Welcome back to Publisher Showcase, where we highlight the people and platforms powering some of the most useful gaming resources across the Nitro network.
This month, we're spotlighting Younes, the solo developer behind Palworld.gg, the ultimate resource site providing tools and guides for the vibrant Palworld community. In the interview below, Younes talks about how launching the site before the game's Early Access release in January 2024 allowed him to collect valuable Search Console data before any competitors had pages ranking, and how he used those early insights to build the features that millions of players now rely on.
Read on to discover more about the strategies that helped Younes grow Palworld.gg to millions of users as a solo developer. 👇
First up, can you tell us a bit about your career/life background that led you to start Palworld.gg?
I’m a software engineer, and I’ve always enjoyed building hobby projects, from desktop apps to full websites. My ultimate goal was always to build something useful that a lot of people would use.
After graduating, I had a choice: take a regular salaried job, or try to build something of my own like I’d always wanted. I went with the latter, but I gave myself a strict one-year deadline, if it didn't work out, I'd tone it down and keep it as a side hustle instead.
Luckily, I was able to prove it to myself in the first six months with two decently successful projects, which gave me the push to invest more into this, and after a couple more projects, Palworld.gg was born.
What drove you to create Palworld.gg? Did you see a specific gap in the market? Was there a particular insight that motivated you to launch it?
I remember researching which kinds of websites I can make as a solo developer that had a chance to reach a huge audience, and I kept seeing just how much traffic gaming sites pull in. That was all the validation I needed to get to work.
My first ever game-related website was for a mobile strategy game. I went all-in on it, building a full backend, leaderboards, user profiles, and everything. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough because the game itself didn't pull in many players. o I scrapped mobile games from my target list.
That’s when I started watching showcase events featuring upcoming games/titles, which is where I first saw Palworld and thought to myself, 'That’s the next game I’m going with.
How long have you been running your website and how long did it take from development until it was live?
The website has been running for about two and a half years now, ever since the game launched in early access back in January 2024.In terms of dev time, I actually launched the first version a week before the game came out.
It didn't have a lot of content at the time, just whatever information was already public, because I really wanted to be the first site for the game. Once early access dropped I kept building out features and adding content everyday.
How did you decide on the specific features and tools available on Palworld.gg?
One of the biggest advantages of being the first site live was getting access to Google Search Console data early on. That data showed me exactly what people were searching for the most, which guided my roadmap on what to build first.
It immediately became clear that players wanted an interactive map to locate points of interest, so I started building that. Also social media, especially Reddit, was also super helpful for figuring out other tools and features to add, just by looking at community discussions and comment feedback.
How were you able to build a strong online presence for the website?
From the beginning, my primary focus was SEO and ensuring the website was fully optimized for search. As our rankings grew and we started ranking for top keywords, organic visibility naturally spilled over into other channels, driving traffic from social media, YouTube, forums, and community discussions.
What have been some of the most effective tactics to drive traffic to your website so far?
Being first to deliver new features and updates is key, that’s what keeps users coming back and turns the site into a go-to resource.
Early on, sharing updates on Reddit gave us a major boost. Reddit works exceptionally well for niche community websites because a single well-timed post can drive massive organic traffic, even without an established social media following.
Has AI changed how you manage or grow your website?
I primarily use AI for coding and managing multiple codebases across all the websites I’m running. It’s become an essential tool in my day-to-day workflow, especially in 2026, with how good models have gotten at writing code, doing technical analysis, data analysis, and brainstorming implementation ideas.
What are you most proud of in regards to the success of Palworld.gg so far? Any major highlights?
What I’m most proud of is fulfilling a goal I’ve had for a long time: building a truly useful resource used by millions of players around the world. Doing that entirely as a solo developer, and in such a short window of time, was an incredible milestone.
Seeing palworld.gg establish itself so quickly as the definitive, go-to resource for the game proved that a fast, easy-to-use, constantly updated website can compete with, and even outperform, much larger operations.
What advice do you have for new and existing website owners that you wish you knew before you started?
Creating and managing websites has never been easier, with AI, anyone can bring an idea to life, so if you truly believe in something, build it and get it launched. However, building it is only half the battle, getting users is what makes or breaks it.
The best way to validate a new idea or revive an old one is to move fast and go straight to online forums and social communities. Find where your target audience hangs out and showcase your work to them, they are your first users, your biggest source of initial traffic, and your most valuable feedback givers.
What do you like best about being a part of Nitro’s network of premium gaming/entertainment websites?
What I appreciate most is the easy setup and well-documented implementation. Integrating ad units and troubleshooting on my sites has always been straightforward.
When technical edge cases come up, their team is knowledgeable and quick to help. Having that reliable integration allows me to focus on building features and growing my business rather than managing ad operations.
What’s next for Palworld.gg?
The game just had its full release last month, which brought a ton of work, and I’m still actively adding features and fine-tuning the website for the best user experience. From now on, it’s all about keeping up with new game content and player needs as the game evolves.
A big thank you to Younes from Palworld.gg. Keep your eyes peeled for more insightful interviews like this in next month's edition of our Publisher Showcase, where we’ll continue to spotlight one of the 500+ stand out websites on Nitro, diving deep into their unique success!
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