What it does
Rooms is a platform for creating and exploring interactive 3D voxel worlds. It's a hybrid of a social media feed and a user-friendly game engine. Users can browse a vertically scrolling feed of 'rooms', each a self-contained experience ranging from simple art scenes and puzzles to interactive games and music sequencers. The app provides robust tools for users to build their own rooms from scratch or 'remix' existing ones.
Where it shines
Rooms truly excels in its onboarding and core interaction model. The app's tutorial (00:42) is not a series of instructions but a playable first level, a brilliant move that teaches complex mechanics in an intuitive way. The discovery feed is another highlight. Instead of just scrolling content, swiping up (01:03) feels like teleporting into a new world, making browsing feel like an adventure. Finally, the seamless transition between playing a game and editing it (04:48) cleverly lowers the barrier to creation, encouraging a culture of remixing and participation.
UX highlights
- Gamified Onboarding: The app forgoes a standard tutorial in favor of a multi-stage interactive experience where users learn by playing, such as using a D-pad to move a character (01:08) or creating a beat on a sequencer (02:22).
- Immersive Feed Navigation: The vertical swipe to transition between rooms uses a clever 'falling through the floor' animation (01:03), reinforcing the app's world-building metaphor and making discovery more engaging.
- Seamless Play-to-Edit Flow: With a single tap (04:48), users can switch from experiencing a room to editing its core components, encouraging immediate creativity and remixing.
- Intuitive Creation Tools: The 'drag in a thing' interface (08:10) provides a simple object library, with clear on-screen controls for positioning and rotating items, making 3D creation accessible.
- Contextual Tooltips: The app uses speech bubbles from characters to deliver instructions and hints (00:49, 01:09), which feels more organic and less intrusive than traditional pop-ups.
- Delightful Micro-interactions: Small touches like the confetti burst when liking a room (03:09) add a layer of polish and positive reinforcement throughout the experience.
Monetization & growth
Monetization mechanics such as paywalls or subscription prompts are not visible in this screen recording. The app's primary growth loop appears to be centered on user-generated content and social sharing. By making rooms remixable and providing a camera mode (04:00) to capture and share creations, the app encourages viral loops driven by its community of creators. The ability to follow other creators and get notifications for new rooms (06:38) also supports user retention.
Who it’s for
Rooms is for a creative audience that enjoys both playing and making. It targets users who are fans of voxel art styles, similar to games like Minecraft, but who want a more accessible, mobile-first creation and sharing experience. The platform appeals to both casual players looking for unique mini-games and puzzles, as well as aspiring creators who want to build interactive worlds without needing to code.
Notes & opportunities
The onboarding is fantastic, but forcing sign-up (00:14) before the user experiences the interactive tutorial could cause some initial drop-off. Making the sign-up optional until after the tutorial could improve conversion. While browsing is engaging, the app could benefit from more advanced discovery tools, such as better search or categorization, to help users find specific types of rooms beyond the main feed. Finally, adding collaborative building features could elevate the social experience, allowing friends to create rooms together in real-time.