Leon Machens
Software developer.
I build TH.GL, a gaming platform with more than 100,000 daily users. I have been self-employed with my own apps since 2017, and as a web coach I trained over 100 developers.
Current projects
6 live · more in the works
The Hidden Gaming Lair
Interactive maps, in-game overlays and live position tracking for more than 20 games, including Palworld, Dune Awakening and Wuthering Waves. I build and run the Windows companion app and the web tools on my own, and they serve over 100,000 players every day. The Discord community counts more than 25,000 members, alongside Patreon and Reddit.
Windkraft Nottuln
Facts for the local wind energy debate, backed by studies, laws and official documents. An interactive map shows all turbines around Nottuln. The regional newspaper Westfälische Nachrichten profiled the project in January 2026.
nottuln.blog
Documented deep-dives on local topics in Nottuln, such as childcare closures, municipal debt and urban planning. Every claim is backed by numbers and sources, and a newsletter keeps readers up to date.
Naturkita Baumberger Strolche
The redesigned website of a parent-run nature kindergarten in Nottuln presents its concept, team and registration. I also serve on the board of the association.
Garage Inferno
A complete rebuild of the website for a rock band from Nottuln, whose Inferno Night series regularly brings live rock to the village. A stock theme gave way to a look built around the band's own logo, with a dedicated page for the concert series. New videos from the band's YouTube channel show up on their own, and the site needs no cookie banner.
Pension Halstrup
Two private rooms in a farmhouse from 1871 in Westerstede, northern Germany, rented out since 2011. The site speaks to relatives visiting patients at the hospital a kilometre away, to tradespeople working nearby, and to holidaymakers in the region known for its rhododendron blossom. Rooms, prices including rates for longer stays, location and the most common questions all sit on the homepage, so nothing is left open before an enquiry. Guests get in touch with the host directly by phone or email, with no booking portal and no fees. The relaunch replaces the first version from 2021.
More club and project sites
More sites take shape over time, mostly for local clubs and initiatives. They appear here once they go live.
Past projects
Selection · many more on GitHub →About me
I have been around computers practically all my life, and games sparked the interest early: in 2007, playing as "Xeon", I became Command & Conquer 3 vice world champion at the World Cyber Games in Seattle. Software development has been my profession since my vocational training in 2005. A computer science degree (M.Sc.) followed, along with roles from C++ developer to lead and CTO positions, in the gaming industry and in agencies.
I have essentially always worked self-employed on the side, since 2017 with my own gaming apps: Trophy Hunter, winner of the Overwolf Apps Developer Challenge 2016, grew into The Hidden Gaming Lair, which has been my full-time project since 2023. As head coach for web development at neue fische, I also guided more than 100 developers through bootcamps.
In 2025 my family and I moved from Cologne to Nottuln. Since then I have been building websites for local clubs and initiatives on the side.
Full career history Show Hide ›
The Hidden Gaming Lair – maps, overlays & tracking for 20+ games
PLAYT.net – gaming startup
neue fische GmbH – bootcamp training of 100+ developers
GRAPES web agency – projects for Oerlikon, DEVK and Klugo, among others
Trophy Hunter – League of Legends app, winner of the Overwolf Apps Developer Challenge 2016
Mobilehead – first hired developer, core modules & infrastructure
Homelike – platform for furnished apartments
Tronos – smart sun lounger (Smartlounger)
Citywerk
Sievers SNC – Windows Store app
BES GmbH – CAD software for engraving & image processing
Japan Communication, Tokyo – subway schedule app
Naturkita Baumberger Strolche e.V., Nottuln – parent-run kindergarten
Command & Conquer 3 – German finals of the EA tournament series, LAN event at Jahrhunderthalle Spergau
Self-built tournament site for strategy games – including its own show (RTSCups TV)
Command & Conquer 3 – German pro league
WCG Samsung Euro Championship
Command & Conquer 3 – German pro league
World Cyber Games grand final, Seattle – entered as a substitute, ended up in the final. Award ceremony video · newspaper report (German)
120 consecutive days at the top of the international ladder (ESL/MySkulls). The announced €60,000 league never happened – the game was discontinued after its developer shut down.
Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences
Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences – incl. a semester abroad in Japan
BBS Ammerland (vocational school)
Contact & profiles
I want to give back to my community, including with websites. If you run a club or initiative in Nottuln and need support, just get in touch. I do this as volunteer work.