WORLDs Building Competition: How Far We’ve Come in 5 Months 🌐

Over the past five months, the Somnium Space community has embraced the WORLDs Competition with boundless creativity and technical prowess. From serene digital parks to breakthrough particle systems, each winning entry has pushed the boundaries of what a virtual universe can be. With $2,500 in monthly prizes awarded so far, plus the promise of an end-of-year grand prize VR1 headset, the competition has become a cornerstone for creator-driven growth and community building.

Monthly Milestones: A Snapshot of Winners

• January 2025
  1st — Dianox ($300)
  2nd — Rekat_16 ($150)
  3rd — Shodah ($50)
• February 2025
  1st — xCommando: French Vibes ($300)
  2nd — K_Cat: Quantum Demo ($150)
  3rd — CHANDALAK: CHANDALAND ($50)
• March 2025
  1st — Moavi: The Park ($300)
  2nd — Exrol: Aether Drift ($150)
  3rd — CHANDALAK: Spiral ($50)
• April 2025
  1st — Libellule86 ($300)
  2nd — Itz Soph: Modern Apartment ($150)
  3rd — ᴇɴᴋʏ: Floating Island ($50)

May 2025
1st — Moavi: Silver Falls ($300)
2nd — Artific: OMG Particle Life ($150)
3rd — Libellule86: The Hallowed Clamp ($50)

From Humble Beginnings to Epic Landscapes

January’s Promise

The inaugural month set a high bar. Dianox captivated judges with a world that blended polished visuals and intuitive navigation, earning top honors. Rekat_16 followed with a vibrant, interactive environment, while Shodah rounded out the podium with an atmospheric space station forest scene. These early entries laid the groundwork, demonstrating that Somnium Space’s free 100 MB starter worlds could still deliver immersive, technically sound experiences.

February’s Technicolor Dreams

February saw creators leverage new techniques. xCommando’s “French Vibes” transported visitors to a stylized Parisian alley, complete with ambient street sounds and animated café signage. K_Cat’s “Quantum Demo” showcased real-time particle effects, hinting at the month’s top SDK updates. CHANDALAND by CHANDALAK blended NFT galleries into an interactive plaza, illustrating the potential for digital art integration.

March’s Expanding Horizons

By March, entries exploded in scale. Moavi’s “The Park” offered dynamic weather control — sunrise glows, drifting clouds, even a gentle rain system — demonstrating environmental scripting prowess. Exrol’s “Aether Drift” floated visitors across a series of levitating islands, complete with real time weather! CHANDALAK returned with “Spiral,” a cylindrical gallery winding with NFT placeholders and event spaces for live performances.

April’s Refined Craftsmanship

April highlighted polish and architectural flair. Libellule86 delivered a world with hand-crafted foliage and subtle ambient audio cues, inviting visitors to lose themselves in a digital forest glade. Itz Soph impressed judges with “Modern Apartment,” a very classy high-rise apartment world featuring sleek furnishings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and ambient city skyline views. ᴇɴᴋʏ rounded out the month with “Chat Italia,” a beautiful recreation of an italian villa and external library!

May’s Breakthroughs

May’s podium featured technical breakthroughs and cinematic vistas. Moavi returned with “Silver Falls,” a highly-detailed forest scene. Artific stunned judges with “OMG Particle Life,” a world entirely driven by GPU-instanced particle systems — an order-of-magnitude performance leap over traditional methods. Meanwhile, Libellule86’s “The Hallowed Clamp” married immersive sound design with tense, winding corridors, delivering a pulse-pounding exploration experience.

Building Community, Empowering Creators

The WORLDs Competition has become far more than a monthly contest — it’s the beating heart of a thriving community:

• Networking & Recognition
  Winners are featured in video walkthroughs, spotlight interviews, and across Somnium’s YouTube, X, Instagram, and Discord channels. This visibility has helped creators grow audiences, forge collaborations, and even land freelance gigs outside Somnium Space.
• Financial Incentives
  With tiered monthly prizes totaling $500 and an end-of-year VR1 headset grand prize, creators know their work can yield real rewards. Combined with the 95% revenue share on in-world purchases, Somnium Space offers one of the most creator-friendly monetization models in the metaverse.
• Technical Support & SDK Evolution
  Regular SDK updates — like the February Bridge system, environment controls, respawning modules, and advanced video player integration — ensure builders have cutting-edge tools. The SDK Template WORLD provides hands-on examples for every new feature, shortening learning curves and sparking innovation.
• Verified Creator Program
  Introduced in March, the Verified and Verified+ tiers grant achievement badges and expanded storage (up to 1 GB), empowering top designers to scale up. The first Verified+ award to xCommando underscored Somnium’s commitment to recognizing sustained excellence.
• Community Feedback Loops
  Through Discord channels, regular AMAs, and community-voted nominations, builders receive direct feedback from peers and the Somnium team. This two-way dialogue not only elevates individual worlds but also informs platform roadmaps.

Looking Ahead

From humble 100 MB starter worlds to GPU-powered particle breakthroughs, the WORLDs Competition encapsulates the rapid evolution of creator-driven virtual spaces. As prize money fuels ambition, SDK updates unlock new capabilities, and a vibrant community rallies around each winning world, Somnium Space continues to prove that the future of the metaverse belongs to those who build it.

💬 Need help or feedback?
We host weekly Creator Meetups every Thursday at 22:00 CEST in our Discord!
It’s the perfect place to share your work, ask questions, and connect with fellow builders.
👉 Join us here: https://discord.gg/somniumspace

If you’ve got a great idea, now’s the perfect time to bring it to life,
the community is ready, and your chance to win awaits 👀

🌎 Somnium Space Official links:
🌐 Website: https://somniumspace.com
👾 Discord: https://discord.gg/somniumspace
🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/SomniumSpace
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somniumspace
⚡ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@somniumspace

Let’s keep building Somnium Space together! 🚀