Bowling Swipe Game – Snap Lens

Inspiration

The inspiration behind our project was the simplicity and fun of classic bowling games combined with the interactive nature of Snapchat Lenses.

We wanted to create a quick, arcade-style bowling experience where players could easily aim, throw the ball, and watch the pins fall realistically — all within a Lens.

Our goal was to make something engaging, visually appealing, and simple enough to play in short sessions, just like casual mobile games.

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How We Built the Project

We built the game using Lens Studio and its physics system.

Main features include:

• A swipe/aim-based bowling ball controller
  
• Realistic pin physics with collision detection
  
• Round-based gameplay system
  
• Score tracking system
  
• Start Screen and End Screen UI
  
• Animated text effects for better visual feedback
  
• Sound effects for:
  • Start screen music
    
  • Gameplay music
    
  • Pin collision sounds
    
  • Game over sound
    

We used:

• Physics Bodies for ball and pins
  
• Custom JavaScript scripts to control gameplay flow
  
• UI elements (Full Frame Region, Text, Image) for screens and score
  
• Audio Components for immersive sound design
  

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What We Learned

Throughout the project, we learned:

• How physics works in Lens Studio (Sphere Body, Capsule Body, collisions)
  
• Managing game states like Start, Playing, and Game Over
  
• Creating responsive UI with Full Frame Regions
  
• Handling audio transitions between different game screens
  
• Debugging script errors and understanding Lens Studio’s API
  

We also learned the importance of:

• Clean code structure
  
• Layering UI properly
  
• Managing performance for smooth gameplay
  

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Challenges We Faced

Some of the major challenges were:

• Physics objects shaking or falling through the floor
  
• Collision detection working differently than traditional game engines
  
• UI layers covering 3D objects unexpectedly
  
• Audio looping and overlapping issues
  
• Synchronizing ball resets with pin resets
  

We solved these by:

• Switching to proper Physics Bodies instead of generic ones
  
• Using collision callbacks correctly
  
• Separating UI layers properly
  
• Controlling audio playback through game state logic
  

Each problem helped us understand Lens Studio more deeply.

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Final Result

The final game offers:

• Smooth bowling gameplay
  
• Realistic pin collisions
  
• Clear scoring system
  
• Polished UI screens
  
• Immersive sound effects
  

Overall, this project helped us explore interactive game development inside Snapchat and taught us how powerful Lens Studio can be for building fun experiences.

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Future Improvements

Some ideas for future updates include:

• Multiplayer or leaderboard integration
  
• Different bowling lanes and themes
  
• Power gauge for more precise throws
  
• Special effects for strikes and spares
  
• High score saving
  

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Thank you for checking out our project!

Built With

• and-scoring-system-**lens-studio-physics-engine**-?-for-realistic-ball-and-pin-collisions-**lens-studio-ui-system-(full-frame-region
• components
• gameplay-ui
• image)**-?-for-start-screen
• javascript
• physics
• physics-control
• text
• ui
• ui-flow