Recent years have seen a significant growth in what designers and players call asymmetric virtual reality (AVR) games. This dissertation creates a framework that defines the relevant characteristics of AVR as a genre and describes five common genres of AVR games, including David(s) and Goliath, Hide and Seek, Perspective Puzzle, Order Simulation, and Lifeline. The core features of each subgenre are expounded. These subgenres are then evaluated using design workshops to observe novice game designs use these subgenres in their game design process. An analysis of the workshops found that the AVR subgenre framework may benefit novice game designers in finding inspiration from patterns in existing AVR games, planning asymmetric mechanics in AVR games between VR and non-VR players, and concepting new and unexplored ideas within the AVR genre. Finally, the discussion section outlines similarities and differences in the subgenres, limitations in this research, and provides guidance for future directions for this research.

With the help of XR tools, globally dispersed teams can collaborate remotely in shared virtual environments, reducing the costs associated with physical prototypes and travel while benefiting from including stakeholders from various backgrounds in their process. Integrating digital human models in these virtual environments allows for collaborative design interactions and possibilities for performing ergonomic design and assessments. While screen-based tools are the standard for these evaluations, the inclusion of XR tools can augment current screen-based tools to improve the evaluation of ergonomics and the assembleability of components with digital human models. This study describes an implementation model for collaborative assembly simulations, ergonomics assessments, and reviews in a shared virtual environment with XR and screen-based tools. A pilot study with fifteen participants was designed to compare a Swedish/Chinese vehicle manufacturer's approach to simulating and analyzing assembly designs with the collaborative virtual environment model developed. The results show that teams collaborating in a shared virtual environment performed better in user experience, the feeling of presence, and precision when detecting ergonomics and assemblability issues.