A multiplayer 3D space game that anyone can play — even with just their head.

Makers21 was built for a friend who became paralyzed in an accident. He can only move his neck and face. We wanted him to be able to play with his friends — not as a spectator, not with a handicap — but as an equal. So we built a capture-the-flag space game controlled entirely by webcam head tracking, running in the browser with zero installation.

If you can move your head, you can fly a spaceship, shoot enemies, capture flags, and compete in real-time multiplayer. No special hardware. No downloads. Just open a link and play.

Watch in full quality on YouTube

People with quadriplegia, ALS, muscular dystrophy, and other conditions that limit mobility are often excluded from multiplayer gaming — or stuck playing solo-friendly titles while their friends play together. Existing adaptive controllers are expensive and still can't match the speed of standard gamepads.

Makers21 takes a different approach: the game itself is the adaptive controller. Head tracking is the native input — not an afterthought or accessibility mode. Every player uses the same controls, so disabled and able-bodied players compete on equal footing.

• Play with your head — Webcam tracks your face movements to steer, aim, and play. No hands needed.
• Equal playing field — Head tracking is the native control for everyone. Disabled and able-bodied players compete with the same skills — no advantage, no handicap.
• 3D multiplayer in the browser — Real-time team-based capture-the-flag in space. Just share a link.
• Open source, open for development — Built to be extended, forked, and improved by the community.

Your webcam feeds into MediaPipe Face Mesh, which tracks 468 facial landmarks in real time. Head tilt and rotation map to ship controls — look left to turn left, look up to climb. The game runs on Three.js with a Deepstream server syncing all players in real time.

No data leaves your machine — the video stays local, only control signals are sent to the game.

• Node.js (v14+)
• npm
• A webcam (or use mouse+keyboard fallback)
• Modern browser with WebGL support

git clone https://github.com/orbs-network/makers21.git
cd makers21
npm install

# Terminal 1 — start the game server
npm run start-server

# Terminal 2 — start the client (dev mode with hot reload)
npm run dev

Opens at http://localhost:3000. The game server runs on port 6020 by default. To connect to a remote server:

http://localhost:3000/?server=YOUR_SERVER_IP

npm run build

Built files go to dist/. Serve with any static server (nginx, etc.).

| Toggle face/mouse | S | S |

Gameplay: Join Red or Blue team. Fly to the enemy gate, grab their flag, bring it back to yours. Pass flags to teammates. Avoid getting shot.

Tip: Press S to toggle between face tracking and mouse control. Useful for development and debugging without a webcam.

Makers21 is open source and open for contributions. Some ideas:

• New game modes — deathmatch, racing, cooperative missions
• Input methods — eye tracking, voice control, single-switch support
• Accessibility — screen reader support, audio cues, colorblind modes
• Gameplay — new weapons, power-ups, maps, ship models
• Infrastructure — matchmaking, lobbies, spectator mode

If you work with people with disabilities and want to try the game, open an issue — we'd love to hear from you.

• Players with physical disabilities — quadriplegia, ALS, muscular dystrophy, or any condition that limits hand use
• Rehabilitation centers — a fun, social activity for patients in recovery
• Disability gaming organizations — a free, open-source, zero-install game to share with your community
• Developers — a starting point for building accessible multiplayer games
• Anyone — it's a fun space game, head tracking or not

Orbs has always believed in using technology for good. In 2021, we entered Makers for Heroes — a contest dedicated to building products for people with disabilities. A member of our community, an avid gamer, had been in an accident that left him paralyzed. He could only move his neck and face. We wanted to build something that would let him play with his friends again — not with a handicap, but as an equal.

The result was Makers21: a multiplayer capture-the-flag space game controlled entirely by webcam head tracking. The project won first place in its category. We're now releasing it to the world as open source so others in similar situations can benefit too.

• @talkol — Orbs CTO, came up with the idea to use face tracking and the webcam for game control
• @degeneddy — Transformed the game from a simple mesh 3D prototype into a full space scene with spaceships, planets, and mountains
• @doronaviguy — Built the multiplayer server infrastructure
• Everyone at Orbs who made this possible

ISC