Snapcase

Intro
Memory Game
Memory Game
Leaderboard
Memory Game

Inspiration

Snapcase started from a simple childhood memory game: “I’m going on a trip and I pack…”. I wanted to turn that growing-list pressure into a fast, replayable Snapchat experience with a bold pop / cartoon / comics look—readable 3D objects, punchy UI, and satisfying feedback.

What it does

Snapcase is a 3D memory rush:

A suitcase shows an ordered list of items that grows each round
Players must tap the items back in the same order
One mistake ends the run → score is submitted → leaderboard screen

How we built it

This was my first time ever opening Lens Studio, Visual Studio Code, and GitHub—I learned everything on the fly while building a shippable project.

Main building blocks:

State-based flow: BOOT → GAME → END/LEADERBOARD to keep runtime clean
Modular code: I started with one monolithic GameManager, then split into smaller scripts (game state, UI flow, item provider, leaderboard flow) for stability and easier debugging
3D pipeline: I modeled the items in Blender with a focus on silhouette readability, consistent style, and lightweight geometry for mobile performance
Snap assets/workflows: I relied as much as possible on Snap-provided components (loading/scene/UI patterns) to stay optimized and future-proof

ChatGPT acted like an invaluable daily teammate for structuring systems, debugging, and iterating quickly.

Challenges we ran into

I wanted a game that would let me explore 3D in Lens Studio with code that wouldn’t be too scary since I was starting from zero — spoiler: it still felt like a final boss to me (even if seasoned devs might laugh kindly).

Performance & loading: keeping lots of item variety without heavy startup or lag
UI responsiveness: clean leaderboard layout with masks/borders across screen sizes
Tooling ramp-up: learning Lens Studio + VS Code + Git from scratch while shipping
API constraints: adapting to deprecations and recommended Snap workflows

Accomplishments that we're proud of

A complete, replayable gameplay loop that feels “snackable” on Snapchat
A stable end flow with score + leaderboard screen
A cleaner architecture after refactoring into modules
A consistent stylized 3D item set made in Blender
- Intro motion design ## What we learned
Shipping means making smart trade-offs: clarity + performance > extra features
Separating game states prevents “hidden” bugs and wasted runtime work
Version control (GitHub) is essential once the project grows
Debugging becomes manageable when responsibilities are split into modules