Devlog #1
Why I built this
· 6 min read · by Thomas, solo dev
Update, November 2026: the closed alpha is now planned for early 2027, the galaxy has grown to 25 star systems and 172 planets, and the game runs on mobile browsers. The rest of this post stands as written.
I'm not a game developer
Let's start with that. I'm a software developer by trade: backend systems, web apps, the usual. I had never shipped a video game before starting this project. No Unity background, no game-jam experience, nothing. Just the stubborn idea that a certain type of game should exist, and the technical foundation to try building it.
That gap between "I can build software" and "I can build a game" turned out to be real. Game loops, isometric rendering, real-time multiplayer, asset pipelines: none of it maps cleanly onto what I knew. There were weeks of learning. Phaser.js, tile coordinates, camera panning, WebSocket state sync. It was harder than I expected, and I'm glad I didn't fully understand that before starting.
The gap that bothered me
For years, I've wanted a specific kind of game: a 4X space strategy game (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) that runs in the browser, is genuinely free to play, and doesn't punish you for not spending money. A game you can open on any machine, at any time, without installing anything.
That game doesn't really exist. The closest options are either mobile games wrapped around aggressive monetization, or desktop clients that require a real install. Browser-based strategy games either lack depth, or gate the good parts behind paywalls. The "free" is often a lie.
“The game I wanted to play didn't exist. So I started building it.”
Nova Imperium is my attempt at filling that gap: a real 4X MMO, persistent universe, two unique factions, meaningful tech trees, galactic exploration, inter-empire combat and diplomacy. In a tab. For free.
Built for the community, not for revenue
I want to be clear about the model: Nova Imperium will never be pay-to-win. No premium units. No resource packs. No stamina systems. No battle passes that gate content.
If the game generates revenue one day, it will be through cosmetics: visual customization that changes how your empire looks, not how it performs. The playing field stays flat. A player who spends nothing is as capable of conquering the galaxy as one who supports the project financially.
This matters to me personally. I've watched too many promising strategy games rot from the inside because the monetization model made the community toxic. I'd rather build something smaller with a healthy community than something large with a poisoned economy.
One dev. A lot of code.
This entire project (backend, frontend, game engine, database, infrastructure, and this website) was built by one person. I won't pretend that's the efficient way to do it. A proper studio would have specialists for each layer. But building it solo means every decision is mine, and I understand every part of it.
The stack is Go on the backend (PostgreSQL, Redis, WebSocket), and a Phaser.js + React frontend compiled with Vite. Server-authoritative game state: no client-side cheating possible. AI-assisted art for the colony buildings and faction ships. Everything else, hand-written.
Is it ambitious for a solo project? Yes. Is it done? No. But the core is real and playable, and I'm shipping the alpha before I build the rest.
Where things stand
The core systems are functional. Here's what's already in the game:
✓ Done
Galactic map
9 star systems, ~60 planets. Probe for scan data, colonize new worlds, watch trade route arcs animate in real time between empires.
✓ Done
Isometric colony view
20×20 isometric grid with 4 biomes: Temperate, Volcanic, Dead World, Oceanic. Each has unique terrain, production modifiers, and visual variants.
✓ Done
Buildings and economy
9 building types, multi-tile HQ, construction queues, upgrades, passive resource ticks. Offline production up to 8 hours.
✓ Done
Research tree
5 branches (Technology, Military, Commerce, Colonization, Defense) with tiers and timers. Researching actively costs points and time.
✓ Done
Fleets and combat
Fighter, cruiser, carrier. Multi-round combat with formations and stances. PvP attack with 24h newbie protection. Live incoming fleet alerts.
✓ Done
Market and trade routes
Galactic market with buy/sell orders. Inter-empire trade routes generate passive credits. Animated flows on the galaxy map.
✓ Done
Guilds and diplomacy
Form guilds, sign defensive pacts, coordinate on co-op Devastator raids. The foundations for deeper diplomacy are in place.
✓ Done
Campaign and lore
4-chapter solo campaign for each faction with visual-novel cutscenes and voiced character portraits. Story and sandbox in the same session.
Two factions at launch
Terran Confederation. Humanity's last organized civilization after the Collapse. Strong industrial base, adaptable military, steady expansion. The balanced faction: a good starting point for players new to 4X strategy.
Zha'Kari. An ocean-world species that runs entirely on bio-energy. Their defining trait: fleet regeneration, ships that survive combat heal over time. Patient, methodical, devastating when you let them accumulate pressure. High skill ceiling; high reward.
“The ocean remembers all: the fallen, the victorious, and the ones who never came back.”
What comes next
- Alpha deployment and first wave of invitations, Q3 2026
- PvP conquest server (Nexus) alongside the PvE Eden server
- Advanced diplomacy: espionage, non-aggression treaties, shared intelligence
- Mobile-friendly access: same browser game, optimized for touch
- Faction 3 in design, announcement when art is ready
If you've been wanting a game like this for as long as I have, join the waitlist: you'll get early access when the alpha opens. No spam, just one message when the gate opens.
And if you want to follow the build in real time, the devlog will stay honest: what works, what doesn't, what I got wrong and had to redo. See you out there, Commander.