Dayrim

How to execute it

Keep building the 2D, single-player game in small phases, and test each phase on real players before starting the next. This path gives you something playable every week and keeps online features open for later.

EnginePhaser 3With TypeScript and Vite. Runs in any modern browser.

First releaseSingle-playerSaves stay in the browser, so you need no server.

HostingStatic siteitch.io for playtests, then Cloudflare Pages or similar.

My time estimate6 to 8 monthsOne developer, about 15 hours a week.

The roadmap

Each phase ends with a test. If the test fails, fix it before adding anything. These durations are my estimates and depend heavily on your experience and art plan.

0
Prototype This page
1 to 2 weeks
Prove the combat, training and loot loop, with code-drawn pixel characters and your art on the select screen.
Exit testFive minutes of play feels good with no real art.
1
Vertical slice
4 to 6 weeks
Move to Phaser. Draw final sprite sheets for three of your characters. Add tile maps and one finished city district with its boss.
Exit testA stranger keeps playing for 20 minutes without being asked to.
2
Systems
8 to 10 weeks
Deepen skills and add a stash, crafting, and NPCs as vendors and quest givers. Keep characters, items and monsters in data files.
Exit testYou can add a new item or enemy without changing code.
3
Content
8 to 12 weeks
Finish sprite sheets for more of the 40 characters and draw frame-by-frame boss animation if playtests call for it. Add 10 distinct districts, music, sound and story.
Exit testA first playthrough lasts 4 to 6 hours, and players start a second character.
4
Playtest and launch
4 to 6 weeks
Release a public demo, collect crash and balance data, tune performance on cheap laptops, then launch.
Exit testA steady 60 frames per second on a five-year-old laptop, with no save-loss bugs open.

Choosing the engine

Phaser fits best because it already includes the parts an action RPG needs and has no install step for players.

Option	Best for	Main drawback	Verdict
Phaser 3	2D games with sprites, tile maps, physics and audio	Very large battles need care to stay smooth	Start here
PixiJS	Fast 2D drawing with your own game code	You write collisions, scenes and audio yourself	Only if Phaser limits you
Babylon.js or Three.js	A true 3D game in the browser	3D art costs far more, and load times are longer	Only if 3D is essential
Godot web export	Visual editor, and desktop releases later	Larger downloads and slower start in a browser	Good if web is not your main target

How the code fits together

Keep the game rules separate from the drawing code. You can then test balance without a browser, and adding online play later will not require a rewrite.

InputKeyboard, mouse, touch

→

SimulationCombat, loot and AI at a fixed tick rate

→

RendererPhaser sprites, effects, HUD

Data filesItems, skills, enemies

→

Same simulationReads data, writes state

→

SavesIndexedDB, cloud later

Project layout

A starting structure for phase 1.

src/
  sim/        rules with no Phaser imports
    combat.ts  loot.ts  ai.ts  floor.ts
  render/     Phaser scenes, sprites, HUD
  data/       items.json  skills.json  enemies.json
  save/       versioned save files
tests/        balance and loot simulations
public/       art, audio, tile maps

Start on your own machine

You need Node.js installed. Run these three commands, then open the local address that the last one prints.

npm create vite@latest dayrim -- --template vanilla-ts

cd dayrim && npm install phaser

npm run dev

What the preview covers

Included: 40 playable characters with their own stats, six action methods, 23 fixed-power weapons to collect to swap freely, full-body pixel animation, procedural overgrown maps with day and night, killable NPCs with gore and situational dialogue, weak and strong minions, rage-powered fullscreen ultimates, kill combos with voice-over, 10 stages with animated monster bosses, skills, gym training, potions, pills and automatic saving.

Left out: final hand-drawn sprite sheets, unique districts, crafting, quests, story, music and online play. Characters in play are simplified pixel versions of your art.

Where these projects stall

A 40-character roster. Launch with three to five fully animated characters, then add more once the game is fun.

Online play too early. It can double the work, and it needs a server and cheat protection. Save it for after launch.

Animation. The code-drawn characters prove the game cheaply. Final sprite sheets in your art style remain the largest art cost, so test the price on three characters first.

Four decisions for you

These change the plan the most. My default is in green.

Solo or online?

Solo first. Online co-op can follow with a Node.js game server such as Colyseus.

2D or 3D?

2D. Choose 3D only if the look is central to your idea and you have the art budget.

Keep the code-drawn pixels or go further?

Keep them while testing, then commission sprite sheets for three characters to learn the real cost before committing to all 40.

How will it make money?

Free demo, then a one-time purchase. Avoid pay-to-win loot, and decide early if you want ads or cosmetics.