonic patrons, outsized meals, and monster vehicles” that each one require your consideration.
Throughout GDC 2025, Don Hopper and I jumped into the growth for a multiplayer session with Owlchemy Labs. Gameplay stays unsurprisingly much like the ‘Treeatle’ dimension within the base recreation, with two new variations of the diner and storage ranges obtainable. Identical to earlier than, your group will serve the native residents by making ready meals orders and fixing automobiles.
My earlier impressions cowl the core gameplay, and several other updates since launch have left Dimensional Double Shift feeling extra polished. The actions stay rewarding with pals as you coordinate to arrange meals or repair these automobiles, with sure substances solely being accessible in one other particular person’s station, and I respect the sport’s relaxed nature with no time constraints.
Hexas gives some welcome twists that match the demonic theme completely, alongside different enhancements like a ‘Room Browser’ for creating public rooms. Whereas your targets largely stay the identical, the artwork model has been fittingly reworked for this new dimension. Between cooking in a cauldron of blood and new puzzles when fixing Monster Vehicles, there’s some appropriately themed new challenges.
What caught me abruptly was the, uh… properly, the udder milking exercise. Sure, that is proper. Anybody else keep in mind that minigame in 1-2 Change? I by no means thought I would write this, however the hand tracking-only controls make this really feel much more socially awkward. I needed to briefly cease as a result of I burst out laughing mid-demo; a recreation hasn’t tickled me this a lot since Thank Goodness You are Right here.
That is earlier than we talk about slapping hog butt. You try this to open the hog’s mouth in a special station after which spray it with barbecue sauce. One other job includes choosing boogers out of an enormous head earlier than including a contemporary mind. It is chaotic, extremely foolish, and these new actions stroll a fantastic line that is each appropriate for youths whereas being hilarious for adults.
“One of many huge pillars of that is that it is hell not heck,” defined Owlchemy CEO Andrew Eiche in a post-demo interview, the place he was joined by COO Sandra Marshall.
“We did not wish to pull any punches, so we did that. We’re nonetheless a teen recreation and I can guarantee you that we have met the boundaries of that score, however we have all the time needed to say that the sport appeals to all ages. It is robust to enchantment to all ages when all the things feels a bit youthful.”
At $4.99, I used to be happy to study that a whole get together will not must all purchase the Hexas Dimension. Just one participant should personal it for different get together members to entry it, although solely DLC homeowners will get Hexas-themed cosmetics just like the rhinestone cowboy and desert highway warrior. Eiche cites Walkabout Mini Golf’s visitor move, Golf+, and Jackbox Social gathering Pack as influencing this determination.
“It was actually robust to justify 4 folks spending $20 sight unseen on a recreation. It is a lot simpler to say, all people else will get it free of charge.”
As Owlchemy’s first free-to-play recreation, the studio’s studying from this expertise by following three streams of knowledge. Analytics, for which Owlchemy employed somebody who previously labored on Minecraft to help. There’s additionally what the studio itself thinks of the sport, and neighborhood suggestions.
“There are issues we thought would occur that did not. We do occasions as soon as per week, we do matchmaking, and we have been like, the second we do that, all of our gamers are gonna say, “simply depart the matchmaking on on a regular basis.” However they did not, they have been like completely content material with having or not it’s as soon as per week.”
Different classes embody studying that individuals do not usually respect the play areas they have been assigned, which noticed Owlchemy including a characteristic that’ll rely down from 5 as a warning to return. Marshall suggested that persons are making pals by these occasions, and this led to Owlchemy implementing a button that permits you to add the particular person you are enjoying with as a good friend.
Owlchemy sees the VR market heading towards social and embodiment experiences, one thing Eiche beforehand touched upon in a earlier interview. The studio additionally stays absolutely dedicated at hand monitoring in video games, believing this controller-free choice has confirmed itself additional with PlayStation VR2 including hand monitoring assist.
“They’re the final ship out of the port by way of doing it, and that is not a knock on them. [Sony’s] focus is the hardcore of the hardcore, yeah. PlayStation is for the players, and in the event that they’re doing hand monitoring? Wow. We did not count on it.”
That does not imply hand monitoring assist for Job Simulator is coming to PlayStation VR2 anytime quickly, nevertheless. On the time, Owlchemy suggested that Sony would not have a direct path by Unity for this, that means Aldin Dynamics needed to create their very own for Waltz of the Wizard. Meaning there are nonetheless some technical hurdles to beat.
Whereas Owlchemy would not touch upon Dimensional Double Shift probably reaching different platforms like Android XR, extra content material updates are coming past the Hexas launch. New gameplay options and extra dimensions are in growth, and we’ll test again in when these turn into obtainable.
The bottom recreation for Dimensional Double Shift stays free in early entry on the Meta Quest platform, and the Hexas Dimension Pack prices $4.99.
Shortly after publication, we up to date this piece with a minor quote correction the place Andrew Eiche refers to Dimensional Double Shift as a “teen recreation.” We apologize for this error.
