Rooms, the interactive 3D spaces builder, has officially landed on the App Store, offering users a versatile platform that caters to various interests, from interior decorating and coding to casual gaming. The startup, backed by $10 million in seed funding from a16z, allows users to design 3D spaces, known as “rooms,” complete with furniture, decor, pets, and avatars. These rooms can even be transformed into mini-games for added enjoyment.
While the primary goal of Rooms is to provide a creative and relaxing design experience, it also incorporates an educational aspect. Drawing inspiration from co-founder Jason Toff’s background in Google’s AR/VR division, the platform encourages open-ended play for self-expression. Users can not only interact with objects visually but also delve into the code, utilizing Lua, the same coding language as Roblox, to customize items. This coding feature has found a place in schools as a novel way to introduce coding concepts to young learners.
The app, initially launched on the web, has gained traction among users who appreciate the therapeutic nature of decorating virtual spaces. Dubbed “cozy games,” these experiences lack a specific end goal and serve as a way for people to unwind. Some users dedicate time to meticulously design rooms, creating impressive spaces that reflect real-world interior design possibilities.
With the new iOS app, Rooms introduces a TikTok-style feed, allowing users to scroll through a curated selection of rooms created by the community. The app includes different feeds such as “For You,” “Editor’s Picks,” and “Recent.” Users can like, share, and even take snapshots of their favorite rooms in camera mode, alerting the creator when they do so.
The app’s catalog has expanded to over 6,000 items, providing users with ample resources to design their rooms from scratch. Additionally, users can remix other people’s rooms, with proper attribution to the original creator.
While the iOS app marks the next phase for Rooms, the company remains open to future improvements, potentially incorporating AI to aid in room design. However, the team acknowledges the need to approach this cautiously, considering the mixed reactions from the community to a generative AI feature. The focus, for now, is on refining the app based on user feedback and growing the user base. Rooms, in its current state, is considered a beta, and the company plans to iterate on the experience over time. The app is available for both iPhone and iPad, with the latter being more suitable for the creative aspects of the platform.
