One person, three apps, one platform

Who is behind this

StepForge is me, a single developer. There is no studio, no team and no marketing department. There is a platform, a few apps and the stepforge.pro site, and I build and maintain all of it myself. I say this up front so there are no illusions: the project is small, and it has all the limits of a small project. Some things I do more slowly than I would like, and some things are rough around the edges in their first versions.

There is an upside to this setup, though: behind every app stands the same person, the same principles and the same approach to what can be shown to a player and what cannot.

Why steps

The idea of a shared platform grew out of a simple thought: steps are the most accessible activity there is, something people already do every day. You don't have to buy equipment or change your routine. If you turn steps into an honest number and then let other apps use that number, you get a common thread for products that are very different in mood.

That is why my apps differ in character but share one thing: walking sits at the base of the platform.

Wayfare: the foundation

Wayfare is a simple, honest pedometer for Android. Daily goals, a day streak, statistics with an activity heatmap, plus a stopwatch, a timer and a cycling mode. The interface is available in eight languages.

I wanted it to be a calm tool without pressure. No manipulation and no pushy reminders: the numbers show what actually happened. The day streak here is gentle: a missed day does not turn into a punishment. Wayfare is free and has no ads.

This same app is the source of steps for the rest of the platform.

Trailforge: steps become an adventure

Trailforge is a fantasy sports RPG. Real steps turn into your hero's progress: you walk, the hero grows. Trailforge takes its steps from your Wayfare account, so without Wayfare you can't level up the hero. This link is deliberate: the pedometer is responsible for honest counting, and the game for what can be done with that count.

Inside there is a forge where crafting odds are shown before you spend anything, raids, and tournaments with an invitation code. The style is a warm "hand-drawn tome", not a fitness race. Progression here is unhurried, and I don't promise quick results: it is a game for months, not for a weekend.

Trailforge is free. It has ads that you can watch if you choose to, and optional purchases.

GridCraft: a game of a very different kind

GridCraft is tactical board duels. There are currently two games in it:

• Block or Run is a duel on a 12 by 8 board: both players race to the same top row and can place up to ten walls. Any wall can block not only your opponent but also you yourself, so you have to calculate several moves ahead.
• FoxOwl is played on a 6 by 6 board, a piece slides until it stops, and whoever first gets four in a row wins.

GridCraft is about calculation and calm tactics, not reaction speed. You can play against the AI without a second player. Moves are synced not instantly but with a small delay, so it is more of a turn-by-turn game than tense real-time play.

The app is free, with ads and purchases. The games also open as a mini app in Telegram and in the browser.

The site and the forum

Around the apps there is the stepforge.pro site. It has project news and my notes, and also a forum where you can write about bugs, ideas and questions about any app. For a small project it is the main feedback channel. I read what comes in, and what I work on next depends on it.

How it all fits together

Seen as a whole, the picture is simple. Wayfare counts steps and shows them without decoration. Trailforge takes those steps and turns them into the story of a hero. GridCraft stands a little apart: it doesn't need steps, it is a separate place for people who like thinking over a move. And the site ties it all together: news, the forum and a page with the apps.

I like this split because each app can be used on its own. You don't have to play the RPG to use the pedometer, and you don't need the pedometer to play a game of FoxOwl. But if you want your walking to turn into something, there is a road for that.

What I can honestly say about scale

I won't quote audience numbers or paint a picture of a big service: that would be deceiving you. These are three apps that one person is bringing to the point where they are pleasant to use. Some things are still raw, some plans may shift, and I try not to promise what doesn't exist yet.

If you like this approach, one developer, a calm tone, no pressure, come and take a look. If something works badly, write to me: I will definitely look into it.

Steps are just steps. My job is not to make you walk, but to make sure that what you already walk anyway serves something.

Where to try it

All the apps and links are collected on the page stepforge.pro/apps. Direct links to Google Play:

• Wayfare — a pedometer, free and with no ads
• Trailforge — a steps-powered RPG, free, with ads and optional purchases
• GridCraft — tactical duels, free, with ads and purchases

You can start with Wayfare: it takes a minute and immediately shows what your ordinary day looks like in steps.