Hey everyone! Today I want to share the story of a passion project that didn't turn out the way I hoped. A year and a half ago, as a JavaScript developer, I decided to chase a dream I'd had for a long time: building my own browser-based MMORPG. In January 2024, I jumped in headfirst and somehow created an entire game world in just 10 days.
I wore every hat imaginable: writer, artist, and programmer. Everything was built from scratch:
- Story and dialogue: I wrote a plot meant to keep players engaged for hours.
- Code: The entire stack was custom-built with Node.js, React, and MongoDB.
- Visuals: I personally drew and created all of the game's graphics.
- UI/UX: I made a unique UI kit with custom buttons, windows, and animations.
- Gameplay systems: I designed a full combat system with both magic and swords, along with quests and localization.
I was incredibly proud of the final result. The game felt alive and carefully made. But building it was only half the battle. As I soon learned, the real challenge started after release.
A Big Launch... into Silence
I had absolutely no idea how to promote a game. My first strategy? Posting a link in a small Telegram chat with around a hundred people. Ten people saw it, tried the game, played for a bit, and then... nothing. That was it.
I didn't give up. In February 2024, I edited a video and uploaded it to YouTube. The first two days gave me a little hope: 450 views! I thought, "This is it! The algorithms are finally picking it up!" But the momentum died almost immediately. Over a year and a half, that video reached only 555 views. My next two videos did even worse: just 276 and 47 views.
I bought a domain, hosted the game, and waited. After a year and a half, the total number of players was 30.
You might think, "That's tiny."
But my answer is: "That's thirty real people." Thirty people who found time for something I poured my heart into while building it completely alone.
A Real Win
My game has a leaderboard with player stats. And do you know what I discovered? Three people finished the entire game! Can you imagine that? Three strangers gave 2 to 3 hours of their lives to the world I built. That means they were genuinely into it.
I saw them chatting in the game and logging in several times a day. One player even sent me a long email with detailed feedback and great ideas for improving the project. That experience was honestly priceless.
What did I learn from all of this? Promotion matters. But what matters even more is remembering why you started. My biggest reward wasn't the numbers in the stats. It was the real connection I made with the few players I managed to reach.
Do what you love and put your soul into it. Even if only a handful of people appreciate what you made instead of thousands, the joy you feel can still be deep and real. In future articles, I'll share more about how the game was built, so feel free to follow along.
I'd love for you to explore the world I created. You can play here: https://rizae.com/en/games/mmorpg