Who am I and what is Mystic Grove.
About Stefan Grob
Hi, I’m Stefan Grob, a 33-year-old application manager from The Netherlands. I work full-time for eX:plain, where I develop and manage web applications, lead a development team in sprints, and coordinate what needs to be built, how it’s tested, and how it all comes together. As I step into my tenth year with eX:plain, I’ve also embraced a second passion—game development—which I work on daily since the start of 2024.
When I’m not developing my own game, you’ll find me pushing my limits with heavy lifting, calisthenics, or skateboarding. I also spend time with my girlfriend, enjoying music that spans many genres—though I’m a metalhead at heart!
Gaming has always been a core part of who I am. I grew up playing the classics where every life mattered, teaming up with friends for fast-paced action in platformers and shoot-em-ups. My gaming journey evolved over the years, from exploring Azeroth in World of Warcraft (2006–2022) to battling aliens in Halo, looting chaos in Borderlands, and building empires in Age of Empires and Anno. I’ve conquered dragons in Skyrim, ridden through the Wild West in Red Dead Redemption, fought for survival in Left 4 Dead, and embraced storytelling in The Witcher, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, and Baldur’s Gate. Games like Elden Ring and Far Cry continue to fuel my passion for immersive worlds and challenging gameplay, I could continue of course, but hopefully this kind of gives you an idea where I’m at when it comes to gaming experiences and where I get inspiration from.
Now, as I grow older, I’m striving to turn my lifelong love of gaming into something I create myself. What began as a hobby has transformed into a dream: to build games that bring joy, challenge, and connection to others—just as they have for me.
About Mystic Grove
Welcome to the enchanting world of Mystic Grove, a single player game designed to combine the thrill of fast-paced action with the depth of an RPG, all set within a breathtakingly beautiful environment. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or someone who only has pockets of time to spare, Mystic Grove offers an experience that is both accessible and rewarding.
A Game for Everyone
Mystic Grove is crafted with care for players who love the immersive exploration of RPGs but can’t dedicate hours to grind or learn overly complex mechanics. The game distills the essence of RPGs into an engaging, relatively fast paced and streamlined experience without sacrificing depth or challenge. Every moment spent in Mystic Grove is meaningful, whether you're battling foes, discovering secrets, or unraveling the mysteries of its lush, magical world.
My Development Journey
This journey began on January 16, 2024, when I took my first steps into the world of game development with Unreal Engine. As someone new to the craft, I’ve poured my heart into every aspect of this game—from building the dynamic environments to scripting the fast-paced combat mechanics. It hasn’t always been easy; balancing creativity and technical challenges is an adventure in itself. Yet, every bug squashed and feature implemented has brought me closer to realizing my vision.
As of writing this, it is December 27th, 2024, and I can proudly say that my daily effort has resulted in me learning a great deal about game development but also having the ability to apply this knowledge and create the early stage of the game you see here before you. The plan is to keep this up and work towards a Q4 2025 release.
