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Jack Brett edited this page May 13, 2024 · 12 revisions

What is LUTE?

LUTE is a free, open source tool for crafting engaging location-based narrative games within Unity that utilises other plugins for XR support. LUTE is designed to be easily mastered by those who are already somewhat familiar to Unity, particularly for folks with no coding background. More experienced game developers can take the system further by tweaking the engine under the hood as there is no aspect of this tool that is closed.

LUTE empowers you to create story-driven, location-based XR games focused on cultural heritage.

Who is behind LUTE?

LUTE originated from research within the LogaCulture project. It draws inspiration from notable tools like Fungus, Twine, Inform, and Ren'Py. However, LUTE differs by emphasising locative and XR experiences, rather than solely focusing on narrative-based ones. Additionally, it provides support for integrating custom components, enabling the creation of unique games with added depth and complexity.

Dr Jack Brett is the main author of LUTE along with Dr Yoan-Daniel Malinov .

Dr David Millard and Dr Charlie Hargood have also supported this project as principal investigators for the two work packages related to the LoGaCulture project from Bournemouth and Southampton University

Where can I get LUTE?

As LUTE is currently not on the Asset Store (but will be soon!) you must download the latest release from our GitHub page.

What platforms does LUTE support?

LUTE should run on any platform that is supported by Unity but the support to build projects for iOS/MacOS is still currently limited in regard to the Extended Reality features.

Is there a specific audience who should use LUTE?

LUTE is currently geared towards Unity users familiar with game design, particularly those passionate about creating story-driven experiences. It's a great tool for crafting your first narrative-based game, with the added advantage of being able to leverage engineering knowledge to tweak it further. Think of it as a fully-fledged visual scripting engine, but without the complexity. In the future, we plan to expand the target audience to include those who may not be as technically proficient, ensuring that anyone interested in telling historical stories or creating engaging location-based games can do so easily.

Where can I learn more on how to use LUTE?

Checkout the Home page on the Wiki for more details on Installation and The_Basics.

Where can I report bugs or request features?

You can use our public Discord (just ping a request for this) or use the GitHub Issues page on the LUTE repository.

Can I contribute to LUTE?

Absolutely! You can contribute by:

  1. Responding to issues and helping on the Discord
  2. Contribute code via GitHub pulls or by posting snippits to Discord or feature requests
  3. Continue to improve our documentation on this Wiki
  4. Make games with LUTE and share them!
  5. Conduct research with LUTE and share your findings with us!

Submitting Issues

Before submitting a new issue on GitHub:

  • Search: Check if the problem has already been reported.
  • Keywords: Use relevant keywords to refine your search.
  • Review: Look through existing issues, including closed ones.

By doing this, you avoid duplicates, help streamline issue management, and save time for everyone involved.

Thanks for contributing efficiently!

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