Idle Game Builder

Idle Game Builder is a remixable no-code template for Horizon Worlds that lets creators design, customize and publish their own idle games with ease.

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About the Project

Inspiration

Idle games are one of the most popular and accessible genres, known for their combination of progression, resets, and prestige mechanics. Despite their popularity, Horizon Worlds had no remixable template that allowed creators to design and publish their own idle games. Our goal was to change that by creating a no-code, remixable framework that lowers the entry barrier and empowers both beginners and experienced creators to experiment with the genre.

What it does

Idle Game Builder provides everything needed to design an idle game in Horizon Worlds without touching a single line of code. All gameplay mechanics are configured through objects in the hierarchy, making it easy to adjust values, add features, or customize progression. The system includes three fully configurable core currencies: Money as the main soft currency, Prestige as the reward earned after a reset for long-term growth, and Diamonds as a premium currency for special boosts or monetization ideas. In addition to the mechanics, we created a modular asset pack with room parts that lets remixers shape their own environments. The template is optimized for VR, mobile, and web, ensuring that touch interactions and immersive gameplay work seamlessly across platforms.

How we built it

We built the system around a modular hierarchy design, ensuring that every major component can be configured directly in the editor. The currency managers, progression loops, and reset mechanics were implemented as reusable prefabs, keeping them easy to extend. Instead of building a full 3D asset pack, we prepared some sample buildings and upgrades that serves as the default environment where the idle game is placed. As well as ready to use leaderboards and quests. This structure can be used as-is, but all UI elements are fully modular and can also be positioned in any other environment if creators prefer to design their own space. Throughout the process, we focused on a remix-first design, documenting all important systems and making sure that even new creators could navigate and modify them intuitively.

Challenges we ran into

One of the biggest challenges was balancing the three-currency economy while leaving enough flexibility for remixers to adjust values to their own designs. We also needed to keep the hierarchy clear and intuitive, so beginners would not feel overwhelmed by too many nested objects. Another challenge was optimizing performance, since the world had to run smoothly not only in VR but also on mobile and web platforms, which required testing and fine-tuning across devices.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud to have delivered a fully functional idle game framework that truly requires no coding knowledge. The inclusion of a ready-to-use asset pack and custom skyboxes makes remixing not only functional but also visually rewarding. Most importantly, we believe this is one of the first open-source idle game templates in Horizon Worlds, opening the door for a wave of new remixable experiences in this genre.

What we learned

Working on this project taught us that building remixable worlds requires a different mindset. Clarity, modularity, and documentation are just as important as fun mechanics, since other creators must be able to quickly understand and extend the system. We also learned that the Horizon community thrives when given tools that balance depth of gameplay with ease of customization. Finally, we saw how important visual customization is: providing modular rooms and skyboxes significantly increases the sense of ownership when someone remixes the world.

What's next for Idle Game Builder

Our next step is to expand the framework with optional features such as automation tiers to make games more engaging. We also plan to release additional skyboxes and asset packs, giving creators even more freedom in how their games look and feel. To support the community, we want to create tutorial videos and walkthroughs that make remixing even faster and more accessible, ensuring that Idle Game Builder continues to grow as a foundation for new idle game creations.

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