A 3-Day Side Project to $4K/Month: The Actorle Success Story

Hi! Tell me about you and your game

Hi there! I'm Laszlo Kiss, a full-stack developer from Budapest, Hungary.

In March 2022, I created actorle.com; a daily guessing game inspired by Wordle but focused on actors and movies. What started as a fun side project built in just three days has now become my main focus. Actorle challenges players to guess actors and their films, catering to movie enthusiasts who enjoy testing their knowledge daily.

The game's popularity has led to spin-offs like actorle.tv for TV buffs and 5doodles for those who love to doodle. It's been an exciting journey from a weekend project to a sustainable business that allows me to work on what I love full-time.

What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?

I've been a software developer for eight years, always tinkering with side projects in my free time. When Wordle exploded in popularity, it sparked an idea. As a movie enthusiast, I thought, "Why not create something similar for film lovers?" That's how Actorle was born.

I wanted to challenge players' knowledge of actors and their filmographies in a fun, daily format. The idea was simple, but I had no idea it would turn into anything more than a weekend project. It just goes to show that sometimes the most unexpected ideas can lead to the biggest opportunities.

Describe the process of building the initial version and launching the game

The initial build of Actorle was incredibly fast-paced. I went from concept to launch in just four days. It was a barebones version, the movie database wasn't very accurate, and features like playing games from previous days were missing. But I was eager to get it out there and see how people would respond.

I launched by posting about it on Reddit and a few other forums. The reception was... mixed, to say the least. Some early comments were pretty discouraging. One user said it was "insanely hard to win," and another declared it "literally unplayable" because it didn't include John Hurt in the database. Those comments nearly made me abandon the project.

But then something unexpected happened. After a brief surge of a few hundred users, the numbers dwindled to almost nothing. Just as I was about to call it quits, there was a sudden spike in users. It turned out that a quirky, old-school British website called b3ta.com had featured Actorle in their newsletter. That became the core of my initial user base and gave me the motivation to keep improving the game.

How have you grown the game and attracted users?

Growing Actorle has been an interesting journey, especially since I started with zero marketing experience. The game's growth has largely been organic, driven by word-of-mouth and social media sharing.

By far, the most effective growth strategy was implementing a feature that allowed players to share their scores on Twitter. This turned out to be a goldmine for attracting new users. Many popular accounts with over 10,000 followers regularly shared their Actorle scores, which brought in a significant portion of my audience.

From there, the game spread through Twitter shares and even got featured on Mashable, which gave it another boost. We went from 500 daily users to thousands, then tens of thousands.

I've also expanded the Actorle brand by creating spin-offs like actorle.tv for television enthusiasts and 5doodles for those who enjoy drawing. These variations have helped attract different types of users and keep the concept fresh.

While the trend of sharing scores has somewhat faded over time, I'm constantly looking for new ways to attract users and keep them engaged. Regular updates to the game's database and occasional new game modes like the crosswords-based StarWords and seasonal challenges help maintain interest among existing players.

What has been the most surprising aspect of building your game?

The most surprising aspect of building Actorle has been its unexpected success and how it completely changed the trajectory of my career. When I first created the game in just three days, I had no idea it would become anything more than a fun side project. The fact that it grew from a weekend hobby to a full-time business that generates a steady income has been absolutely mind-blowing.

Another surprise was the power of community and how passionate users can be. The loyalty of my players continually amazes me. Many have been playing the game for years, and they care so deeply about movies that they actively help me improve the game's database by pointing out inaccuracies. This level of engagement and support was something I never anticipated.

Lastly, I was surprised by how a simple idea—when executed well and with a bit of luck—can lead to life-changing opportunities. It's taught me the value of putting your ideas out there, even if they seem small or insignificant at first.

How does your monetization process work? What kind of success have you seen?

My approach to monetization has evolved over time. Initially, I started with a simple "Buy Me a Coffee" donation button, which surprisingly brought in about $1,000 in just three months. This early success showed me that users were willing to support the game financially.

Next, I ventured into mobile app development, which was challenging but educational. However, the real breakthrough came when I partnered with a display ad provider for the website, and this decision significantly boosted revenue. I also experimented with a premium, ad-free version of the game with additional features, but it didn't gain as much traction as I'd hoped.

However, the ad revenue soon matched my full-time salary, which was a pivotal moment. After careful consideration, I took a leap of faith and quit my job to focus on Actorle and its spin-offs full-time. 

In terms of success, two years after launch, Actorle still generates around $4,000 monthly, with minimal ongoing effort. This steady income has allowed me to spend more time with my family and explore other projects, like my movie search and recommendation website, welovemovies.com.

Overall, the success has been beyond my wildest expectations. It's provided financial stability and the freedom to work on projects I'm passionate about, which to me is the ultimate measure of success.

If you could go back, would you do anything differently?

That's an interesting question. While I'm incredibly grateful for how things have turned out, there are a few things I might do differently if I could go back:

1. I'd trust my instincts more from the beginning. Those initial discouraging comments almost made me abandon the project. In hindsight, I should have had more confidence in the concept.

2. I'd focus on building a community around the game earlier. The passionate userbase has been invaluable, and fostering that community from the start could have accelerated growth. However, this aspect of the game would still need some improvement, e.g. a dedicated community channel like a Discord channel that has been planned for a long time.

3. I'd explore different monetization strategies sooner. While the ad revenue model has worked well, diversifying income streams earlier could have provided even more stability.

4. I'd put more effort into marketing and promotion from the start. As a developer, I initially focused solely on the product. Learning basic marketing skills earlier would have been beneficial.

That said, part of the beauty of this journey has been learning from these experiences. Each decision, whether perfect or not, has contributed to where I am today.

How are you doing today and what does the future look like?

Today, I'm doing great! The steady income from Actorle has allowed me to focus on what I love, creating games and tools for people to enjoy. It's given me the freedom to spend more time with my family and explore new projects without the pressure of immediate financial success.

Looking to the future, I'm excited about several prospects:

1. Continuing to improve and expand the Actorle family of games. I'm always looking for ways to keep the games fresh and engaging for our loyal players.

2. Developing my movie search and recommendation website, welovemovies.com. It's currently in beta, and I'm excited to see how it evolves and potentially complements the Actorle ecosystem.

3. Exploring new game ideas and concepts. The success of Actorle has shown me the potential of simple yet engaging games, and I'm keen to experiment with new formats.

4. Possibly venturing into more complex projects or even considering collaboration opportunities now that I have a stable base to work from.

5. Continuing to learn about business and marketing to complement my technical skills.

Overall, the future looks bright and full of possibilities. I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue doing what I love and excited to see where this journey takes me next.

Through building games, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?

Absolutely! Building games, especially Actorle, has taught me several valuable lessons:

1. Simplicity can be powerful: A straightforward concept, executed well, can resonate with a large audience. You don't always need complex features to create something people love.

2. Common wisdom doesn’t always ring true for everyone: 99% of people suggest targeting B2B with a SaaS for indie developers. Sometimes a unique thing like a daily game can work too.

3. Flexibility is key: Being open to pivoting or expanding on your original idea can lead to unexpected opportunities, like the spin-off games I created.

4. Basic marketing skills are crucial: As a developer, I learned that having a great product isn't enough, you need to know how to get it in front of people.

5. Virality is a must-have: As a solo developer without big funding and an existing audience, your biggest chance is to make products that are inherently viral. 

These lessons have been invaluable not just for game development, but for my approach to business and project management in general.

Any advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?

Based on my experience, here's some advice I'd offer to aspiring entrepreneurs:

1. Just start: Don't wait for the perfect idea or moment. Start with something, even if it's small. You never know which project might take off.

2. Embrace feedback, but don't let it derail you: Listen to your users, but also trust your instincts. Not all feedback will be positive, especially at first.

3. Stay flexible and open to new directions.

4. Focus on creating value: Concentrate on making something people genuinely want or need. The monetization will follow if you're solving a real problem.

5. Don't underestimate the power of side projects: What starts as a hobby could turn into a full-time business.

6. Learn basic marketing: As a technical founder, I had to learn that great products don't sell themselves. Basic marketing knowledge goes a long way.

7. Take care of yourself: Entrepreneurship can be stressful. Don't forget to maintain a work-life balance and take time for yourself and your loved ones.

Remember, every journey is unique. What worked for me might not work exactly the same for you, but I hope these insights can provide some guidance as you start your own entrepreneurial adventure.

Who or what inspires you?

Interestingly, my inspiration comes from various aspects of software development and product creation not really from game development, which reflects my somewhat unconventional path into this industry.

Rob Walling's podcasts and books are excellent resources for SaaS founders, although I've learned to carefully adapt those strategies for game development. Several books have been eye-opening in shaping my approach to product creation. "Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products" by Nir Eyal was my first inspiration for product development, while "Contagious: Why Things Catch On" by Jonah Berger provided valuable insights into viral marketing.

As a developer without a strong design background, "Refactoring UI" by Adam Wathan has been my go-to resource for UI design, significantly improving my skills in this area. Most recently, "Building a StoryBrand" by Donald Miller has reshaped my thinking about user communication.

These diverse sources of inspiration have helped me approach game development and product creation from multiple angles, combining technical knowledge with marketing, design, and user engagement strategies.

Other than your own game, what’s your favorite game to play?

This might come as a surprise, especially considering I work on games as a software developer, but I'm not really a gamer in the traditional sense. For me, the process of creation provides greater satisfaction than playing games. Of course, games like Wordle were a huge inspiration, but I try to draw inspiration from various aspects of life rather than directly emulating specific games or game elements.

In my free time, I prefer to completely disconnect from the digital world. I love playing with my son or enjoying a game of football or tennis with friends. These activities not only provide a refreshing break but also often spark new ideas for my work.

Where can we go to learn about you and your game?

The best place to learn about and play Actorle is at actorle.com. For those interested in the TV-focused version, you can visit actorle.tv. We also have moviedle.xyz, which gives a slight twist to the original concept. If you're curious about my other games, like 5doodles or our travel-based games, check out metime.games.

While I'm not very active on social media personally, you can follow me on Twitter/X for some of my thoughts (and occasional bad takes) about the world.

Lastly, I'm always open to hearing from players and fellow developers. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn if you'd like to reach out directly.