We built Landover, a Catan-inspired strategy board game, in Flutter and Firebase, one code base for iOS, Android, and web. It reached over 19,000 monthly active players.
- monthly active players
- 19,000+
A Landover board: a hex island of mountain, clay, forest, pasture, and wheat tiles with number tokens, and two red dice. Roll the dice and every tile whose number comes up lights up.
01The ask
Take a board game with expansions to every screen.
Landover set out to build a modern strategy board game inspired by Settlers of Catan and its Cities & Knights and Seafarers expansions, reimagined for digital play on mobile and web.
Players take on bots with different skill levels, personalities, and play styles, or play games of up to eight people on giant maps with friends, family, or the Landover community. Rankings, premium subscriptions, and custom maps had to keep them coming back and pay for the game.
02The backend
One source of truth for every game on the table.
We designed the backend in TypeScript and Node.js to handle the game state, the game logic, and the sync between players.
Firebase keeps every game instance honest. Firestore and Cloud Functions hold the source of truth, with Authentication, Hosting, App Distribution, Remote Config, Dynamic Links, and Analytics around them, so every device in a match sees the same board.
03The front end
Built once in Flutter, at home on a phone or a laptop.
One Flutter code base runs Landover on iOS, Android, and web. We shipped mobile first, and once the client saw a player audience on the web, the web version took only a couple of weeks.
We tailored the layouts and interactions to each size, so the game feels natural whether it’s played on a phone, a tablet, or in a browser.
04The rollout
Rules first, features next, then an open beta.
We checked the core mechanics early, the resource distribution, the dice rolls, and the expansions, then added features and refinements in steps, guided by a lot of playtesting and bug tracking.
A Kanban workflow kept tasks, timeframes, and owners clear, and staff augmentation brought in extra expertise when the work needed it. An open beta, version 0.1 in production, tested real use, and analytics and player feedback shaped the performance, the balance, and the engagement.
05What changed
The table filled up.
-
The players
Over 19,000 monthly active players.
Proof of demand, and proof the platform holds up at that scale.
-
Every screen
Players move between devices.
iOS, Android, and web, with no drop in quality or performance when a player switches.
-
Built to earn
Rankings, subscriptions, and custom maps.
Premium subscriptions, player rankings, and user-created maps keep the community engaged.
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On stage
Landover went to GDC.
The Uruguayan Government supported showing Landover at the Game Developers Conference in California.
06If you’re next
What we’d tell a team in Landover’s seat.
- 01
Keep one source of truth on the server for every match, so each device only shows what the backend says.
- 02
Prove the core rules before you build the features on top. Dice rolls and resource distribution were checked first.
- 03
Open a beta before launch and let real players find the balance problems.
- 04
Plan rankings, subscriptions, and custom maps from the start, because the architecture has to carry them.
Roll credits.
Who did what, and with which tools.
- Client
- Landover
- Our part
- Product designApplication developmentBackend architectureProject management
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, and web
- Built with
- FlutterFirebaseFirestoreCloud FunctionsTypeScriptNode.js
Built by Very Good Ventures
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