Find the Button!

Simple game concept with a red button
Multiple Levels with different design
Interesting storyline with mysterious professor character
Interactive Items and environment
Jump and parkour mechanics.
Unique level design
Multiplayer friendly

Inspiration

We wanted to explore Meta Horizon Worlds for the first time and challenge ourselves to create a small but engaging experience. The idea of being shrunk by a quirky professor and navigating a playful maze world felt like the perfect way to experiment with world-building, storytelling, and new mechanics.

What it does

Find the Button is a search-and-challenge game where players, now miniature-sized, navigate box-like maze levels to find a red button that unlocks the next stage. The game offers an easy onboarding experience without requiring a long tutorial. Each level naturally introduces a new mechanic, helping players improve as they progress. Checkpoints support advancement, vibration feedback enhances actions, and interactive items add variety. Custom UI buttons streamline navigation, a leaderboard tracks completion times, and the world supports up to four players. Character cutscenes introduce a immersive storyline, all wrapped in an enhanced ambient audio atmosphere.

How we built it

We combined library assets with AI-generated objects to shape the environments. Using the Meta Horizon Desktop Editor, we designed the levels and experimented with different layouts. In Visual Studio Code, we created scripts to move objects, add parkour-like elements, trigger cutscenes, manage hitboxes, handle interactions, implement UI logic, and support multiplayer-friendly behavior.

Challenges we ran into

As beginners, understanding the engine’s logic and scripting workflow was a major challenge. Some assets needed to be created from scratch, and balancing the levels to be fun without becoming frustrating required multiple iterations. Implementing features like checkpoints, interactable environments, and multiplayer compatibility also added complexity.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We built a complete multi-level experience featuring functional mechanics, interactive environments, custom UI, a storyline with cutscenes, and a working leaderboard. Seeing our first scripts come alive with ambient audio and responsive feedback felt like a major achievement.

What we learned

We learned the fundamentals of Horizon Worlds development, from asset creation and level design to scripting, debugging, UI building, and early multiplayer concepts. Documentation and the Meta Creator YouTube channel were key resources that accelerated our workflow.

What's next for Find the Button

We plan to add more levels, expand world variety, and introduce additional mechanics. A refined leaderboard, deeper story moments, and enhanced multiplayer features will help make the experience even more dynamic and engaging.