GridTsugi

Challenge your mind with GridTsugi a simple bridge connecting puzzle game where each level gets trickier as you progress

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Inspiration

GridTsugi was inspired by classic logic bridge connecting puzzles and the desire to bring them into a warm, cozy mixed-reality environment. We wanted players to feel the satisfaction of solving spatial problems with their own hands, supported by a calm visual style and intuitive interactions. The Meta Quest platform, especially hand-tracking, felt like the perfect way to make puzzle-solving feel tactile

What it does

GridTsugi turns each island’s number into a rule: it must be touched by that many bridges. Players place single or double bridges, avoid crossings, and connect every island into one unified network. The game generates puzzles at varying difficulties, offers endless replay value, and presents everything through a soft, hand-painted aesthetic. With our new update, all core interactions selecting, generating, holding, and placing bridges can be performed fully with hand tracking.

How we built it

The foundation of the game is a custom puzzle-generation algorithm built to ensure solvability, balanced difficulty curves, and visually readable layouts. We developed an interaction layer that decouples game logic from input sources, enabling both controller and hand interactions.

For this hackathon update, we focused on migrating entirely to hand-tracking. This required reworking bridge manipulation logic, creating gesture-driven states, filtering tracking data, and tuning thresholds so interactions feel stable and natural. Extensive testing was required to ensure smooth performance across all puzzle sizes, including higher-complexity levels.

Challenges we ran into

The biggest challenge, however, was transitioning from a hybrid controller/hand workflow to a fully hand-only system. We had to redesign every bridge-placement dependency, prevent accidental interactions, and ensure gestures remained readable even with tracking noise or rapid movements

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud that hand tracking now works smoothly across all levels, including the most complex puzzles. The new gesture system feels natural, reliable, and uniquely suited to GridTsugi’s calm, thoughtful playstyle. We also take pride in achieving performance and interaction polish within the hackathon constraints while maintaining the game’s cozy visual identity.

What we learned

We learned how critical spatial interaction design is when building for mixed reality, especially when puzzles become more complex and require precise, stable manipulation. Achieving reliable hand interactions across varying puzzle densities taught us how to maintain stability. We also gained experience building custom interactors and interactables using Meta’s XR SDK, allowing us to design interaction workflows tailored specifically to GridTsugi’s bridge-based mechanics and MR environment.

What's next for GridTsugi

We plan to introduce more cozy updates across visuals, ambience, and environment interaction to strengthen the overall feel of the game. We will continue expanding puzzle variations and mixed reality features so GridTsugi becomes one of the best cozy puzzle experiences played directly in your room or environment on the Quest platform.

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