‘Productivity ninjas’: 3 friends in Norway spend years of late nights to turn their secret ‘night shift’ into a viral video game

Kim told Newsweek that the men’s turning point came about three years ago, during a New Year’s celebration with their families. In that moment, they decided it was time to stop talking and actually commit. “That’s when it became concrete,” he said.

Starting from scratch

During the first two years, they spent that time teaching themselves to code, learning game engines, and figuring out the business side, all while holding full-time jobs and raising their children. Progress was painfully slow at first, and for a long time, there was little to show for the effort.

Eventually, the core systems fell into place, and the game became fully playable. When Christian, who has a formal background in 3D animation, officially joined the project in the summer of 2025, there was no longer any doubt that the game would be finished. From that point on, it was about polishing and completing it.

Parenthood shaped nearly every decision along the way. Long coding sessions and entire weekends dedicated to work simply weren’t an option. Kim began calling himself a “productivity ninja,” squeezing in focused bursts of work around bedtime routines and late into the evening.

Those constraints ended up influencing the game itself. He said it taught him the value of “snackable gaming” – experiences that are easy to jump into, deliver “30 minutes of pure chaos,” and can be put down without guilt. The game is designed with parents in mind, especially those who don’t have hours to spare.

The story centres on an elderly man whose peaceful life is disrupted when a highway is built near his remote cabin. Fed up, he lashes out at passing traffic using improvised weapons and bizarre physics. The creators describe the character as a classic “grumpy old man,” and see the game as a harmless, digital outlet for everyday frustration, a way to blow off steam without hurting anyone.

‘Exhausted, but also extremely proud’

Teaching themselves game development brought plenty of surprises. Modern tools, they said, are incredibly powerful but also brutally honest, revealing how much effort goes into even the smallest details. The toughest stretches were what they dubbed “sickness marathons”, weeks of broken sleep due to ill children, full workdays, and then opening the game engine again at 9 pm.

What kept them going was their friendship and shared understanding that real life always comes first. Kim explained that being close friends meant respecting each other’s limits. If someone needed time to fix the house or focus on family, there was no guilt or pressure. That flexibility, he said, is what kept the project alive.

Kim later shared their journey on Reddit’s r/gaming community under the username u/Balbonator. The post drew more than 2,500 upvotes and a flood of reactions. He wrote that his goal wasn’t to show off, but to prove that a hobby can survive even in the chaos of raising young children. He admitted he was exhausted, but also “extremely proud.”

Seeing both familiar faces and complete strangers download the game on day one felt like a small but meaningful win. For now, he’s focusing on player feedback and letting the project grow at its own pace, one careful step at a time.