We just returned from the 2025 Shanghai WePlay Expo last week, and we’re still filled with excitement and emotions from those unforgettable two days.
For a small indie team like us, bringing our game to an offline exhibition for real players to try for the very first time was both nerve-wracking and something we had been eagerly looking forward to!
“Loulan Kingdom” showcased at the Unreal Engine booth
Players trying out “Loulan Kingdom” at WePlay
The passion from players was our greatest reward
Watching one player after another sit down to experience “Loulan Kingdom” at our booth filled us with excitement and tension. This was the very first public demo of the game, and although many parts were still rough, players showed strong interest in the city-building, strategic gameplay, travelers system, and real-time battles — some even played the demo two or three times until they fully cleared it!
Enthusiastic players experiencing the game at the “Loulan Kingdom” booth
Even more valuable to us were the honest and insightful suggestions shared by players and fellow developers:
Town interface and guidance could be clearer
Combat pacing could be smoother and more refined
The traveler needs system is interesting, but its presentation could be more intuitive
There is too little content related to exploration
…and many other valuable suggestions
These comments made us realize that “Loulan Kingdom” already has a unique charm of its own, but there are still many features and content that need continued development and polishing. And we’ll keep working side-by-side with the community to make the game even better.
Summary screen from the WePlay demo
Back to development, our next steps are clearer than ever
After the expo, we immediately returned to our development rhythm and sorted the dozens of feedback points we gathered on site. We are currently focusing on the following areas:
Overall demo experience improvements (controls, pacing, readability)
Expanding combat and unit-related content
Implementing the exploration system
We will continue polish Loulan Kingdom step by step, aiming to make the next version of the demo more solid and more enjoyable.
The mysterious “Sandstorm Behemoth” that destroyed many players’ bases during the WePlay demo
A huge thank you to everyone who tried Loulan Kingdom at WePlay!
Your encouragement, your suggestions, and the laughter and exclamations during your play made this journey truly unforgettable. We will continue doing our best to build “Loulan Kingdom” into a unique experience that players can truly immerse themselves in.
The massive crowds at WePlay
We’re also pushing development forward, and we can’t wait to open up a broader Playtest for more players soon.
And to everyone who’s been keeping an eye on “Loulan Kingdom” — thank you! If you’d like to stay involved, don’t forget to wishlist the game and join our community so we can continue building Loulan together.