I'm Ultdx, and I’ve been developing games since the early days of the PSP homebrew era as an indie developer, but the passion for video games has been there since the Game Boy. Here are a few titles I’ve made: Extreme Luging 3D, Jiun MOBA, and the BattleStick franchise. I also developed many other multiplayer experiments. Recently, I’ve been working on a moddable remake of BattleStick called Stickforge.
Stickforge is a multiplayer moddable sandbox game where the community can create skins, maps, and weapons that are used across multiple scenarios like Conquer Points (a bit like capture the flag), Free-For-All, or even a peaceful mode. Everything is possible, players can build their own worlds filled with cute and funny little stickman figures, all powered by wild physics.
Stickforge is the open, community-driven successor to the BattleStick franchise, which leaned heavily into humor with funny sound effects and quirky voice lines. The origin of the game dates back to 2015 as a physics-based multiplayer experiment. It went kind of viral, and over the years, more than 2 million players enjoyed BattleStick 1 and 2. Then life happened, and the servers were shut down. After many requests to bring the game back and to allow the community to create their own maps, I decided to create Stickforge!
Stickforge is built using the PhaserJS engine, like the other games in the BattleStick franchise. Originally it's an HTML/JS game, but for the Steam release and Workshop integration, it has been wrapped in Electron. The multiplayer layer is managed by http://Socket.io, which also powers the NodeJS game server.
What began as a childhood dream, to animate stickman figures in funny ways, has turned into Stickforge. It’s been an incredible journey. The support from players means everything to me, and I’m very happy to launch a new adventure where people can laugh and have fun together. In the end, creating joy is what matters most to me.
The most difficult part, as a solo developer, has been managing life balance, juggling game development and personal life. For me, game dev isn’t really work; it’s a passion. And sometimes, it’s easy to become obsessed with your passion.
As many developers know, game development is incredibly demanding and time-consuming. It’s a multidisciplinary field that can be overwhelming for a one-person team, especially when the financial side is uncertain and you’re starting from scratch.
That said, on the technical side, it’s been a wonderful adventure. You constantly need to stay updated with tools, engines, and news in the industry. But that’s part of the fun.
Don’t hesitate to talk to others. I stayed alone in my “cave” for too long during my early career, only surfacing near the end of development. Share your prototypes early for testing purposes. Think “lean startup.” Get feedback as soon as possible and measure the fun your game generates.
Don’t give up your dream idea. Consistency is key. The compound effect is real: small, consistent progress beats short sprints.
Ask for help when you need it. Use large language models (LLMs) and AI tools to assist you, especially for debugging, code scaffolding, or idea validation, but beware of “vibe coding” unless you truly understand the tools and what they’re doing.
Most importantly, don’t forget you have a body. Your health matters. Stay hydrated, take breaks, practice Qi Gong, go for forest walks, whatever helps you reconnect to your body and keep your energy flowing.
Enjoy the adventure. You're not just building a game. You're growing through the process.
Thank you for this interview opportunity! Stickforge will be available as a multiplayer demo in early June (announcement coming soon) while the full game should be available a few weeks after.
Follow me on X for regular updates and funny content: https://x.com/StickforgeGame
Join our Discord to take part in the adventure: https://discord.gg/f2t2Gn944W
Website: https://stickforge.com
-Ultdx
❤️
