XR Hack in Retrospect: Showcasing Photon-Built Games and Insights from Teams and Mentors
The recent Global XR Hackathon, XR Hack, hosted by XR Bootcamp, was an impressive event, bringing together over 520 hackers from more than 32 countries across four cities. It’s the biggest in-person XR hackathon so far, and we at Photon were glad to be a sponsor and mentor for the occasion. Our goal was to support developers as they created some innovative multi-user apps, games, and tools.
In just 48 hours, they managed to whip up 120+ new apps, games, and experiences, including 20 multi-user prototypes using our Photon engine. We also held live workshops that got over 1,000 hackers involved, helping them make the most of our features. The feedback we got during the event was super helpful and led to some great insights and improvements.
Plus, several projects from the hackathon are now available on the Meta Horizon store, showcasing just how impressive the submissions were!
“Photon opens a world of opportunities for creating both colocation and remote mixed reality apps and games for hackers. As the market leader, Photon is the preferred choice for many studios – and hackers at XR Hack. The guidance from Photon mentors in Stockholm, Istanbul, London and Cologne has been invaluable—many multi-user Hack project would not have been possible without their direct support, adding multi-player capabilities to many Hack projects!” –Ferhan Özkan; Co-Founder at XR Bootcamp and Global Organizer of the XR Hack
Standout Projects Built with Photon
Among the 20 impressive multi-user prototypes, here are four projects that stood out for us. You can find all the Photon projects via this link: Here!
Pixel Prints by Block Dusters | (Winner Meta – Hobbies & Skills – Winner (London))
Pixel Prints merges the ancient art of block printing with mixed reality, allowing you to design, carve, and stamp beautiful creations alongside friends. Experience the calming, therapeutic process of crafting in a virtual space, making art accessible and mess-free right in your own home.
“I had an idea for a multiplayer crafting app about traditional block printing which I brought with enthusiasm to the London XRHack and formed a team with Javier, Varu, Setinaz and Rangoli around it. I knew Photon was going to be an essential component of our project and in the past I had struggled with it. Sebastien was super patient and enthusiastic – encouraging us from the start. He spent time looking at my plan on the wall and hashing out a good implementation approach with us. This was invaluable. We then split up and worked on both multiplayer and mixed reality features. We started using the Photon template project and Luke was instrumental in helping us with the more intricate details which would have made us scratch our heads for hours without him. Thanks to the Photon team, we delivered a great project ‘Pixel Prints’ that went on to win 1st prize in the Hobbies and Skills Meta category. Thanks so much Photon! I can’t wait to do more together.” – Maf’j Alvarez; Block Dusters
Xcape | (Winner Meta – Social/Casual Gaming – Runner-Up (Stockholm))
Xcape is a mixed reality multiplayer game where one team paints the world virtual, while the other restores reality. Using virtual brushes, players race against the clock to “paint” more of their chosen reality and erase the opponent’s work to win.
“Photon Fusion and the photon team helped us to build our fully working prototype Xcape which utilizes co-location and multiplayer in just 48 hours.” – Sneh Erande; Xcape
There is Something in the House | (Istanbul)
There is Something in the House is a co-op mixed reality horror game where two players confront a supernatural entity in their real-world space. It blends immersive scares with teamwork, turning familiar surroundings into a thrilling, shared experience.
“As two studios that had previously developed single-player, VR, and PC games (Gamebit,Cultic games), we decided to join forces and create a multiplayer game. Taking advantage of this opportunity, we set a goal to develop a party game that would work on both VR and mobile using Photon. By reviewing Photon’s sample packages, we worked to create an exciting experience within 48 hours. Photon’s samples and resources were incredibly helpful to us in this regard. Participating in the XR Hack was a very exciting experience for us.” – Huseyin Gulgen; Bitcult
Battle Orb | Winner: Meta – Social/Casual Gaming – Runner-Up (London)
Battle Orb is a multiplayer game set in a 360-degree sphere where players slingshot their characters to attack opponents. The goal is to knock out other players by bouncing around the sphere, with the last one standing emerging as the winner.
“XRHack provided us with an inspiring environment to push our creative boundaries and develop something truly unique. We’re really happy that Battle Orb was selected as one of the winners and was an audience favorite. Photon’s powerful multiplayer networking framework was instrumental in bringing our vision to life. It provided us with a hassle free plug and play solution, allowing us to focus on gameplay mechanics without worrying about the complexities of real-time networking.” – David Pripas; MIXRIFT
Mentor Insights from Photon
Our mentors were present throughout the hackathon, guiding participants and offering insights. Here’s what some of them observed:
“I really enjoyed the role of mentor at the XR Hack. While it can be intimidating, teams who have dared to take the plunge into developing a XR multiplayer experience have seen how easy it is now to do so. I also really appreciated the positive energy that emerged: beyond the projects, I am certain that friendships and future collaborations were formed during these few days.” – Richard Guignon, XR Product Designer & Prototyper
“Making a Multiplayer game is one of the hardest challenges studios can face. Making it in VR adds even more complexity to that. So when I saw what the hackers were able to achieve in one weekend using Fusion, Photon’s Samples and Meta’s Building Blocks I was astounded. What used to take months of backbreaking work is now possible in just a few days. And thanks to the great organization and support during the event, the teams could focus on their projects without any distractions.” – Luke Stampfli, Head of Developer Relations
“It has been a delight to see so much energy from all the teams, they were incredible ! The XR hack team made sure that all this creativity could be expressed to its fullest, and the setup was perfect for us to help the hackers as much as they wanted: the atmosphere was relaxed, fun, respectful and studious, everything you want from a hackathon. And experiencing the hackers needs and questions first-hand has been invaluable to me, as it better guides us into developing samples that allow to quickstart XR projects with Fusion, on features that actually matter for them” – Sébastien Poivre, VR & multiplayer developer
Why This Hackathon Matters for Photon
This hackathon gave us some great feedback that will help to further improve Photon’s developer tools. On average, the participants had about 3 years of experience with Unity/XR, and those who were new to the Meta Presence Platform took a free Udemy course and joined our Photon workshops beforehand. This prep really helped them dive deep into our tools and share valuable insights. The Global XR Hackathon was a significant event for XR innovation and for us at Photon.
By providing developers with the best multiplayer tooling and mentorship, we were able to help bring some impressive projects to life, many of which are now on the Meta Horizon store. As we move forward, Photon will keep supporting developers in creating impactful multiplayer XR experiences, and we’re excited to see what’s next!
That said, at Photon we want to do nothing less than enable the future of XR. With our engine powering all the major multiplayer hits and applications like Rec Room, Gorilla Tag, Among Us VR, VR Chat and many more, Photon has become the Leader in XR and is eager to keep pushing forward.
Ready to build your own successful multiplayer game? With Fusion and Quantum by Photon, it’s never been easier to integrate cutting-edge multiplayer features into your project. We offer the industry’s most advanced tools, comprehensive support, and everything you need to get started – from downloadable samples to detailed documentation.
Take the first step today – download Fusion or download Quantum and start building. If you’re looking for in-depth assistance, join our Gaming Circle, where you can connect directly with our developers and get expert guidance throughout your journey.
Your multiplayer success story starts here!
