Neighborhood Nodes

Inspiration

Neighborhood Nodes was inspired by the idea that small, everyday acts of repair can become compelling game systems. A lot of social games focus on spectacle or competition; I wanted to design something quieter but still replayable: a mobile-first Horizon management game about restoring a neglected block into a living neighborhood.

The recent Meta Horizon engine updates also shaped the concept. Horizon Studio’s TypeScript workflow, improved visual fidelity, AI-assisted creation tools, and support for more persistent/social experiences made it feel practical to design a richer simulation without requiring a massive team or custom engine.

What I Learned

This project pushed me to think less like I was pitching a theme and more like I was designing a complete playable system. The strongest ideas came from connecting every feature back to the core loop: place, repair, recruit, prepare, host, and return.

I also learned how important scope discipline is for Horizon. The design became stronger when I reduced the world to a compact neighborhood block, limited the MVP to a few resources and resident types, and made the first session readable within 15 minutes.

How I Built the Project

I built the submission as a full design package rather than a playable prototype. The package includes:

A 5-page Game Design Document covering the concept, target player, core loop, progression, retention, and replay value.
A 2-page Player Journey Map showing the first 15 minutes of play, including emotional beats, decisions, difficulty ramp, and session ending.
A 7-page Visual Concept Package with environment direction, UI mockups, mood board, palette, and key visual references.
A 3-page Production Plan defining the MVP, build sequence, technical dependencies, testing approach, and scope cuts.

The design is built around a small set of interconnected systems: Food, Tools, Trust, Neighborhood Health, resident roles, lot upgrades, neighborhood events, and lightweight social assists. Each system is intended to be understandable on mobile while still creating meaningful tradeoffs over repeated sessions.

Challenges

The biggest challenge was balancing ambition with feasibility. It would have been easy to pitch a large city sim, but that would not be realistic for a Horizon-first build. I narrowed the game to one compact block so the design could focus on strong moment-to-moment decisions, clear visual feedback, and manageable technical implementation.

Another challenge was making the game feel social without depending on synchronous multiplayer. The solution was to use asynchronous neighbor assists and shared contribution moments, giving players a reason to return and support each other without making the MVP technically fragile.

Finally, I had to make sure the visual direction supported the gameplay instead of just looking appealing. The art direction uses a repair-forward visual language: boarded lots, modular buildings, warm evening events, and visible before/after transformation. That way, player progress is readable immediately.