Tumbles

Inspiration

Tumbles began as a Mixed Reality prototype created for XR Creator Con Berlin in 2025, where it won first place in the Mixed Reality category.

Since then, we've been exploring ways to expand the Tumbles universe beyond Mixed Reality. This project presents one of those directions: a social, flat-screen adaptation designed specifically for Meta Horizon Worlds.

Inspired by games like Slime Rancher, Sheepherds!, PEAK and Overcooked, we wanted to create an experience focused on cooperation, chaos and protecting a lovable flock of creatures.

What it does

Tumbles is a herding adventure where players guide a flock of adorable but distractible creatures through dangerous fantasy biomes.

Players don't directly control the Tumbles. Instead, they influence the herd using positioning, environmental interactions and a core mechanic called BOOP.

The game features:

Single-player Story Mode
2–4 Player Cooperative Mode

How we built it

We started by adapting the original Mixed Reality concept into a game designed specifically for Meta Horizon Worlds.

Our work focused on game design, worldbuilding, progression systems, cooperative gameplay, biome design and social mechanics that encourage teamwork and emergent gameplay.

Challenges we ran into

The biggest challenge was translating an award-winning Mixed Reality experience into a social multiplayer concept while preserving what made the original prototype special.

We also wanted to avoid traditional escort missions and instead create a system where players influence the herd rather than directly control it.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Expanding an award-winning MR prototype into a complete game concept
Creating a unique herding-based gameplay loop
Designing the BOOP mechanic
Building a concept that supports both solo and multiplayer experiences
Making protection and teamwork the core of the experience

What we learned

We learned that players quickly become emotionally attached to the Tumbles, creating natural motivation without relying on traditional combat systems.

We also discovered that cooperative chaos often creates the most memorable gameplay moments.

What's next for Tumbles

Our next step is refining the flock behavior systems, cooperative gameplay and progression loops.

We also plan to expand the world with new biomes, village-building features and additional social experiences within the growing Tumbles universe.