One of the standout successes in virtual reality, Gorilla Tag, is taking its innovative level-building mode to the next level and making it a permanent feature of the game. Known as ‘Monke Blocks,’ this mode gives friends the chance to not only create levels together but also experience these creations by playing in them. At the same time, the development team behind the burgeoning social VR game Digigods has recently secured a $2.6 million investment, underscoring how significant user-generated content (UGC) has become in making social VR games a hit.
Titles like VRChat, Rec Room, Roblox, and Horizon Worlds have cemented their success by leveraging UGC. There’s a pattern here: when people build as a unit, they stick together, crafting shared experiences that resonate.
Initially, Gorilla Tag might seem just a typical multiplayer game. However, thanks to its fluid multiplayer system—where players can transition smoothly from one lobby to another—and its open-ended gameplay, the game has evolved into more of a vibrant social hub and a playful escape, rather than just a competitive arena.
With ‘Monke Blocks’ now firmly a part of Gorilla Tag, the game is diving deeper into the realm of social VR. It empowers players to create their own environments and then leap into them, quite literally.
Imagine a world where you piece together blocks to draft your own adventure! That’s what Gorilla Tag offers. Players can collaboratively click blocks into place, crafting new terrains. Meanwhile, they can shrink down and immerse themselves in these newly-minted landscapes, free to explore just like in any standard Gorilla Tag session. While some players guide the construction from a larger perspective, others can venture through the evolving world in miniature form.
To sustain this novel feature, the game introduces options for purchasing new block sets using in-game premium currency known as ‘Shiny Rocks’. Whether you’re looking to construct a medieval castle or something entirely unique, the first themed block set will be available for 6,000 SR, which translates to about $30.
The rise of ‘build and play’ models marked by UGC is pivotal for successful social VR games, both for veteran titles and new entrants. Another Axiom, the minds behind Gorilla Tag, are venturing into new territory with their upcoming title, Orion Drift. It promises a vast, interactive playground where players will shape their adventure and even create custom mini-games and rules to boot.
Earlier this year, we highlighted that Yeeps, another game centered around UGC, had already amassed 360,000 monthly active users. This month, Squido Studio, creators of Digigods—a UGC-driven game—celebrated a $3 million seed investment funded by Triptyq Capital and others, as reported by VentureBeat.
Having launched in April 2024, Digigods has made a strong mark within just a year, attracting 100,000 unique players. It’s also managed to rack up over 10,600 user reviews, scoring an impressive average of 4.8 out of 5 stars, which is no small feat on the Quest platform. As it remains in Early Access, there’s anticipation that it will flourish further upon its full-scale launch.
While UGC remains the backbone of leading social VR games, a notable shift is visible between old and modern titles: player movement. Classic games like Rec Room, VRChat, and Horizon Worlds rely predominantly on thumbstick or teleportation for movement. But newer games—Orion Drift, Yeeps, and Digigods—embrace the arm-based locomotion that Gorilla Tag popularized, marking a generational shift within the genre.
This transition in movement mechanics also seems to correlate with demographic trends, with new-age games featuring arm-based locomotion appealing more to Gen Z compared to the Millennial and older audiences who were more attuned to traditional VR experiences.
