Inspiration
Club Photo Oppa was originally created in 2022. As a content creator and K-Pop fan, my biggest motivation was simple: K-Pop friends. I wanted to meet fellow fans who I could nerd out with over comeback stages, bias wreckers, and eventually maybe even go to a concert with.
The world was always designed to be sharable and social. As someone passionate about content creation, I built modular sets that could be updated for themed events or current trends, all while capturing the iconic tropes of K-Pop music videos: bold colors, bubblegum pop, liminal spaces, and rebellion. It was made for selfies, stories, reels, and shared moments.
What it does
Club Photo Oppa is an Instagrammable K-Pop dance club and social space built around modular music video-inspired sets. Players can explore, roleplay, film their own videos, or just hang out and relax. It’s a world that evolves with its community and is built for connection, expression, and fun.
How I built it
Originally built in Horizon Worlds using primitive shapes, the world got a major update in 2023 when it hosted the K-Pop After Party and saw over 900 visitors in a single night. With custom model imports still in early development and a tight holiday timeline, it was rebuilt from scratch, but in the process, it lost some of its original magic.
This year’s rebuild gave me the chance to restore that magic. I introduced new original set pieces that I modeled in Maya, redesigned the layout, and rebuilt the entire club from the ground up using better optimization and import techniques. I incorporated generative AI textures, new props, and Horizon’s updated asset library. I also used the Avatar Scaling API (and a little bit of TypeScript!) to enhance scale-based storytelling, like shrinking players instead of just scaling up props.
Challenges I ran into
In the 2023 version, I struggled with burnout and ended up with a world I didn’t enjoy spending time in. It didn’t feel right, and it lacked the spark that made the original special. Finding that again took time, and honestly, community. Over the last year, Club Photo Oppa developed a regular group of visitors who are very enthusiastic about all of it, and their energy reignited mine.
Technically, the biggest challenges were around optimization and model imports, especially retrofitting older primitive builds like the laundromat with better versions. Another unexpected challenge? Chairs. The previous version was built after legs but before seat gizmos (a sentence that only makes sense in Horizon), so I had built everything standing height. Now, with over 60 seats of various types, the space finally feels usable and cozy. For this competition about 90% of the club was entirely remodeled to be better optimized, with the exception of a few of the sets that had been added more recently.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
- Rebuilding the club from the ground up with improved optimization, modular design, and storytelling
- Bringing back iconic original sets like the laundromat, now fully upgraded
- Finally making the space comfortable and functional with proper seating
- Adding interactive sets like the beach house/rainy day living room, forest, vanity, step and repeat, cafe, laundramat, alley, and the fully realized K-Pop jail + interrogation room
- Using avatar scaling to make scenes more immersive, playful, and narratively engaging
- I’m proud that this space feels fun even when it’s empty, and I’m never not touched when someone notices a reference to their favorite group and instantly feels seen
What I learned
- Scale isn’t just about size, it’s about perspective. Shrinking the player can do more for storytelling than scaling props ever did.
- Community is everything. The support of returning visitors motivated me to finish the rebuild when I was otherwise ready to walk away.
- Updating worlds is easier and more fun when the systems are modular and stay relevant, it gives you a reason to come back with new ideas.
- TypeScript is powerful, and even small steps with it (like avatar scaling) open up creative possibilities.
What's next for Club Photo Oppa
Next, I’ll be adding custom mobile-friendly avatar dances and more avatar clothing options for fans to wear and record with. I plan to continue creating video content and highlight reels from the club, and I'm excited to meet more K-Pop fans through social platforms and Horizon.
I’ll also be attending a K-Pop concert next week (with a friend I met in Horizon!), where I’ll be handing out freebies with a QR code to join the world. It’ll be the second time I’ve done this since first starting the club and it’s always fun to blend the digital and real-world fan experience.
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