The Address Book is an educational WebAR experience developed in 8th Wall Studio by USC student Jinglin Jingan and Professor Robert Hernandez. Built in collaboration with the ONE Archives at USC Libraries, this immersive project spotlights the first edition of Bob Damron’s Address Book, a 1960s-era travel guide that documented safe and welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals across the U.S.

Inspired by its real-world counterpart—often called the “Green Book for queer people”—this browser-based experience brings history to your fingertips. Users can flip through a digitized version of the guide using touch and audio-based interactions. As they explore, they’ll uncover original listings from the book’s pages, listen to oral history from ONE Archives director Joseph Hawkins, and engage directly with a piece of LGBTQ+ history that’s long been overlooked.

We caught up with Jinglin to learn how this project came to life using 8th Wall Studio, how it was structured, and how it’s helping bring queer history to wider audiences through interactive storytelling.

We’re officially in the final stretch of the Forge the Future Game Jam, and if you’re building a browser-based game with Niantic Studio, now’s the time to power up your skills. To help developers of all levels make the most of this opportunity, we hosted a series of expert-led webinars throughout May—and the full lineup is now available to stream on-demand.

Whether you’re refining your project or just getting started, these sessions are packed with practical insights and strategic tips to help you build your best game.

Diné YÉIGO (Navajo for “KEEP GOING”) is an interactive Navajo language learning experience built in Niantic Studio by Akilah Martinez, an artist, XR developer, and founder of Glittering World Girl. The experience invites users to explore and pronounce contemporary Navajo words using sound-driven interactions, paired with cultural storytelling and animation.

Designed as a culturally rooted, browser-based AR activation, Diné YÉIGO uses 3D visuals, touch-based audio triggers, and meaningful character design (including a playful coyote guide) to immerse users in Diné bizaad, the Navajo language.

We caught up with Akilah to learn how she brought this project to life using Niantic Studio, what challenges she overcame, and how she’s using AR to break down barriers in Indigenous tech access and language preservation.

The 8th Wall x VIVERSE Game Jamis officially live! From May 12 to June 30, this global challenge invites developers, designers, and students to build innovative, browser-based games using Niantic Studio on 8thWall.com.

Whether you're testing out a new mechanic, prototyping your next indie hit, or looking to level up your game design skills, this is your opportunity to create, compete, and showcase what’s possible with Niantic Studio.

Rhythmz is a retro arcade rhythm shooter created in Niantic Studio, blending the spirit of classic games like Space Invaders with the timing and energy of rhythm games like OSU. With vibrant neon visuals, pulsating beats, and fast-paced action, Rhythmz invites players to blast incoming enemies to the beat of the music in a highly replayable, browser-based experience.

We caught up with developer Emilio Martinez Romero to learn how Rhythmz came to life, what technical tools powered it, and how Niantic Studio made it possible to synchronize music and gameplay in a smooth, cross-platform experience.

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.

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.