Ashborn | Devpost

Inspiration The idea for Ashborn came from combining two of my favorite genres. tycoon games and obby challenges. iInside a single, atmospheric world. I wanted to explore what it would feel like to build a kingdom within the underworld itself, where every piece of progress comes from heat, pressure, and persistence. The name Ashborn symbolizes creation through destruction, being reborn from the flames.

What it does Ashborn is a Tycoon-Obby hybrid where players collect Soul Coins, build generators, and sell resources like Ash Crystals and Infernal Cores to grow their dominion. Along the way, they can tackle moving-platform obstacle courses, defeat NPC enemies, and upgrade their personal forge plot, called the Soul Foundry, to become the ultimate Forgemaster.

How we built it I used Horizon Worlds’ Desktop Editor, TypeScript scripting, and GenAI tools for asset creation and UI design. GenAI was used to generate props, textures, and icons like Soul Fragments and Infernal Cores. Scripts for generators, collectibles, and player events were refined from AI-generated templates to create a balanced gameplay loop optimized for both VR and mobile.

Challenges we ran into The biggest challenge was maintaining strong visuals while staying within performance and capacity limits. Balancing resource logic, particle effects, and physics systems required heavy optimization. I also had to fine-tune generator timers and economy flow to keep progression rewarding without breaking the loop.

Accomplishments that we're proud of I’m proud of creating a complete economy system that feels natural and addictive. The dark-fantasy art direction, custom UI icons, and layered gameplay loops make Ashborn stand out as more than just another tycoon game, it feels alive, dangerous, and worth mastering.

What we learned I learned how to balance active skill-based gameplay with passive progression systems in one cohesive loop. This project also strengthened my skills in modular scripting, asset optimization, and designing for mobile performance while using GenAI responsibly for creativity.

What's next for Ashborn The next step is expanding Ashborn into a multiplayer co-op experience with forge alliances, leaderboard competitions, and seasonal events. I also plan to introduce new forge tiers, evolving generators, and lore-driven quests that deepen the world’s mythology and keep players returning to the fire.