Story of Prayogo: Defying all Odds

Apr 6, 2023 | News

Born Prematurely

Prayogo was born prematurely, weighing only 0.2 kg or the weight of a bottle. At the age of two, he could only turn over, sitting was still difficult for him, and standing was even more challenging. By the age of three, he still couldn’t walk and had to move around using his knees. His parents often took him to the market, where he saw other children his age going to school. When asked if he wanted to go to school, Prayogo nodded eagerly. His parents then told him that he had to learn to walk on his feet first. And so, every day after his father returned from work, they practiced walking by throwing a ball around until he fell.

At the age of four, Prayogo finally started school. His mother asked the teacher if they were willing to accept a child in his condition, and thankfully, the teacher was supportive and willing to give it a try. Prayogo’s mother warned him that people might underestimate him, but she encouraged him to prove them wrong. And so, he persevered and managed to finish kindergarten and began attending primary school.

When it was time to enter primary school, the headteacher of his kindergarten suggested that he attend a special school for children with disabilities. Prayogo’s mother was honest with him about the situation and asked if he wanted to go to the special school. But he shook his head and said that he wanted to stay where he was. His first-grade teacher was very supportive, and Prayogo was determined to prove himself. He worked hard and consistently ranked among the top students in his class.

Another Difficult Time

In junior high school, Prayogo wanted to create a game, something new and original. He realized that there were no Indonesian games, and he saw an opportunity to become the first to create one. He was determined to attend a top high school to challenge himself. However, when he was in 11th grade, he almost lost his sight due to retina detachment called “Ablasio Retina”, and he was worried that he might not be able to pursue his dream. He felt that life was unfair, and his physical condition made things more difficult.

Despite his difficulties, he managed to graduate from high school with honors and received the Fighting of Spirit award. He then enrolled in a game development program at university to pursue his dreams. However, he failed to pass the national college entrance exam and had to rely on other means to support himself. While studying at university, he formed a small game development studio, UNIQX Studio, with his colleagues. They published games that they developed for their projects, and Prayogo became active in the game development community, participating in events such as Game Prime and Bekraf.

After graduation, he landed an internship at Shinta VR as an AR programmer, while working on his thesis. He graduated early with the highest GPA in his major and received the award for the most outstanding student. He tried to form a team of seven people, but they failed to pass the selection process for Indigo Telkom. Eventually, he ended up with only two members and collaborated with another studio to develop a new game.

Prayogo’s journey in the game development industry was not a smooth ride. He faced rejections after rejections from various game development studios despite his skills, experience, and portfolio. However, he did not lose hope and kept trying until he landed a job in a small IT startup where he handled gamification projects. Unfortunately, he had to leave the job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was then interviewed and selected as an inspirational story for Indosat Oreedo Camp 2019.

Instead of applying for a new job, Prayogo decided to use his budget and experience to create a new game without researching the market. He contacted a webtoon comic artist for collaboration, and together they created the mobile game “Ngopi, Yuk!”. With the help of TGFI funding, the development of “Ngopi, Yuk!” was completed in a year, and the game received several awards and recognition, including the Best Narrative Indonesia award at The Lazy Game Awards 2022.

After completing “Ngopi, Yuk!”, Prayogo was unsure whether to continue with UNIQX Studio or find a new job due to his self-perceived limitations. He eventually joined a friend’s studio, Akhir Pekan Studio, and worked on the development of the viral game “Bakso Simulator.” Boy unexpectedly contacted Prayogo to join his new company, Mankibo, which Prayogo decided to join because he believed in its mission. This marked the beginning of his new adventure at Mankibo.

Prayogo’s journey in the game development industry shows that persistence, hard work, and a passion for one’s craft can lead to success, even in the face of rejections and setbacks. It also highlights the importance of networking, collaboration, and being open to new opportunities