Shopify launches Horizon Drive web game as hidden easter egg
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Global commerce platform Shopify has launched a new web game named Horizon Drive.
Shopify said the game is part of its latest editions page which features a new foundation for building online stores and a unified system for themes.
The company described Horizon Drive as an “easter egg” that’s built without physics libraries or raycasts but by leveraging a spline-based track system to simplify twisting tracks and collisions.
“Almost everything is instanced, from the fish, to the bubbles, to confetti, camera flashes,” said Shopify principal AR/VR engineer Daniel Beauchamp in a post. “That way we can have thousands of effects going on without breaking a sweat.”
The result is an experience that runs at 120fps on desktop and 60fps on mobile.
Beyond traditional platforms
In October, we went in-depth about how games are now playable on platforms beyond the traditional ones – like Discord, LinkedIn, and Telegram – reflecting a broader trend of non-gaming apps exploring games.
E-commerce giant AliExpress also currently hosts seven games under its “Play & Earn” section, including simple spinners like Daily Lucky Wheel, arcade-style games like Pinball Mania, and more involved experiences like GoGo Match and Merge Boss.
Earlier this month, we reached out to industry experts to discuss launching a new game in 2025 and explore whether it’s harder today to release a new game and how to go about it.
