How to Play Custom Maps
VHOLUME's Steam Workshop is live the day the game launched — which is rare for an indie game. Most launchers ship mod support months later, buried in a patch note. VHOLUME didn't.
- Open VHOLUME's Steam Workshop page in your browser.
- Browse or filter by most popular / most recent. The earliest mappers are setting the quality standard for everything that comes after.
- Click Subscribe on the level you want.
- Launch VHOLUME. The level will be available in the in-game level list.
Community maps tend to push the movement system further than the main campaign. If you enjoy solving movement puzzles, these are worth checking out once you're comfortable with the base mechanics.
How to Build Your Own Levels
VHOLUME ships with an official mapping guide published alongside launch. The team has also set up a dedicated Discord channel for mappers to ask questions and share work. The official launch announcement read:
"VHOLUME is now available! We're happy to announce that the game supports community-made levels through the Steam Workshop at launch. Some mappers have already started working on some cool things, and we can't wait to see more! If you're interested in making levels, you can join our Discord mapping channel or follow our mapping guide."
The standard workflow:
- Read the official mapping guide (linked from the Steam Workshop page and the VHOLUME store page).
- Join the official Discord mapping channel via the VHOLUME community server.
- Build your level. Test it locally.
- Upload to the Steam Workshop with cover art and a short description.
Tools and the Mapping Guide
The official mapping guide is the canonical resource for level creation. It covers the editor's import settings, level-block conventions, gameplay tag setup, and the publishing process. A few things to know going in:
- The editor is available on day one — no waiting for an SDK patch.
- Documentation is already published — don't go in blind.
- There's an active Discord channel for mappers to ask questions and share work.
Official Mapping Discord
The VHOLUME Discord server has a dedicated mapping channel that the team itself points new mappers to. The launch announcement specifically calls this out. To join, open the VHOLUME community link from the Steam store page sidebar — that's the canonical path. Avoid random invite links from third-party sites; use the one Steam itself provides.
About "VHOLUME Source Code"
One common search query is "vholume source code". To set expectations: VHOLUME is a commercial game and the source code is not publicly released. There is no open-source repository you can clone, build, or modify to make your own version.
The supported path for custom content is the Steam Workshop + official mapping guide covered above. If you want to extend the game, that's the road. The "source code" search likely comes from players curious whether the same mods-style freedom exists for VHOLUME as for a sandbox engine — it doesn't, but the Workshop is the equivalent.
Why Day-One Workshop Matters
A small indie has a content ceiling. You ship what you build, and players eventually finish it. When they do, the question is whether the game keeps them or they move on. Workshop changes that ceiling — when the mapping community grows, VHOLUME's content grows with it. The strongest Workshop ecosystems (Portal 2, Trackmania, Garry's Mod) have kept games alive for years past what base content could support alone. VHOLUME is starting that loop on day one.
Early Workshop contributors set the quality standard for everything that comes after. Getting in now is worth something.
For the broader context on who built the game and why, see the Lemaitre brothers & dev team page.