BREAK

Horizon Worlds - [BREAK] [820056607504770]

Next, BREAK will expand with new levels, increased difficulty, additional shard types, special smash mechanics, a time-based Score Rush mode, global leaderboards, improved sound design, more advanced VFX, cosmetics tied to player achievements, and new movement abilities and challenges to push the experience even further.

BREAK was built entirely in Horizon Worlds using custom TypeScript systems. We developed our own shard pooling setups, smash physics, scatter forces, respawn logic, and impact timing to make every hit feel responsive and consistent. Swap and reset systems were rebuilt from the ground up to support the new engine behavior, with delayed pooling, position snapping, and direction calculations handled in code. Audio cues and optimized VFX were created to match the speed of gameplay, while the UI was intentionally kept minimal so players stay focused on the core loop.

Developing BREAK came with several major challenges. The release of Noesis introduced a large learning curve, and many existing interactions stopped working as before. Simple tapping behavior had to be rebuilt, movement logic shifted, and start-button interactions had to be recreated from scratch. LookAt and Identity rotation changes forced a rewrite of our alignment and swapping logic, and pooling conflicts caused crystals to respawn too early or appear in the wrong place. Long-distance scatter inconsistencies required significant physics tuning, and breaking multiple crystals at once created performance spikes we had to optimize around. Balancing movement math so close hits felt strong while far hits stayed smooth also took extensive iteration.

Despite these challenges, we are proud of what BREAK became: a fully custom physics-based smash system built entirely inside Horizon Worlds, smooth crystal-breaking effects that run consistently across devices, and a fast, clean gameplay loop that feels unique on the platform. We rebuilt major systems after Noesis changes, maintained strong visual quality while improving performance, and created a game that feels different from anything else currently in Horizon.

Throughout development we learned that engine updates can break core systems and modular code is critical. Pooling everything, including shards, audio, and VFX, makes a massive difference in performance. Small physics details such as scatter distance, glow timing, and rebound strength have a big impact on how premium the game feels. Continuous iteration was essential, and BREAK went through many changes before reaching its final version. Learning Noesis deeply helped us rebuild more stable and optimized systems.

Next, BREAK will expand with new levels, increased difficulty, additional shard types, special smash mechanics, and new game modes, global leaderboards, improved sound design, more advanced VFX, cosmetics tied to player achievements, and new movement abilities and challenges to push the experience even further.