- Snap Shut Worlds
Snap Shut Worlds
By Leanna Geideck and Stephan zu Münster
Games Lift 2026
Snap Shut Worlds is a tactile cozy puzzle game about fictional 90s compact toys whose tiny play worlds have been delightfully mixed up. Open lost compacts and turn wrong pieces into new stories that were never in the catalogue.
Compact toys—small, fold-open playsets containing entire miniature scenes—become tactile puzzle rooms in Snap Shut Worlds. Each level takes place in its own playset from one of several fictional toy lines, each with its own characters, aesthetics, and play fantasies. But something has been mixed up in every compact: pieces are missing, hidden, or come from a completely different toy world. As a result, the scene can no longer be recreated as it was originally shown in the catalog.
Players experiment with figures, props, and interactive toy stations built into each compact. By placing figures into different stations, they are modified, combined, or prepared for further interactions. In this way, seemingly mismatched pieces take on new roles and make a new version of the original scene possible.
This leads to playful crossovers between very different toy fantasies. For example, a rockin' combat ghoul gets a glamorous makeover before joining a fashion shoot—while a fashion-conscious city girl suddenly finds herself having to catch a slime monster. Instead of recreating each playset exactly as it appeared in the catalog, players create a new version of the scene that functions in its own absurd way.
With tactile interactions, humorous puzzle logic, and a meticulously crafted miniature aesthetic, Snap Shut Worlds captures the feeling of playing with real toys: mixing worlds, reimagining roles, and inventing stories that were never intended.
About the Team
Leanna Geideck and Stephan zu Münster are the Hamburg-based developer duo behind Snap Shut Worlds. They met while completing their master’s in Games at HAW Hamburg, where they began working on their first projects together. They share a passion for stylized game worlds and games that are as enjoyable to look at as they are to play.
They combine professional experience in concept art, art direction, 3D, and technical art with a shared love of miniatures, retro pop culture, and cozy games with plenty of character. With Snap Shut Worlds, they bring these interests together in a playful world full of toy nostalgia, offbeat humor, and small, unexpected stories.
