How to make a game with Claude

The starting prompt

The single most useful constraint you can give Claude is "one self-contained HTML file". It forces a game that runs anywhere, saves cleanly, and uploads in one piece. A starting prompt that works:

"Make me a [type of game] where [core idea]. One self-contained HTML file, all CSS/JS inline. Canvas rendering, keyboard controls on desktop and touch controls on mobile, a start screen, a score, and a game-over screen. Make it feel juicy: screen shake, particles, sound effects."

Fill in the brackets and send it. You will have something playable in the first reply — the real game design starts after that.

Iterate like a game designer, not a programmer

The mistake everyone makes at first is asking for five changes at once. Ask for one change per message, playtest, then decide the next one. Good iteration messages are things a playtester would say:

• "The jump feels floaty — make it snappier."
• "Enemies are too easy after wave 3, ramp the difficulty."
• "Add a combo multiplier that resets when I get hit."
• "The best run should be saved between sessions."

Claude is unusually good at "game feel" requests — screen shake, hit-stop, easing, particles. Ask for feel, not just features: it is what separates a demo from something people replay.

What is actually possible

More than you think. Browsers today run full 3D. Games shipped by this community include arcade tributes, tower defense, physics toys, multiplayer-feel shooters with bots — and complete first-person 3D games with embedded soundtracks, built with Claude as a single HTML file. Three.js for 3D, Canvas 2D for arcade games, and the Web Audio API for music are all fair game: just name them in your prompt if you have an ambition in mind.

Practical limits to know: keep the file under 50 MB (embedded images and audio are what eat space), and if you want progress saved between sessions, ask for localStorage — it works on game pages here.

Steal from the best

The fastest way to learn what prompts produce great games is to play great games and read their pages. Browse the catalog — every game shows which Claude model built it, and many authors answer questions in the comments. Remixing is part of the culture here: take an idea, make it yours, credit the original.

When it is fun, ship it

A game that only you can play is a prototype. When a friend grabs your phone to "just try one more run", it is time: get it out of the conversation and onto a public page. It takes a minute.