/ recent work/ critical-fail
Critical Fail
A cozy browser MMO about failing upward, with tile exploration, turn-based combat, branching comedy, and reactive characters.
The problem
Most browser RPG prototypes prove a combat loop or a walking scene, then stop. Critical Fail is an attempt to make the surrounding product coherent too: a distinctive world, readable systems, meaningful failure, character progression, and dialogue that can react without surrendering authorship.
The product decision
Failure is not a punishment screen. It is content. The game is designed around failing upward, so bad rolls, awkward choices, and imperfect characters create new material instead of ending the experience.
What I own
I lead the product direction, interaction and systems design, narrative framework, visual language, and implementation. Phaser owns the playable world and combat staging; React owns the interface; engine-independent TypeScript systems keep the game rules testable and portable.
Current state
The town, movement, branching dialogue, combat, inventory, journal, character builder, progression data, and save seams are implemented. Multiplayer, production character intelligence, world-map systems, and final art remain active milestones. The project is labeled in progress rather than presented as a finished MMO.
Constraints
The architecture deliberately separates real systems from simulated networking and dialogue providers. Case-study claims should always distinguish production-ready features, functional local systems, and planned infrastructure.