Is it possible to vibe code a game? We tested it the strict way: one prompt per game, one attempt, no follow-up messages and no edits. Four AI models each vibe coded three games, a physics toy, a 3D shooter and a one-lane MOBA, and every one of the twelve is playable below.
What does a vibe-coded game look like?
A complete prototype with a recognisable style. Because the prompts allowed no image or sound files, every game generates its world in code: low-poly geometry in three.js, textures drawn on a canvas, sound synthesised in the browser. The results range from Claude Opus 5.5's neon city shooter to GPT-6 Astra's forest MOBA lane, and they all start, play and end.
The two GPT models shared more than a style. Their shooters are named Dead Signal and Deadlink and both put a door marked Relay in front of you, and their MOBA heroes both end on an ultimate ability called Starfall, as, it turns out, does Claude Fable 5.1's. Some choices seem to belong to every model trained on the same games, so if you vibe code, expect familiar names unless you ask for new ones.
How long does it take to vibe code a game?
Between 8 minutes and two and a half hours, depending on the game and the model. The physics toy took the GPT models about 8 minutes each. The shooter took GPT-6.1 Sol 13 minutes and GPT-6 Astra 20, while Claude Fable 5.1 took 75 and Claude Opus 5.5 was still refining its game when our 150-minute limit arrived. At list API prices the GPT games cost about $0.65 to $7.27 each.
How do you prompt for a game that works?
Be precise about the game and loose about the art. Our shooter and MOBA prompts specify the genre, the controls, the systems such as waves, minions and towers, the camera, and the win and lose conditions, plus the technical rules: three.js provided as a local file, no network requests, every asset made in code. They say nothing about colours or themes, and that is where each model's personality shows.
Then play before you prompt again. A vibe-coded game's first version tells you what the model understood; the second prompt should fix what it missed, not restate the whole game.
Four vibe-coded shooters, names hidden. Which one would you keep playing?
Take the blind test
Frequently asked questions
Is it possible to vibe code a game?
Yes. Every one of the twelve games here was produced from a single prompt with no human edits, and every one is playable. What you get is a complete prototype; turning it into a game people play for hours still takes iteration.
What AI makes games best?
For the most atmospheric result from one prompt, the Claude models; for fast prototypes you can iterate on cheaply, GPT-6.1 Sol. All four models we tested produced playable games in all three genres.
How should I prompt an AI to make a game?
Describe the genre, the controls, the core systems, the camera and the win and lose conditions, and state the technical rules, such as which engine file to use and that all art and sound must be generated in code. Our game briefs are public templates.
How do you spot a vibe-coded game?
Often by its defaults: procedural low-poly geometry, synthesised sound, a tidy HUD and an arena rather than a level. The games here share those traits because the prompts asked for code-generated assets.