vertexWorld

A browser-based 3D exploration, building, and survival game set across a procedurally generated solar system of small spherical planets.

Inspired visually by Super Mario Galaxy — planets are small enough that you can see the curved horizon at all times, gravity always pulls toward the nearest planet core, and the sky is always full of other worlds you can travel to.

Features

• 🌍 Procedural spherical planets — seeded icosphere terrain with mountains, craters, rivers, and 8 biomes
• 🚀 Inter-planet travel — aim at a sky planet, charge up a launch, and hurl yourself through space in a 10-second cinematic transit
• ⛏️ Block mining & placement — dig and place blocks on any planet surface; changes persist across saves
• 🌲 Biomes — Grasslands, Forest, Desert, Tundra, Volcanic, Ocean, Swamp, and Mushroom Fields, each with unique terrain, colours, and creatures
• 🐺 Creatures & AI — passive animals flee from you; hostile predators hunt, chase, and attack using a FSM
• 🔨 Crafting — Minecraft-style 3×3 crafting grid for tools, weapons, torches, and more
• 🎒 Inventory — 45-slot inventory with drag-and-drop, hotbar, and stacking
• 🌅 Day / Night cycle — 5-minute orbiting sun with dynamic sky colour, fog, and star field
• 💾 Persistence — full save/load via localStorage including block overrides and player state

Tech Stack

Library	Version
Three.js	r165
Vite	5

No other runtime dependencies. All terrain, creatures, and UI are built from Three.js primitives — no external assets required.

Getting Started

npm install
npm run dev

Then open http://localhost:5173/public/index.html in your browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Edge recommended). Click the canvas to capture the mouse cursor.

Controls

Action	Key
Move	W A S D
Sprint	Left Shift + WASD
Look	Mouse
Jump	Space
Dig / Attack	Hold Left Mouse Button
Place Block	Right Mouse Button
Hotbar	1–9 / Mouse Wheel
Inventory / Crafting	E
Target planet → Launch	Aim at planet → Hold Space
Pause / Save	Escape

Project Structure

src/
├── main.js              # Bootstrap + game loop
├── engine/              # Renderer, camera, input, physics
├── world/               # Planet, terrain generator, biomes, blocks
├── creatures/           # FSM AI, creature meshes, spawn manager
├── player/              # Health, stamina, inventory, crafting, pickaxe, launch
└── ui/                  # HUD, inventory overlay, planet target UI
public/
└── index.html           # Full CSS UI (no framework)

See DESIGN.md for the full technical design document.

Roadmap

• Sound effects and ambient audio
• Particle effects
• Dragon boss (Volcanic biome)
• Void Wraith (space transit encounter)
• Underground caves and ruins
• Third-person camera toggle
• Weather effects

License

MIT