Using Niantic Studio WebXR tools, developers from around the globe have been showcasing their creativity and innovation by creating immersive web-based games in recent months. GW Engineering is proud to announce that a team of collaborators from The George Washington University (GW), George Mason University (GMU), and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) won the Best Real-World Game Award in the first-ever Niantic Studio Create & Play Developer Challenge!
The team’s winning project, BloomCraft: Garden Guardians, was developed by Liuchuan Yu (GMU), Yvie Zhang (CMU), Dr. Manuel Rebol (GWU), and Dr. Hurriyet Ok (GWU). The game combines augmented reality (AR) with nature education, allowing players to plant seeds, grow flowers, and protect their garden from pests—blending digital gameplay with environmental awareness. This achievement showcases the team’s creativity, technical expertise, and commitment to innovation. We look forward to seeing what they will create next!
“None of us had prior experience with the newly released Niantic Studio platform, but our background in augmented reality, 3D user interaction, and user experience research, combined with a passion for creating an educational and fun game, drove us to take on this challenge. It was incredibly rewarding to see our vision come to life in Bloomcraft: Garden Guardians, and we’re honored to have our work recognized in this way,” said Ok.
For future collaborations or inquiries, feel free to contact Dr. Manuel Rebol or Dr. Hurriyet Ok.