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I made 3D in rive work. A-maze-ing_rive a tiny engine for 3D retro style games, with text editable maps, mini-map, shading, CRT scan lines(accidentally 😏 ).
And importantly onscreen hover and click controls (so it works inside rive 😎).
My first post on linkedin showing off rive-scripting, well outside my normal wheelhouse.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/paul-n-0298943a5_3d-retro-game-design-build-interactive-maps-share-7422861073361440768-VAiF?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAGNDpCEBGl1GOxedeBQ4tve1EZfHy3aCJlY
linkedin.com
3D Retro Game Design: Build Interactive Maps with Rive Engine | Paul N
For my first ever post on LinkedIn I made 3D in rive work with rive scripting. A-maze-ing_rive a tiny engine for 3D retro style games, with text editable maps, mini-map, shading, CRT scan lines(accidentally 😏 ). And importantly onscreen hover and click controls (so it works inside rive 😎). https://lnkd.in/e86rr-vH
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I was honestly just wondering if I could actually make a 3D game using Easy Lens. Curiosity got the better of me, I tried it out, and wallah.It turned out awesome!
The idea came to me pretty quickly: why not fly a plane in 3D where you just hold to charge it up, and release to launch? If you hit the perfect charge, you hit the target.
After some testing and refinement, it's finally finished. You can play it right now!
🎮 Game Name: Fly Plane Ring ✈️
🕹️ What I Built
I created Neon Byte Runner, a fast-paced retro arcade game Lens for Snapchat inspired by classic endless dodgers and 80s neon aesthetics. Built entirely using prompt-based iteration in EasyLens, the game includes:
Procedural Pixel-Art Visuals: Glowing neon ships, data bugs, energy bytes, and background scanlines drawn in real time for crisp rendering across all screen sizes.
Drag-and-Dodge Controls: Intuitive mobile steering where players dodge incoming "data bugs" and collect "energy bytes" for score multiplier points.
Dynamic Damage System: A three-life mechanic where taking damage physically breaks off spaceship parts (wings and tail) with visual particle flares.
Magical Heart Repairs: Rare falling heart powerups that grant an extra life and visually repair broken spaceship parts back onto the ship.
Chiptune Audio & Global Leaderboard: Custom-generated arcade music and sound effects paired with an integrated HUD and leaderboard to drive replayability.
💡 Why I Built It
Reimagining Classic Arcade Mechanics for AR:
I wanted to capture the instant-play energy of old-school arcade cabinets and adapt it into a social, mobile-first Snapchat Lens. The goal was to create a game that takes seconds to learn, but offers enough depth and escalating difficulty to keep players saying, "Just one more run."
Visual & Emotional Damage Feedback:
Instead of relying on a standard health bar, I wanted players to feel the stakes. Making the ship parts physically break off and scatter across the screen creates an immediate, dramatic feedback loop when you make a mistake—and grabbing a rare heart to repair your ship feels genuinely rewarding.
Pushing the Boundaries of Prompt-Based Game Design:
As a developer, I wanted to explore how far prompt engineering inside EasyLens could go. I set out to prove that you can build complete, highly polished game systems—including state management, procedural rendering, sound synthesis, and dynamic damage states—purely by guiding AI with precise multi-step prompts.
✨ How EasyLens Made It Possible
Using EasyLens, I didn't need to hop between traditional 3D software, external audio workstations, or manual script compilers. I iterated through targeted prompts to handle:
Generating procedural visual assets on the fly.
Setting up custom arcade music and dynamic sound triggers.
Fine-tuning game controls, collision boxes, and damage states.
EasyLens handled the heavy lifting, allowing me to focus on game feel, pacing, and player experience
sick af!