Salty Slime is a unique 3D platformer with fun and addictive mechanics, created by college students Herman Ptacnik and Alessandro Blanco. Players take control of a slime that can expand to grow bigger, bounce higher, and interact with the world in surprising ways. From wall jumps to rail slides, every level challenges you to master the stretch-and-jump mechanic in creative and satisfying ways.

We spoke with Herman and Alessandro about their inspirations, development journey, and lessons learned from creating Salty Slime.

What inspired you to create Salty Slime?
We started by brainstorming mechanics from some of our favorite games: Mario, Zelda, and Kirby. The goal was to create something fun and refreshing for the 3D platformer genre. From Mario, we got inspired by the cartoony art style and game smoothness. From Zelda, we took the puzzles and challenging levels. And from Kirby, well, our player pretty much expands like a balloon when you hit space.

The essence of our mechanic lies in its versatility and satisfying effect. By expanding the player, you can not only jump, can also push objects, walk through rails, and even wall jump! This allowed us to make each level unique and add a better user experience.

How did 8th Wall Studio help bring your vision to life?

It was great learning more about 8th Wall Studio and working to build this for the Forge the Future Game Jam. Events like this are amazing for testing your limits, growing your skills, and exploring new ideas. The version control system was great; it is a powerful and convenient tool that allowed for fast collaboration as a team. Other tools like the AI Asset Generator (Asset Lab) and QR code testing were also a game changer, they allowed rapid prototyping and for us to focus on actual game development rather than technical setup.

Were there any challenges along the way? How did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge was learning the engine as we built the game. We only had three days to work on the jam due to college and personal projects, but the documentation was clear and easy to follow.

Coming from a Unity background, our most common errors were cursor-related—specifically stale references. We were used to variables and data persisting across sessions, so it took some adjustment. Once we got past that, everything ran smoothly, and we were amazed at how much we accomplished in such a short time.

What were the key steps you took to bring this experience to life?

1. Lock in a strong idea first. We brainstormed thoroughly before opening the engine. By validating our idea early, we stayed motivated and avoided wasted effort.
2. Think through the logic before coding. Mapping mechanics to engine logic before writing code saved us time and mistakes.
3. Start with the core mechanics. We focused on nailing the “fun” factor first—then expanded outward. This kept the project focused and manageable under a short deadline.

What advice would you give to other developers interested in building WebAR experiences with 8th Wall Studio?

Game jams are an incredible way to learn new platforms, languages, and tools. Before this, we had little experience with 8th Wall. Three days later, we had a working game and a win!

Our advice: jump in, use jams as learning opportunities, and don’t be afraid to build something small but polished.

Where do you see the future of AR and web games? How does 8th Wall Studio fit into that?

AR is growing quickly, with huge potential in marketing and gaming. 8th Wall’s ability to run immersive experiences right from the browser removes barriers for players and makes cross-platform development easy.

We also think 8th Wall’s World Effects technology is the most advanced we’ve seen for the web, and we’re excited to explore it more. As AR continues to evolve, the demand for these kinds of experiences will grow—whether as a hobby, side hustle, or business.

Ready to Build Your Own Game?

Inspired by Herman and Alessandro’s journey? You can create your own 3D game or AR experience with Niantic Studio. Whether you’re new to development or looking to push your skills further, our sample projects are the perfect place to start.

Try Putt Putt Paradise, our sample mini golf game, and remix it into something entirely your own. From there, you can expand, customize, and bring your creative mechanics to life—just like Herman and Alessandro did with Salty Slime.

Have any questions or ideas? Join the conversation on Discord.