Chaos to Concept: How I Built a Solo Game Dev Site Without a Single "Hello World".
We’ve all seen the "My first website" posts. Usually, they start with a FreeCodeCamp certificate or some YouTube video tutorials, basically, a "Hello World" tutorial.
I didn't do any of that. I don't like being told how to build things. I like breaking things until they work. I’m a solo dev, a dad, and a husband who decided to stop playing games and start building them from scratch. No training. No prior experience.
I have not posted for a while and been absorbed in real life challenges, and my game dev challenges, it has all been one crazy journey, trial by fire and lots of self learned lessons.
Here is the evolution of my web dev journey, from a Dev.to challenge entry to the official home of my solo game studio and i would like to give props to Dev.to for making this even possible for me, in the sense that if i had not participated in this Halloween challenge in October 2025 , i would never have attempted to create this website.
Project 1: The "TextZ Ombie" Shrine
The Goal: A landing page for a Dev.to Halloween challenge. The Reality:https://asxgtr.github.io/TextZ-Ombie-Landing-Page/
This was my "Trial by Fire." I didn't use a tutorial; I just started throwing HTML and CSS at the wall to see what stuck, and if i am being totally honest, a lot of questions to A.I.
The Vibe: Pure 90s-style chaos.
The Win: I actually got audio elements working and figured out how to animate emojis to create a "horde" feel. I was proud of my first attempt although i knew it was very "amateur".
The Lesson: I realized that while I could make a page "work," it didn't tell a story. It was a collection of assets, not a brand. A toe in the water.
The Pivot: Becoming a Solo "Studio" (in a small sense)
Between the first site and the second, my game development spiraled. My first project, TextZ Ombie, taught me about systems and UI. Even if it is temporarily on hold, 6 months of game dev from scratch taught me a lot more than any tutorial ever could, and during this development i was creating something in TextZ Ombie that deserved to be a standalone.. So then Duckmon happened, a duck powered card battler that exploded from a minigame into its own standalone multiverse. A combination of card collecting, and a card battle game inspired by the mechanics from Triple Triad (FF8).
I realized I didn't just need a "page", I needed a headquarters, not a discord server, something that is my own.
Project 2: Quackwork Studios
The Goal: A professional (more so than project one), "Real & Raw" home for my games. The Reality: https://quackworkstudios.com/
This is where the growth really shows. I stayed true to my "No Tutorial" rule, but this time I focused on intentionality.
What changed?
Identity: I moved away from the neon on black chaos to a more sophisticated "Dark Mode" aesthetic that screams "Indie Dev."
The Stack: I integrated things I never thought I'd touch Cloudflare, Ionos, and even Supabase/Resend for the backend contact forms. Wiring together DNS and Github and all other things i basically do not understand , until it just "worked"
The Narrative: Instead of just showing assets, I’m showing a journey. The site now features a devlog, active project tracking, and a clear "About" section that explains my philosophy: A.I assisted, Solo built.
The "No Tutorial" Comparison
Website 1 (TextZ Ombie)
Website 2 (Quackwork Studios)
Why I’m Sharing This
I see a lot of people get stuck in "tutorial hell." They’re afraid to build because they haven't finished a course yet, have not got a certificate, done the training, did the "Hello World".
My advice?
Just build it. My first site was a mess of emojis and raw HTML.
My second site is the more professional (Lightly) face of my studio. All anyone needs is a stubborn idea and the willingness to fail until it looked right.
I’m currently building Duckmon in Unity and this project is coming along fantastically right now, with a working server authoritative stance, working legit Email registration, verification and support. Card pack openings, Card Binder, a Shop, Faction screens, a 310 Card collection each with unique full card art, stats and lore. It is really not too far from a demo release state (with the need for further polishing). But more importantly it is working, like a real game.
If you’re a solo dev or a "creationist" who uses AI to amplify your workflow, I’d love to connect or hear your story/stories.
What was the one project that made you feel like you finally "leveled up" from a idea to a creator?
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