At Oculus Connect 6, we debuted a first look at Facebook Horizon, a social experience where you can explore, play, and create with others in VR. Since then, we’ve been hard at work inside of Horizon, building new worlds and getting things ready. As you can imagine, creating virtual worlds takes many virtual hands, so we invited a group of early creators to jump in and help out. Today, we’re excited to share a few of the worlds made by these early explorers and creators.

Each of the worlds we’re looking at today was made entirely inside of Horizon, using only the creation tools and plenty of imagination. Four vastly different worlds, each made by hand, and each a wonderfully immersive reflection of individual aspirations and creativity.

“Deep Sleep” by Liam McKill

Deep Sleep is an immersive lost in space Sci-Fi thriller game/experience. You play a crew member who has just awoken from hypersleep. With no idea who or where you are, you must restore power to the ship and figure out what went wrong during the voyage. 

What inspired you to start creating in Horizon?

"A big inspiration behind Deep Sleep was the video game Bioshock, one of my favorite video games. The plot twists, sense of isolation, and the eerie atmosphere in Bioshock inspire me to build Horizon experiences. I was also inspired by CDFDMAN’s worlds in Horizon because it illustrated possibilities for creating strong narrative experiences within Horizon."

What has been your favorite aspect of Horizon so far?

"My favorite aspect of Horizon is building projects collaboratively with friends in real-time. The platform’s tools make it possible to effectively translate ideas from abstract thoughts into physical form. It provides a great platform for creative exploration in the area of virtual world-building."

What advice do you have for new creators inside of Facebook Horizon?

"My biggest piece of advice for new creators in Horizon is to experiment constantly. You are in a world that can’t be broken and is still relatively unexplored; the by-product of a scripting mistake may just become the foundation of your next project."

”Jungle Adventure” by Clint Ferguson

Horizon Adventure Tours: Jungle Adventure is an action-adventure inspired world. With danger and challenges around every turn, the player searches for the temple hidden deep within the jungle. This map is best for people seeking a fun challenge, either solo or with their friends. 

What inspired you to start creating in Horizon?

"Ever since I was young, I have always loved storytelling. Stories inspire me to tell my own, and I’ve found that one of the best ways to do so is to create them in video games."

What has been your favorite aspect of Horizon so far?

"Walking through your world, and being proud of what you made, has been the most rewarding aspect. Easy collaborative building tools bring your ideas to life. Horizon lets you be as detailed and creative as your imagination will allow."

What advice do you have for new creators inside of Facebook Horizon?

"Jump in and start experimenting. Small ideas can bloom into whole worlds. Think about what world would be fun for people and run with it."

“Alien Catacombs” by Micah Allen

Alien Catacombs is an adventure fantasy obstacle course. Can you make it through these mysterious Alien Catacombs? Grab a sword, party up, or traverse this treacherous world alone.

What inspired you to start creating in Horizon?

"I’m inspired by the question: 'I wonder what this would look like if it were real?' Creating in VR gives me a chance to experience something I’ve always wanted to see. I read and watched fantasy-themed content when I was a child, like Goblins in the Castle, which had a huge influence on me."

What has been your favorite aspect of Horizon so far?

"My favorite aspect has to be the scripting capability. You can create a world and make it do almost anything you want."

What advice do you have for new creators inside of Facebook Horizon?

"Be patient with yourself, and try to build when you’re inspired by something. Try to copy the scripts in the tutorials right alongside them. Learn the variables; they are everything."

“Sunny’s Place” by Sunny Ammerman

Have you ever daydreamed about your ideal apartment? What if you could create it virtually, and walk inside of it? I’ve created a space where I can invite friends over and hang out, surrounded by decor and furniture that I find aesthetically pleasing.

What inspired you to start creating in Horizon?

"My original idea was to create an educational mini-game environment about life with chronic illness, which would take place in an apartment setting. When I started building, I got so involved with the design aspect that I just decided to make this world my dream apartment. I still intend to make the mini-game, and I might use a copy of this space to do that, but I’ll simplify a lot of the details for optimization’s sake."

What has been your favorite aspect of Horizon so far?

"Meeting up with other VR enthusiasts and creative people and exploring the worlds they make!"

What advice do you have for new creators inside of Facebook Horizon?

"Make what inspires you. Don’t feel like you need to meet some popularity criteria, or cater to what you think other people want. Make something that you want, and your originality and uniqueness will shine through and inspire others. Above all else, have fun with it! The Horizon community is amazing, so don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help from more experienced builders if you need guidance."

We can’t wait to continue building Horizon with you. We’ve got an exciting road ahead, and we’re thrilled to invite the community along for the journey. You will need to log into Horizon with a Facebook account, and the invite-only beta will be available on Oculus Quest and the Rift Platform. We’ll add more people over time, and in the meantime, you can add your name to the beta waitlist.

Visit Horizon page for more information, and to stay current on the latest news and updates.