Screenshot from the editor
Art to visualise the idea
Art to visualise the idea
Screenshot from the editor

🚫 AVOID THE SCAMS: Player vs. Fake Pop-Ups

WorldID: 10240610802072801

✨ Short Description

AVOID THE SCAMS is a vertical (portrait mode) runner game focused on attention and speed, built entirely in the Meta Horizon Worlds Editor. I dive into a stylized digital corridor to dodge the aggressive scam ads of the past, set my high score, and prove I am the fastest Cyber-Runner on the Net!

💡 Inspiration

I wanted to transport the player into an exciting and nostalgic digital world. The idea originated from the desire to create a unique aesthetic where the user is literally sucked into the Internet.

My main goal is to transform the pervasive problem of scam advertising into engaging gameplay. The game's aesthetic is inspired by:

Data tunnels and digital corridors.
Fake pop-up windows and banners that were common on websites a few years ago.
A sense of urgency and the necessity to avoid digital junk to survive.

Pop-up ads is your enemy in AVOID THE SCAMS

🚀 What it does

AVOID THE SCAMS is a solo game emphasizing attention and speed.

Feature	Details
Genre	Vertical Runner
Controls	Touch Control
Mode	Solo, with Leaderboard
Objective	Run as fast as possible through the digital corridor, avoiding scam obstacles, and set the high score among all users.
Screen Mode	Portrait (Vertical) — optimized for mobile gaming.

🛠️ How I built it

I built the game AVOID THE SCAMS using Meta Horizon Worlds Editor and additional tools.

Component	Technologies / Tools Used	Role in the project
Scripting	Internal AI scripting tools, Tutorials, and Assets	Implementing core logic and game mechanics.
Design & Aesthetic	Custom Level Design	Blending digital corridor theme with vintage pop-up traps.
Assets	AI and 3rd party editors	Scripts provided by AI inside the editor and graphics and 3d objects created using Photoshop and Blender

🚧 Challenges I ran into

The most difficult technical challenges I overcame during the hackathon were:

Portrait Mode Adaptation: Adapting the game field and controls for the vertical (portrait) screen mode.
Crazy Camera Work: Creating dynamic and disorienting camera settings that simultaneously increase the game's difficulty and amplify the "sucked into the net" effect.
"Enemy" Scripting: Scripting of the pop-up ads as moving obstacles.

🎉 Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I am proud to have created not just a prototype, but a fully functional, visually pleasing, and fun game completely solo that is:

Cross-Platform: Fully playable and accessible on both mobile devices (with touch controls) and desktop.
Dream Realized: The Meta Horizon Editor provided me an opportunities, allowing to quickly realize my dream of creating a mobile game.
Unique Design: The aesthetic is cohesive and original, instantly immersing the player in the cyberspace atmosphere.

🧠 What I learned

This hackathon served as a new learning experience for me:

In this project, I actively used various character camera settings for the first time to deliberately increase gameplay difficulty and give it a cinematic feel. I am confident I will integrate this technique into my future Meta Horizon games.

⏭️ What's next for AVOID THE SCAMS

Future development plans for the project include:

New Levels: Adding a greater variety of levels with a complex of digital corridors.
Multiplayer: Implementing a competitive multiplayer.
Upgrade System: Adding the ability to improve the character's abilities or purchase cosmetic items.
...and something else! Stay tuned for updates :)