Solara One Adds Holodeck-Inspired Forest in Arboretum Update

Solara One, the solo-developer VR experience that blends meditation, space exploration, and sci-fi aesthetics, received a major content update in early September with the addition of the Arboretum. The new environment introduces a Holodeck-like forest setting inspired by Star Trek, offering players a grounded counterpoint to the game's expansive cosmic environments.

Developer Aaron Cryderman created the Arboretum after considering how humans living in outer space would eventually crave earthly environments. The forest features a large Buddha statue, glowing crystals, and the same ambient music design that characterizes the rest of Solara One. Players can choose between a lightly gamified "Quest" mode and a free-play "Explore" mode, each offering different ways to experience the environment.

The centerpiece of the Arboretum is its butterfly population, which serves a deliberate design purpose beyond aesthetics. Cryderman explained his thinking: "If you're sitting around a campfire, you're just sitting there and you're mesmerized by the fire movement. You go into a naturally meditative state, but it's effortless." The butterflies function similarly, providing flashes of color against the dark night and guiding player attention as they move through the forest.

The Quest mode incorporates interactive elements, including orbs and butterflies, leading to a special celebration sequence. The gamified addition addresses what Cryderman identified as an audience desire for structured play within the relaxing framework. He noted his target remains "gamers who are looking to kind of relax and chill out in outer space," and the new mode provides engagement without requiring it.

Solara One launched on Meta Quest in May 2024, developed entirely by Cryderman, who previously worked in data at BlackBerry. He taught himself Unity and built the experience around his interests in digital music creation, photography, meditation, and space art. The Arboretum was not part of his original roadmap but represents the kind of iterative evolution the app has undergone since launch, with regular updates delivering new content and visual enhancements.

The experience combines relaxing environments, sci-fi design, clever physics, haptics, and ambient music across multiple areas. The forest's nooks and hidden spaces provide exploration incentives for players seeking a chill-out experience outside the void of space.