Metatris
Play on the Phone
Visual Animations
Visual Animations
Leaderboards and Quests
Available in VR, Desktop, and Mobile

METATRIS

Inspiration

Metatris is a fresh and engaging take on the classic falling-block puzzle game, built specifically to be accessible and optimized for VR, desktop, and mobile platforms. The idea was born out of a desire to combine nostalgia for classic arcade games with the immersive capabilities of Horizon Worlds. My goal was to create a short, fast-paced gameplay loop that players could enjoy on any device in just a few minutes but also accessible to players of all skill levels, making it perfect for the competition's requirements.

What it does

Metatris is a fast-paced, short-loop game where players clear rows of falling blocks to progress through levels and achieve high scores. The game adapts seamlessly to mobile, desktop, and VR platforms, offering unique control schemes tailored to each. With its escalating difficulty, vibrant visuals (and videos), and dynamic sound effects. Metatris keeps players engaged for 3-5 minutes per session while encouraging replayability through persistent leaderboards.

How I built it

Metatris was developed entirely within Horizon Worlds using its scripting tools and APIs. Coming from a non-coding background, I faced a steep learning curve, especially with TypeScript, as I only had a month to learn and build this project. It was a challenging but rewarding journey that pushed me to grow and innovate quickly! The game's foundation is a dynamic grid system where blocks are toggled, visible or invisible, and their colors change to form shape. This approach avoided physically moving objects, ensuring the world stayed lightweight and performed smoothly, especially on mobile. By using this method, I could simulate complex gameplay mechanics without overloading the system :) I also built:

-Custom UI: Platform-specific controls for mobile (touch), desktop (keyboard and mouse), and VR (joystick and buttons), ensuring a seamless experience for all players.

-Persistent Leaderboards: Horizon's persistent variables track scores, levels, and rows cleared, making every game session meaningful.

Audio-Visual Feedback: Carefully designed sound effects and visual animations enhance player immersion during key moments like row clears, level-ups, and game over. Metatris is the result of perseverance, problem-solving, and a passion for delivering a polished, engaging experience for everyone.

Challenges I ran into

OMG... Where do I start? Building Metatris was a rollercoaster, especially since I had no coding experience before this. Learning TypeScript on the fly while creating something that actually works was definitely a challenge!

-Cross-Platform Optimization: Making the game run smoothly on VR, desktop, and mobile (especially mobile!) was a big headache. Importing buttons to create the custom UI only for mobile got me days of API research.

-Dynamic Grid Mechanics: Figuring out how to make the blocks fit together without physically moving them around was tricky. I ended up making blocks invisible or changing colors to match the shapes, which kept the world lighter, but it took a lot of trial and error (many errors ahah) to get it working.

-Gameplay Balance: Getting the game to feel just right - fast enough to be fun, but not overwhelming - wan't easy. I went through so many tweaks to make sure it worked well in the 3-5 minute sessions I was aiming for.

In the end, every challenge taught me something new, and honestly, that's part of what made this experience so rewarding (even when it drove me a little crazy)!

Accomplishments that I am proud of

I'm honestly so proud of how Metatris turned out, especially considering how much I had to learn along the way. Here are some of the things that really make me smile:

-Cross-Platform Support: Getting the game to work on VR, desktop, and mobile feels like a huge win! It's awesome knowing anyone can jump in and play, no matter what device they're using.

Polished Gamplay: Adding colorful visuals, sound effects, and animations really brought the game to life. It's so satisfying when the row blinks and disappears during a clear or the level-up animation makes you want to reach the next one! But my favorite is the "4 rows cleared".

Replayability: I love how players can keep coming back to beat their high scores or challenge their friends. It's exciting to see people get hooked on something I created!

Dynamic Grid Mechanic: I know, I am repeating myself too much, but this is definitely what I am the most proud of! Thinking out of the box and adapting this game to fit within Horizon worlds capacity is what make me most proud!

This whole project has been a labor of love, and seeing it all come together has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had (no, you crying... ahah)

What I learned

Building Metatris taught me so much, and not just about coding! I had to figure out how to make the game fun and engaging in just 3-5 minutes, which really pushed me to think out of the box and push my boundaries! Adapting the game for VR, desktop, and mobile was another big challenge, but it taught me so much about optimizing performance and creating controls that feel natural for different platforms. One of the most valuable parts of the process was getting feedback from players. Watching others interact with the game gave me a new perspective and helped me spot things I hadn't noticed before. This whole journey has been a huge learning curve, but also one of the most rewarding things I've every done!

What's next for Metatris

If I had more time, I would love to expand Metatris into a multiplayer experience where players could compete in real-time. Adding random bonuses like time freezes, reversing controller, adding or removing extra rows, etc., to add another layer of excitement. I also want to refine the visuals even further, with dynamic lighting and effects (as well as a more fun arcade music) to make it even more immersive.

For now, I'm just thrilled with how much I've learned and how far this project has come in such a short time.