What prompted this?
For years, I have been focused on game development in Unity. In 2025, I've decided to expand my horizons and really see what I can create. Slowly but surely, I started dabbling in web development, initially for hosting game servers and small projects.
It started as building a homelab. My goal was to host various game servers for my friends. Prior, I had always had to turn on the server on my personal PC, but this time I wanted a 24/7 hosting experience.
I also wanted my friends to be able to join my server through a url and not my public IP ports.
After all, which is easier for friends to join:
XX.XX.XX.XX:YYYYor
insertGameName.sturdygoggles.comOne thing led to another, and I found myself navigating SSL certificates, dynamic DNS setup, and domain management. Looking back, I wish I had documented what I did and the lessons I learned along the way.
Now, heading into 2025, I’m diving even deeper into web, app, and game development. This blog is the perfect place to document my journey, share insights, and hopefully connect with others exploring similar paths.
Joining in on the React fun
I was hesitant about diving into React for the longest time. My web focus had always been on building REST APIs for backend servers to use with my game projects. That changed when I was introduced to the Nakama Game Server, which uses TypeScript for its runtime modules.
As someone who had spent years working in C#, learning TypeScript really clicked for me. While it’s not a cure-all, it helped me overcome a mental barrier: typing issues between backend and frontend. After joining a startup, one of our projects was better suited for React Native than Unity, and I took the leap to suggest we switch. With the help of Expo, I discovered just how different—and streamlined—React Native development was compared to mobile development in Unity.
For example, managing permissions, certificates, builds, and deployments could all be handled from the command line. No more weird custom scripts, pre-build steps, post-build steps, or endless version tracking to get native functionality.
Looking back, the transition would have been much harder if I hadn’t already dabbled in hosting, APIs, routing, and general web development principles. Thanks to that background, I was able to focus on finally learning React and CSS through the lens of mobile development.
So why build a blog?
This blog is more than just a creative outlet—it’s a sandbox. By deploying a Next.js app with React on Vercel, I’m building a playground where I can test new ideas and share them with others.
One feature I’m particularly excited about is using MDX. It allows me to write posts in Markdown (something I’m very comfortable with) and deploy them effortlessly by pushing to main. It’s far more intuitive for me than trying to wrestle with traditional blog editors like WordPress.
I have a lot of ideas for 2025 and there's going to be plenty of interesting problems to solve along the way!
This blog marks the beginning of a new chapter in my development journey. If you’re also navigating the world of web and game development, I hope you enjoy the ride!