Welcome to the official devlog for Age of Mara.
Some of you may have already seen our daily progress series on TikTok and YouTube, where we’ve been sharing bite-sized videos of what we’ve been building. Those videos show the most visual aspects: level design, skills, combat, creatures, and worldbuilding. But here in the devlog, we’ll go deeper: a weekly written diary where we reflect on everything we’re working on, including the less “showable” but equally important systems that make the game possible (like server infrastructure, optimization, or integrations).
This devlog is our way of sharing our journey with you. The progress, the challenges, the breakthroughs, even the setbacks. We’ll be transparent, honest, and open about what it really looks like to build an MMO from scratch using Unreal Engine 5. From designing the Twin Islands to figuring out multiplayer systems, crafting mechanics, or just fixing the kind of bugs that make your character fly into the sky.
Whether you’re here as a future player, fellow dev, or just someone who loves watching indie projects take shape, we’re glad to have you.
24th of August, 2025
This week we’ve focused on visual improvements in level design, skill VFX, and overall game aesthetics. On top of that, we’ve also integrated a Party system! Players can now group up to share loot, experience, and more. The system still needs some adjustments and polishing, but it’s already functional.
We’ve also worked on server improvements to prepare for future online tests.
What we’ve done this week:
- Added new skill: Group Buff- Improved AOE skill: now it can be canceled while placing the area locator
- Improved catacomb lighting
- Expanded the catacomb area
- Added new props and assets inside the catacomb
- Improved VFX for older skills
- Integrated Party System
- Optimized server performance for upcoming online tests
Stay tuned for more updates next week, and as always, thank you for following our journey!
17th of August, 2025
Welcome to the very first Age of Mara devlog. This one is a little special, not just a weekly recap, but a look back at everything we’ve built since starting the project. From here on, we’ll be posting a devlog every Sunday, sharing progress both big and small. Every step counts, and keeping this diary helps us (and you) see how far we’ve come.
So, what have we done so far? Quite a lot!
⚔️ Core Systems
We’ve established the backbone of gameplay: our main character, locomotion and animations, the Gameplay Ability System, skills, stats, inventory, items, trade, pickups, and even mounts. Combat already feels fluid with dodges, replication across multiplayer, and a growing pool of abilities.
🌍 World & Level Design
The prototype zone, the Twin Islands, is taking shape with a starter village, extended hunting areas, a boss cave, and catacombs. These areas set the stage for the kind of immersive, explorable world we want Age of Mara to become.
🛠️ Technical Infrastructure
Behind the scenes, we’ve built a full development pipeline: SVN, Jenkins, AWS S3, automated builds on Windows/Linux, dedicated servers, Steam integration, Epic Online Services, and continuous integration. This might not be flashy, but it’s what makes large-scale multiplayer possible.
🎨 Graphics & Performance
We’re taking full advantage of Unreal Engine 5 with Nanite, Lumen lighting, shader work, and NVIDIA DLSS. We’ve also stayed up to date with every major engine release (5.5 → 5.6). Optimization is an ongoing focus.
🧠 AI & NPCs
From patrols to support and attack behaviors, our AI can already engage in basic combat cycles. NPCs are in place to interact with the player and populate the world.
🎮 UI & Player Experience
We now have a functional HUD with HP/SP bars, a skill bar, global chat, performance settings, and resolution/quality controls — making the prototype already feel like a true MMORPG in action.
🌐 Community & Testing
We’ve set up Discord, social channels, and even ran a closed developer test with 5 players logging in via Steam. It’s still early, but this was a huge milestone for us.
This has been a massive progress for just two people working in their part time, and we’re proud of how much foundation is already in place. From here, weekly devlogs will zoom in on the details.
Thanks for joining us on this journey. The adventure is just getting started!
See you next Sunday 👋