For Konstantin’s ninth birthday, I made him his own website. It is called Player 09. Turning nine became level nine, the party became a mission, and Konstantin and Becky appeared in a game world with Dubai, VR, and achievement cards.

The website also needed to work as an invitation: parents needed the time, place, programme, and a clear way to get in touch. I also built it to continue after the celebration, as Konstantin’s own world and archive. The project history begins with a first version on 26 September; the verified domain release was on the morning of 3 October.

Real photographs inside an imagined world

The visual language is a dark gaming HUD, blue accents, sharp corners, and technical labels. Konstantin and Becky remain recognisable within it. Real photographs became the basis for game imagery: a portrait, sporting achievements, and adventure scenes.

The opening screen immediately shows the world’s name and main character. The local copy below preserves the original images, fonts, and composition. The event date has passed, so the timer shows a completed mission.

Konstantin // Player 09: opening screen

Public website copy

Konstantin // Player 09: opening screen
Saved project screen · no interactive controls

Player profile and achievements

Konstantin has a profile with a level and game attributes. Alongside it are achievement cards: first trophy, jiu-jitsu, parkour, Becky, and level nine. It tells a personal story in the language of a game; the percentages and XP belong to that language.

On mobile, the image needs to come first and remain fully visible. Headings and buttons sit below it. Achievement cards use a 4:5 ratio so heads, medals, and trophy bases are not cropped. For this website, that is more specific and important than simply writing “responsive design”.

Konstantin’s profile and achievements

Public website copy

Konstantin’s profile and achievements
Saved project screen · no interactive controls

An invitation that keeps time

The programme had several moments: guests arriving, the game starting, and the party ending. During checks, we corrected the timer boundary separately: Mission Complete must begin at 12:30 Dubai time, not when guests arrive. The visible label needs to match the event’s actual state.

The website also has a schedule, directions, and a team section. These are the invitation’s practical parts for parents; game styling does not remove the need to find information quickly.

A photo archive without invented photographs

After the celebration, the website should accept real photos and let parents view and download them. The gallery, full-screen viewer, originals, and ZIP are prepared for this. But a finished archive interface does not mean photos have been uploaded.

At release, real photographs were awaiting processing. The checked version still shows three previews and spaces for future uploads. That is the state I show, without invented photo or video counters. Game-world illustrations are marked separately from event photographs.

Below you can open the actual archive window and examine the workflow. The local copy sends no messages and does not change the live family website.

Player 09 photo archive

Public website copy

Player 09 photo archive
Saved project screen · no interactive controls

By the 3 October release, the website combined game styling with practical information for parents. The gallery and downloads are prepared, but actual event photos are not yet uploaded in the version shown. Player 09 can continue as Konstantin’s personal archive beyond one birthday.

Related stories: Nevsky OS.