Niantic Studio keeps getting better with every update as we roll out new features and improvements. With our latest update, we’re excited to introduce the all-new UI Toolkit, giving you more control than ever when building user interfaces and 2D objects in Studio.

Explore Your Needs and Build Your Own Oasis are two interactive WebAR experiences built by Z.38 Health as part of an experimental digital therapeutics initiative. Designed to support emotional clarity and self-regulation, both projects use evidence-based psychological principles to guide users through short, engaging sessions, directly in the browser.

Created with Niantic Studio, these experiences demonstrate the potential of immersive tools not just for entertainment, but for supporting mental health. With accessibility and user agency at the core, Z. 38 Health is exploring how browser-based AR can make wellness tools more engaging and widely available.

We spoke with the team to understand their motivation, what tools helped bring these ideas to life, and where they see AR fitting into the future of digital healthcare.

We're thrilled to launch Image Targets in Niantic Studio! This groundbreaking feature empowers you to build interactive augmented reality (AR) experiences triggered by physical images—without extensive coding. Whether you're a solo developer or part of an agency, this update streamlines the process of crafting immersive AR projects that seamlessly blend with the real world.

Wonder Cars is a charming game built in Niantic Studio, where real-world scans and stylized vehicles collide in a visually rich WebAR experience. Created by Wonderment by Design, the project explores how Gaussian splats can elevate level design, product storytelling, and immersive advertising—all while keeping things fun and approachable for casual gamers.

We sat down with the team to hear how they brought Wonder Cars to life, what tools helped accelerate the build, and where they see Niantic Studio pushing AR experiences next.

From immersive history lessons and environmental storytelling to playful AR journeys grounded in real places, the Real-World Impact Challenge invited developers around the world to build meaningful WebAR experiences using Niantic Studio. These winning projects showcase the creative power of AR to preserve culture, promote education, and inspire community action.

These are the projects that had the most impact on our judges:

Vladimir Storm’s Snek Game is a modern twist on the classic snake game, rebuilt from the ground up using Niantic Studio. But this version isn’t just about chasing apples—it’s also a developer resource, offering a detailed codebase and tutorial to help others get hands-on with building 3D web games using ECS, Gaussian splats, and mobile-friendly inputs.

We caught up with Vladimir to learn what inspired him to build Snek Game, how Niantic Studio helped accelerate development, and why this is just the beginning for web-based gaming.

Yasas Sri Wickramasinghe’s Portal Hunter Adventure is an immersive WebAR game where players dive through portals into new locations, search for hidden objects, and defend themselves against enemies—all within a real-world environment enhanced by Gaussian splats and interactive gameplay mechanics. Built in Niantic Studio, the experience blends classic adventure mechanics with AR-native features like projectile launching, portal visibility control, and dynamic UI screens.

We spoke with Yasas about how this game evolved from a research concept to a playable experience, and what he learned along the way.

Gouda Fish Market AR created by Dylan Smit from Dunk Technologies is a time-traveling WebAR experience that transports users to the historic fish markets of Gouda. Players take on the role of fishmongers, sorting fish under time pressure while learning about the local history of the trade. By blending historical storytelling with interactive gamification, this project makes history more engaging and accessible—especially for younger audiences.

We spoke with Dylan about the development process, the challenges faced, and the role of Niantic Studio in bringing this experience to life.

Sushi Beat Drops is an interactive WebAR rhythm game that challenges players to catch falling sushi in perfect sync with the music. Built in Niantic Studio, the game utilizes face-tracking mechanics to let players control the action by tilting their heads left or right to catch sushi as it lands on plates. For an alternative input method, a tap-to-play mode allows players to tap the screen to catch sushi on the correct side.

Inspired by classic rhythm games like Taiko no Tatsujin and Osu!, the game blends fast-paced music-based gameplay with real-world interaction, creating a fun and immersive experience.

We caught up with creators Saul Peña Gamero and Mackenzie Li to learn about their process and the lessons they learned along the way.

Mini-games thrive on simplicity, challenge, and replayability, and MouseTap delivers on all three. Created by Alex Bradt and the team at Mousepack, this game tests your precision and timing as you tap to inflate a balloon. But miss, and it's game over.

MouseTap is built entirely with 2D assets in a 3D space, leveraging Niantic Studio to create seamless animations, dynamic UI changes, and responsive gameplay. Let’s dive into how Alex and his team brought this fast-paced game to life.