Is it bad practice to build the frontend and a backend API in the same app?

I'm learning node and I have an idea for a simple hobby project. I want to make a simple text-based RPG. NPCs, locations and player data will be stored in MongoDB and accessed through a REST API for simple CRUD.It kind of seems like overkill to separate the game into two apps (a backend API and a frontend interface). But that seems to be how most projects seem to be designed. What am I missing? What are the downsides for creating a single app that handles both?

Submitted March 25, 2019 at 10:23AM by DJ_Beardsquirt