Welcome to Chimera
Chimera Steppes became Nebraska's largest art installation when it opened to the public in August 2021. Explore a vast soundscape filled with finely tuned wind chimes that produce infinite melodies and harmonies. It's been said that every walk takes visitors on unexpected journeys. Enjoy!
System Requirements
Chimera is best experienced with headphones and a gamepad.
Real-time synthesis is an extremely CPU-intensive process. Chimera will attempt to run on any machine that meets its minimum requirements; however, pilots may experience stuttering or drop-outs when running below the recommended requirements.
Minimum System Requirements
| CPU | SSE2 capable (64-bit) |
|---|---|
| RAM | 2 GB |
Recommended System Requirements
| CPU | 3.5 GHz Quad-Core (64-bit) |
|---|---|
| RAM | 4 GB |
Browser Support
The HTML5 build of Chimera is intended to be played in a recent version of a Chromium-based browser, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Opera. Browser extensions that alter page behavior are not recommended. Other browsers must support modern JavaScript features and the current Web Audio API specification.
How to Play
Walk endlessly through an evolving soundscape. Toggle auto walk to play with one button. Press randomize to play something new.
Controls
Chimera supports a variety of input devices. Its controls are comparable to standard first-person games with strafing and turning. Although remapping of controls is currently not available, alternate control schemes have been provided where appropriate.
Keyboard Controls
| Action | Key 1 | Key 2 | Key 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move Forward | W | Up Arrow | Numpad 8 |
| Move Backward | S | Down Arrow | Numpad 5 |
| Strafe Left | A | Z | Numpad 4 |
| Strafe Right | D | X | Numpad 6 |
| Turn Left | Q | Left Arrow | Numpad 7 |
| Turn Right | E | Right Arrow | Numpad 9 |
| Toggle Auto Move | F | ||
| Randomize | R | ||
| UI Confirm | Enter | Space | Numpad Enter |
| Quit | Escape |
Mouse Controls
Chimera can be played with a keyboard and mouse for an immersive first-person experience:
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Move Forward | Mouse 1 (Primary) |
| Move Backward | Mouse 3 (Secondary) |
| Turning | Mouse X-Axis |
| Toggle Auto Move | Mouse 2 (Middle) |
Gamepad Controls
Chimera supports standard gamepads such as an Xbox One controller. Other controllers can be configured with a utility like x360ce:
| Action | Button 1 | Button 2 | Button 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move Forward | Any Stick | D-Pad Up | |
| Move Backward | Any Stick | D-Pad Down | |
| Strafe Left | Left Stick | ||
| Strafe Right | Left Stick | ||
| Turn Left | Right Stick | D-Pad Left | |
| Turn Right | Right Stick | D-Pad Right | |
| Togle Auto Move | A | ||
| Randomize | B | ||
| UI Confirm | A | Start | Select |
Touch Controls
Chimera has limited touch support. Tap the screen to toggle auto move.
Accessibility
Chimera is developed in accordance with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.1 at Level AA conformance. Its menus are fully operable with a keyboard and screen readers such as NVDA.
Audio Description
A light breeze stirs the wind chimes in the park. They produce percussive sounds that sharply dissolve into an overarching hum. Their notes are carefully organized in space to produce a gradient of motifs.
Graphical Description
Chimera Steppes is explored in a first-person perspective. The chimes are drawn abstractly as thin vertical lines against a flat background, much like a barcode. They sway in the wind and grow thicker when struck. The colors form an analogous scheme which oscillates through the spectrum and various levels of contrast.
Support
Please direct all support requests though your preferred platform:
Credits
The following typefaces belong to their respective owners:
- Error Stencil by Isaac González
- Fira Mono by Mozilla
- Roboto by Google
Thanks for playing!