About VoidVerse
About VoidVerse
I started VoidVerse in November 2022 while travelling in Asia. I had two reasons for starting the project: I wanted to learn more about the Symfony framework, and I missed the old-school browser games that could keep me thinking about my next move long after I closed the browser. I wanted to build something that brought back that feeling, without loot boxes or pay-to-win.
A love of science fiction
Science fiction has always been at the heart of this project. Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri showed me how a strategy game could explore philosophy, politics and survival among the stars. Stargate and The Expanse also helped shape my sense of what makes a science-fiction world memorable.
VoidVerse is my tribute to that mix of strategy and imagination. Its influences include OGame, 2Moons, The Dark Millennium and Alpha Centauri. I want players to be able to name their ships, customize their fleets and take time to think through their next move.
From solo development to coding-assistant support
Until September 2026, I developed VoidVerse on my own. As the codebase grew, it became too large for me to comfortably maintain and develop alone, and I was getting tired of carrying it forward that way. In September 2026, I started working with a coding assistant to help me develop the game. VoidVerse remains my project; the assistant helps me work on it.
A growing universe
I have wanted VoidVerse to have a strong player-versus-environment focus from the beginning. Bots and simple chatbot interactions are part of my effort to make the universe feel more alive. The game continues to evolve, so the features available in-game are the best reference for what you can play today.
Game technology
| Component | Original project | Current project |
|---|---|---|
| Symfony | 6.2–7.4 | 8.1 |
| PHP | 8.1 | 8.4 |
| Database | MariaDB | PostgreSQL |
| CSS framework | Bootstrap 5.3 | Tailwind CSS |
| JavaScript | JavaScript, jQuery 3.7 | JavaScript |
| Page navigation | JavaScript | Symfony UX Turbo 3.5.1 |
| Templates | Twig 3.23 | Twig 3.30 |
| Assets | Webpack Encore 2.4 | Symfony AssetMapper 8.1 |
| Web server | Nginx | Nginx |
More about the project
You can read more of my original perspective and development updates on the game's original About page.