Most game engines require hours of setup before you place your first object. Downloads, SDKs, project configurations, learning a scripting language — the friction is enormous. What if you could skip all of that?
This is a speed-run guide. In 30 minutes, you will go from a blank screen to a published 3D game with a playable character, enemies, NPCs with dialogue, and a shareable link.
Minutes 0 - 2: Create Your Project
Go to vxlverse.com and sign in with Google. Click New Game, give it a title, and you are inside the 3D editor. No download, no install.
Minutes 2 - 8: Build the World
Press O to open the Asset Browser. Pick a ground tile and lay down a terrain. Add trees, rocks, and buildings — there are 4,000+ free CC0 models sorted by category. Use G to move, R to rotate, and S to scale.
Choose an environment preset from the Scene tab — 44 options covering forests, deserts, dungeons, and sci-fi landscapes. This sets lighting, fog, and skybox in one click.
Minutes 8 - 12: Add Characters
Click + in the left panel to add entities:
- Player — your game already has one. Pick a character model for it.
- NPCs — add two or three. Name them and assign models.
- Enemies — place a couple of monsters. Set their health and damage values.
Minutes 12 - 18: Write the Story
Press Q to open the Story Editor. Write a few sentences describing what each NPC does — a quest-giver, a merchant, a mysterious stranger. Click Copy Prompt, paste into any AI (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude), and copy the generated VXLScript back. Click Apply.
Your NPCs now have full dialogue trees, quests, and item rewards. Learn more about this flow in our NPC dialogue guide.
Minutes 18 - 22: Add a Second Level
Click + Level in the left panel to create a new scene. Build a dungeon or cave using different models and a darker environment preset. Add a Portal entity in Level 1 that links to Level 2 — the player walks into it and transitions seamlessly.
Minutes 22 - 26: Playtest
Press P to enter Play mode. Walk around with WASD, talk to NPCs, fight enemies, and walk through your portal. If something feels off, press Escape to return to the editor and adjust.
Minutes 26 - 30: Publish
Click Share in the top bar. Toggle the game to Published. Copy your link and send it to anyone — they play instantly in their browser. Your game also appears on the Explore page for the community to discover.
What You Just Built
In 30 minutes, your game has:
- A 3D world with environment lighting and atmosphere
- A controllable player character with physics
- NPCs with branching dialogue and quests
- Enemies with AI combat
- Multiple levels connected by portals
- A shareable link anyone can play
No engine download. No code. No deployment pipeline. Just an idea and half an hour.
