How to Build a Game with Claude

Your first game should take an afternoon, not a year. Small games get finished, and finished games teach you everything.

• A one-button endless runner
• A snake or breakout remix with a twist
• A word or quiz game
• A top-down dodge game

Make a tiny game you can finish, then make it fun.

Help me write a one-page design for a small browser game. Idea: [idea]. Include the goal, controls, core loop, how the player wins and loses, how difficulty increases, and three ideas to make it feel fun. Keep scope small enough to build in one afternoon.

In the Claude app, ask for a playable game as a single HTML file. Claude shows it in the artifact panel so you can play it straight away.

Build this game as one HTML file using the canvas. Use arrow keys and touch controls, show the score, and add a restart button. Use simple shapes for now.

• Ask for one change per message
• Play after every change
• Describe bugs exactly: what you did, what happened, what you expected
• Ask Claude to explain the code if you want to learn

• Use Claude Code when the game needs many files, levels, or saved data
• Write a CLAUDE.md with your game’s rules, style, and how to run it
• Use plan mode before big features
• Commit to Git after each working step so you can undo mistakes

HTML canvas

Simplest; great for tiny 2D games

Phaser

A popular 2D framework for browser games

Three.js

3D games and scenes in the browser

Godot

A free game engine for bigger 2D and 3D projects

• Screen shake and small particles on hits
• Short sound effects for every action
• Smooth movement with easing
• A clear start screen and game-over screen

Make the game feel more satisfying: add juice to collisions, scoring, and game over, without changing the rules.

• Start with shapes, then add art once the game is fun
• Use free assets with clear licences, such as CC0 packs
• Generate simple sound effects with free tools
• Keep a credits file listing every asset and its licence

• Watch someone play without helping
• Note where they get stuck or bored
• Ask what they wanted to do but could not
• Fix the biggest problem first

• Publish a Claude artifact and share its link
• Upload HTML games to itch.io
• Host on GitHub Pages or another static host
• Test on phones before you share widely

• Do not copy characters, names, or art from existing games
• Use only assets you have the right to use
• Make your twist your own