A real-time backend and live-operations platform for a persistent virtual world — combining player progression, content releases, analytics and support operations across Go, NestJS, PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, Redis, NATS and Kafka.
The product needed authoritative real-time state, persistent player data and frequent content releases without slowing the player experience or giving support teams unsafe access to the production hot path.
The architecture separated real-time gameplay, persistent data, content releases, telemetry and support operations. A Go WebSocket server handled live player actions, hybrid storage matched each data pattern, versioned PostgreSQL migrations became a controlled content pipeline and a dedicated support console managed repairs and reward grants.
01 · Alpha API
NestJS monorepo — REST + WebSocket modules for players, quests, rewards, traits, eggs, minigames, leaderboards and analytics
02 · Realtime server
Go authoritative game server — 100+ WebSocket action handlers, login/reconnect lifecycle, cross-instance messaging
03 · Content pipeline
Versioned PostgreSQL migrations (schema + seed content) with selective release apply tooling
04 · Telemetry
Shared Protobuf contracts + Kafka / Schema Registry transporter
05 · Live ops
Go support API + SvelteKit console for profile repair, reward grants and dialogue CMS
Hybrid persistence matched access patterns: relational config and content in Postgres; high-churn player documents in DynamoDB; hot cache and rankings in Redis.
Game clients ──WebSocket/HTTP──► Go game server
Support agents ──HTTP──────────► Support API + SvelteKit UI
│
├─ Ory / JWKS auth
├─ PostgreSQL (config, narrative, balance data)
├─ DynamoDB (profiles, purchases, inbox)
├─ Redis (cache, leaderboards)
├─ NATS (cross-instance player actions)
├─ Kafka + Schema Registry (analytics events)
└─ Open Match / Agones (multiplayer allocation)XP, levels, badges, quests, story arcs, daily streaks
Customizable characters, trait boxes, collectible traits
Neighborhoods, NPCs, dialogue, secrets, tutorials
Fishing, eggs, minigames, obstacle courses, leaderboards
Friends, chat/voice, referrals, appear-offline
Storefront, Stripe, battle pass, redeemable campaigns
Stateful WS server, NATS bus, matchmaking
Versioned content DB, support grants, dialogue → GitHub PRs
Stateful WebSocket dispatcher with reconnection, login hooks (inbox, referrals, quests), and a NATS server-action bus so commands reach players connected to other instances. Multiplayer allocation via Open Match, Kubernetes and Agones.
PostgreSQL migrations double as a content platform. Quests, NPC dialogue, fishing populations, storefront SKUs and battle-pass data ship in ordered version folders; a Python release tool applies selected feature sets to named environments.
Shared Protobuf event families (UserConnect, UserTransaction, GameLog, FrontendError) with Confluent wire framing. 80+ transaction types cover acquisition, gameplay funnels, economy, social and purchases.
Internal console for searching/editing player profiles, granting compensatory inbox rewards, reviewing purchases and editing NPC/quest dialogue. Dialogue edits integrate with GitHub PRs so narrative changes are reviewable, not silent production writes.
Evolved the platform toward a purpose-built Go real-time server
Built more than 100 real-time action handlers
Introduced cross-instance messaging and hybrid persistence
Shipped content without redeploying core game logic
Established schema-first analytics events
Created safer tooling for live support and content operations
Anonymized service family across the platform.
| Service | Responsibility | Stack |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy Game API | Alpha REST/WS API, shared packages, contracts | TypeScript, NestJS, TypeORM |
| Realtime Game Server | Authoritative gameplay, commerce, social | Go, Chi, WebSocket, NATS, Kafka |
| DB Migrations | Versioned schema + game content | PostgreSQL SQL |
| DB Push Tooling | Selective release apply to environments | Python, psql |
| Event Contracts | Shared Protobuf schemas | Protobuf, Go codegen |
| Data Platform Lib | Kafka + Schema Registry adapter | Go, Kafka |
| Support Backend | CS / live-ops API | Go, Chi, DynamoDB, Postgres |
| Support Frontend | Operator console | SvelteKit, Vite |
Migrated a broad game domain toward a purpose-built Go realtime server while preserving progression, economy and social systems.
Evolved the platform toward a purpose-built Go real-time server
Built more than 100 real-time action handlers with cross-instance messaging and hybrid persistence
Shipped versioned content releases without redeploying core game logic
Established schema-first analytics events and safer tooling for live support and content operations
Rough scale across the service family: ~1,500 source files and 3,000+ commits over an 18+ month evolution window.
Realtime multiplayer backends, hybrid data modelling, content-release tooling, schema-first analytics and safe live-ops platforms.
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