Run or Grind

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  Cover Photo

Inspiration

When I first started developing games in Meta Horizon, one of my earliest creations was a game called Bump & Grind. It sparked my enthusiasm for crafting fun and engaging experiences within the platform. As Horizon continued to evolve, the game remained unchanged. I felt it was time to revisit it and ask myself—how would I approach this now? That became my driving question.

What it does

Run or Grind is a mobile platformer with a straightforward concept: climb the ramp. As the player ascends, various objects fall down—from rubber ducks to speedboats—adding unpredictability and challenge. It demands player focus and captures the addictive, replayable spirit of casual pick-up-and-play games.

How we built it

I designed the entire map using Blender and incorporated MEO textures to give the graffiti a glowing effect. Texture changers brought the conveyor belts to life with movement. To make the environment feel dynamic, I added moving elements and used dynamic lighting throughout. I’ve also become proficient in batching asset files, which helped optimize texture usage—essential in a detailed world like this.

Challenges we ran into

I gave myself the goal of developing my first fully TypeScript-based game. Having only recently begun learning the language and its concepts, it was a significant challenge—but one I was able to overcome. This opened up exciting new possibilities for mobile games on Horizon. One of the toughest aspects was balancing difficulty—especially with randomized falling objects. To help calibrate this, I had friends playtest it, which revealed about a 25% win rate—just the right balance to keep players engaged.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I’m particularly proud of completing this project without using any codeblocks, something I’ve relied on in many of my earlier builds. I’m also proud of how much I’ve grown as a developer within Horizon, especially as I’ve embraced and mastered the newer tools—it’s been a transformative journey.

What we learned

This project taught me the importance of deadlines and time management—but more than anything, it reinforced that I should follow what excites me. I now know that with enough motivation, I can pick up new skills and apply them in a matter of months.

What's next for Run or Grind

I plan to introduce a leveling system and add new HUD icons. If I’d had more time, I would’ve included a statistics board showing the many quirky ways players fail—whether it’s by getting caught in the jiqsaw or getting bonked by a rubber duck. I also plan to add comic book style overlays when players get hit, such as 'bang'. Looking ahead, I have two more games planned in the Run or Grind universe—but that’s a surprise for later.

Built With

• adobe-illustrator
• blender
• chatgpt
• photoshop
• typescript
• vscode