DEV Community: 华灵庚

How I Built a Data-Driven Game Wiki with Next.js — Hero DB, Pipeline, and Static Export

华灵庚 — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 07:10:51 +0000

I just shipped a data-heavy game wiki for Guildrun (a roguelite auto-battler on Steam) and wanted to share the architecture because it's a pattern that works well for any structured game data site.

The Problem

Most game wikis are either Fandom pages (slow, ad-heavy) or markdown files on GitHub (not indexable). I wanted something that could handle 25 heroes × 13 stats each, 162 items, and 295 relics — all with source provenance tracking — while rendering as fast static HTML.

The Stack

Next.js 14 with App Router, static export (output: "export")
Tailwind CSS for styling
Vercel for deployment + Cloudflare DNS
Data pipeline: raw markdown files → build-time parser → typed TypeScript objects → static pages

The Data Pipeline

The key insight was keeping content and code separate. All game data lives in content-input/pages/ as structured markdown files with a custom frontmatter format:

slug: beginner-guide
title: Guildrun Beginner Guide
contentStatus: ready
versionContext: Steam demo build (app/3669200)

Each page has a directAnswer section (for Google featured snippets), structured sections with evidenceType tags, and a quickFacts table. The build script parses these into typed records and generates one static page per guide.

Source Provenance

Because this is a demo-phase game, accuracy matters more than completeness. Every data block has an evidence level:

confirmed-fact — verified in demo game files
community-report — Discord/Reddit consensus
editorial-recommendation — strategy opinion
uncertainty — explicitly flagged as "might change"

This ships to the frontend as a small badge on each section. Readers know exactly how reliable each claim is.

Static Export & Performance

Full static export means every page is pre-rendered HTML. No database queries at request time. Total build time is under 2 minutes for 9 content pages plus the hero/item/relic database routes. Lighthouse scores are 95+ across the board.

What I'd Do Differently

Start with a smaller indexable surface: we shipped the full data set at once, but phasing in pages gradually would give Google more time to evaluate each one
Add a data diff system earlier: when the full game launches and stats change, we need to show what changed from the demo build

The live site is at guildrunguide.wiki if you want to see the result. Happy to answer questions about the pipeline or the content architecture.

I Built 6 Game Wiki Sites in 3 Weeks — Here's My Stack

华灵庚 — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 04:03:00 +0000

I've been building game guide wikis for fun (and maybe a little AdSense revenue). Here's what I'm using:

The Stack

Framework: Next.js static export
Hosting: Vercel
DNS: Cloudflare
Analytics: GA4
Search: Google Search Console

Why Static Export?

No server, no database, no maintenance. Every page is pre-rendered HTML. Deploy is a build and export. Zero runtime costs.

The Wiki Network

So far 6 sites are live:

Guts & Blackpowder Guide — Roblox game guide
Steal a Brainrot Guide — Roblox brainrot database
Moonlight Peaks Guide — Cozy life-sim pre-release
Witchbrook Guide — Witchcraft school pre-release
Wilderdark Guide — Dinosaur survival pre-release
Grave Seasons Guide — Disaster farming pre-release

What I Learned

The template approach works. After building the first site from scratch, I extracted a reusable template with site-config, guide card components, and SEO schema. Each new site now takes 2-3 hours instead of 2-3 days.

Pre-release guides are a gamble. Some games blow up, some don't. The trick is covering games with high community interest before the big sites do.

Static sites are fast. Every page loads instantly. No database queries, no SSR overhead. Just HTML.

Anything you'd do differently?

Moonlight Peaks Guide — Vampire Life, Romance and Farming

华灵庚 — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:13:39 +0000

Moonlight Peaks Guide

Your guide to life as a vampire in Moonlight Peaks.

→ moonlightpeaksguide.wiki

Not affiliated with the developers. Fan-maintained.

Witchbrook Guide — Spells, Romance, Classes and Mossport Life

华灵庚 — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:13:35 +0000

Witchbrook Guide

Everything we know about Witchbrook College before launch.

→ witchbrookguide.wiki

Not affiliated with Chucklefish. Fan-maintained.

Moonlight Peaks Guide — Vampire Life, Romance, Farming and Magic

华灵庚 — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:03:57 +0000

Moonlight Peaks Guide

Your guide to life as a vampire in Moonlight Peaks — romance, farming, magic, and supernatural small-town life.

What is Moonlight Peaks?

A cozy life-sim where you play as a vampire in a magical town full of werewolves, witches, and mermaids. Farm by moonlight, master vampiric abilities, fall in love. Out now on Switch, Switch 2, Steam, Google Play.

What the wiki covers

Romance options — yes, that includes Death
Vampiric abilities and progression
Farming, crafting, supernatural ingredients
Every town location and NPC
Beginner guide — your first 7 nights
FAQ for new players

→ moonlightpeaksguide.wiki

Not affiliated with the developers. Fan-maintained.

Witchbrook Guide — Spells, Romance, Classes and Mossport Life

华灵庚 — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:03:54 +0000

Witchbrook Guide

Everything we know about Witchbrook College before launch — spells, romance, classes, and Mossport life.

What is Witchbrook?

An upcoming life-sim and social RPG from Chucklefish. Play as a student at Witchbrook College, learning magic, making friends, and navigating Mossport. Coming to PC, Switch, Xbox in 2026.

What the wiki covers

Spells and magical arts
Romance options and relationships
Classes and school life
Mossport shops, locations, NPCs
Release info and updates
Community FAQ

→ witchbrookguide.wiki

Not affiliated with Chucklefish. Fan-maintained.

Steal a Brainrot Wiki — Complete Brainrot Database and Trading Guide

华灵庚 — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:58:11 +0000

Steal a Brainrot Wiki

The only sortable, filterable database for every brainrot, trait, mutation, and event in Steal a Brainrot on Roblox.

What is Steal a Brainrot?

A Roblox game about collecting and trading rare brainrots — each with unique traits, mutations, and rarity tiers. Part collection game, part trading economy.

What the wiki covers

Every brainrot catalogued with stats, rarities, traits, and mutations
Sort and filter by rarity, cost, or value
Event guides for limited-time brainrots
Trading tips — what is actually worth your currency
Beginner walkthrough

→ stealabrainrotguide.wiki

Not affiliated with Roblox or Steal a Brainrot. Community-maintained.

Guts and Blackpowder Wiki — Commands, Maps and Badges Guide

华灵庚 — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:58:08 +0000

Guts & Blackpowder Wiki

The complete community resource for the Roblox PvE zombie survival shooter.

What is Guts & Blackpowder?

A Roblox game set during the Napoleonic Wars where you fight through waves of zombies using muskets, sabres, and historical weapons. Think Left 4 Dead meets the 19th century.

What the wiki covers

Every admin & private server command
All 15 maps with objectives and walkthroughs
Weapons, loadouts, and damage stats
Enemy bestiary — Shamblers, Bombers, Runners, Cuirassier
31 badges & secret achievements
Class breakdowns and beginner survival guide

→ gutsandblackpowder.wiki

Not affiliated with Roblox or Guts & Blackpowder developers.