I’m building a full MMORPG solo with Claude Code — not just the game, but the tools and infrastructure behind it

Hi everyone! I'm a French solo developer working on Death Leaves a Trace, an old-school isometric dark fantasy MMORPG built with Unity 6 and Mirror. It's a dream I've had for 25 years, inspired by The 4th Coming, an MMO that left a lasting impression on me when I was younger. Here's how I'm using Claude to bring it to life. 🏙️ Creating a world with Blender I started by purchasing Unity asset packs to establish a consistent visual style. Now, I use Claude with Blender through MCP to create my own assets and build entire cities, each with its own architectural style and identity. Claude also helps me design quests, balance items and stats, configure monster drops, and develop gameplay systems. 🛠️ Building my own tools With Claude Code, I've built three standalone Windows applications that work directly with the game's actual data: Workshop: Creatures, NPCs, stats, equipment and loot. Forge: Items, weapons, armor and attributes. Cartographer: 3D world building, environments, spawners, chests and portals. I've also built a custom launcher, deployment pipeline, server monitoring dashboard and supporting development tools. 🧪 Keeping a growing project stable Claude helps me maintain automated tests, 23 invariant checks, technical documentation and deployment workflows for both the client and dedicated Linux server. I've learned that building safeguards against regressions is just as important as generating code. ❤️ From a personal dream to a playable game Even with all this AI assistance, I've put almost 400 hours into the project since August, alongside my day job. It started as a personal project. But when I saw the game taking shape and genuinely liked the results, I decided it was worth sharing with others. The first closed alpha ran in September, with 8 players online simultaneously at peak and no server crashes. I'm now preparing Alpha #2 for November 26 – December 10, 2026, with 100 tester spots planned. The game will be free to try during the alpha. 🌐 Website: deathleavesatrace.com 🎮 Alpha #2: deathleavesatrace.com/alpha2/en Honestly, the best part is seeing something I've imagined for 25 years slowly become real. AI hasn't done the work for me, but it has made a project I might never have attempted feel possible. A question for the community For those using Claude Code on ambitious projects, have custom tools and automated workflows changed what you feel capable of building as a solo developer? I'd be happy to answer questions about the workflow, Blender integration or the game itself. Thanks for reading!