Escape City | Devpost

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step1 of how to play
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Inspiration

Escape City was inspired by the game R.E.P.O, which sparked my interest in creating a tense, goal-driven survival experience. I wanted to design a world where players balance risk, strategy, and timing while avoiding monsters and racing to collect keys before it’s too late.

What it does

Escape City is a fast-paced survival game where players must collect eight scattered keys to unlock the exit while being hunted by monsters. You can only carry three keys at once, forcing you to plan routes carefully, use safe zones for safety, and make quick deposits at the escape door. Every decision matters, one wrong move could mean starting over.

How we built it

The game was built in the Meta Horizon Desktop Editor, with guidance and feedback from the MHCP community. I used generative AI tools such as the 3D Model Generator, Skydome Generator, and Texture Generator to design the world’s assets. Tutorials from MHCP’s YouTube channel and creator Vidyuu helped me learn scripting, environment setup, and efficient use of the editor’s systems.

Challenges we ran into

Time management, storytelling, and technical setup were major challenges, especially when it came to configuring the navmesh system. Getting the monsters to navigate the environment realistically was difficult, but achieving it brought the world to life and made the gameplay feel dynamic and dangerous.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

One of my proudest moments was getting the navmesh system functioning well enough for monsters to pursue players intelligently. I’m also proud of building a fully playable experience that my friends could enjoy. Engaging with the MHCP community made the process more rewarding and helped me grow as a developer.

What we learned

This project taught me how much goes into game design, from programming and animation to storytelling and world building. I also discovered the potential of AI-assisted tools in accelerating asset creation and learned valuable lessons about iteration, testing, and balancing gameplay

What's next for Escape City

The biggest issue I noticed is low player retention; once players win, there’s little reason to return. My next steps are to add progression systems, rewards, and dynamic, unpredictable events using TypeScript. Expanding the world and introducing unlockable content will make each session feel fresh and keep players coming back.