Gorilla Tag, one of the standout success stories in the virtual reality world, is making waves by permanently incorporating a level creation mode previously tested with players. Known as ‘Monke Blocks,’ this feature offers a collaborative building experience where friends can design and explore their own creations together. Meanwhile, the studio developing the promising social VR game Digigods has secured a hefty $2.6 million investment. These developments highlight how essential user-generated content (UGC) has become in the realm of popular social VR games.
Titles like VRChat, Rec Room, Roblox, and Horizon Worlds have all captured significant attention, and they share a common element: UGC. There’s truth to the saying, “friends that build together, stay together,” particularly in the world of gaming.
From an outsider’s perspective, Gorilla Tag might seem like a straightforward multiplayer game rather than a social VR hub. However, its intuitive multiplayer setup, which allows players to drift from one lobby to another seamlessly, combined with unstructured play, makes it both a gathering spot and a playground.
By introducing the ‘Monke Blocks’ as a permanent option, Gorilla Tag steps deeper into the social VR scene, empowering players to build and then engage with their customized environments.
The block-based feature lets players piece together new levels and shrink themselves down to experience the creations firsthand, akin to any typical Gorilla Tag session. While some players focus on constructing these new environments, others can become miniaturized participants exploring the evolving designs in real-time.
To monetize this innovative feature, players can purchase new block sets using Gorilla Tag’s in-game currency, ‘Shiny Rocks.’ The initial offering includes pieces themed around a medieval castle, available at the equivalent of about $30 or 6,000 SR.
This ‘build and play’ model epitomizes user-generated content, a crucial component for thriving social VR games, both established and emerging.
Looking forward, Another Axiom, the studio responsible for Gorilla Tag, is developing Orion Drift. This new title will similarly offer players a vast arena to explore and customize. Future updates promise the ability to create mini-games and set unique rules.
Earlier this year, we reported that the UGC-focused game Yeeps hit an impressive 360,000 monthly active users. Now, Squido Studio, the creative force behind another UGC-centered game, Digigods, has received a $3 million seed investment with backing from a range of investors, including Triptyq Capital and the Canada Media Fund, as noted by VentureBeat.
Launching just last April, Digigods has already enticed 100,000 players, boasting over 10,600 user reviews with an average rating of 4.8 stars—a notable achievement on the Quest platform. Though it remains in Early Access, its full release could significantly boost its growth.
The prominence of UGC emerges as a clear trend among the most successful social VR games, yet there’s a defining line between older and newer games: the approach to movement.
Older titles like Rec Room, VRChat, and Horizon Worlds rely on classic thumbstick or teleport movement. In contrast, newer titles such as Orion Drift, Yeeps, and Digigods embrace the arm-based locomotion popularized by Gorilla Tag. This distinction positions Gorilla Tag as the frontier between traditional and contemporary social VR experiences.
Additionally, this shift in gameplay mechanics also reflects demographic trends. The new generation of VR experiences, with their innovative locomotion systems, tends to attract more Gen Z players, separating them from the millennial and older user base.
