“GIPHY World,” an experimental new project from the internet GIF directory, is a trippy and fun new way to use GIFs.
GIPHY, the company whose endless repository of GIFs cured you of saying “Hey” on Tinder and “happy birthday” on work Slack, spends a lot of time just making cool shit. They do GIF art shows, screensavers, photo booths, and much more. Their latest experiment is a virtual reality video game where you use GIFs to build infinitely customizable worlds. It’s kind of like Minecraft but with over a billion different kinds of blocks to choose from. I got to try it earlier this week, and it’s addictive as hell.
The game is called GIPHY World. It’s like Tilt Brush for the very online. Players can choose one of three surreal locales as a canvas: an idyllic island, a minimalist chess board, or forested campsite. Then, just add GIFs. From iconic Friends moments to reaction GIFs and really out-there art loops, the search bar is the limit. The whole landscape can be transformed into a bustling metropolis, a winding corn maze, or a scorched earth apocalypse. My creative aspirations tended toward the latter.
,
,
As I explored the different tools and snapped GIF selfies with the incredibly intuitive assistant bot, I found myself wishing I could graft my face onto the squishy, smiling avatar. Bishop said they’re planning to develop new features for GIPHY World after the launch, one of which might be the ability to graft GIFs directly onto the digital body. Another possibility is a smartphone version of the app that will allow people to explore their creations sans-headset.
When the demo was over, I reluctantly took off the headset and wiped my cursed creations from the computer’s memory. It’s supremely addictive! The game is out on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive today.
,
Source: Vice