Vibe coding, an AI-assisted approach to game development, is changing how both seasoned devs and newcomers create games—using natural language prompts to prototype mechanics, design levels, and build fast. This guide offers tutorials, tools, and hosting solutions to support your journey into vibe-coded games.
🧠 Tutorials & Real-World Vibes
Vibe coding = building fast, weird, joyful stuff without getting stuck. These resources will help you learn the mindset, then apply it directly through walkthroughs and dev logs.
- 12 Rules to Vibe Code Without Frustration
A must-read primer on creative momentum and avoiding perfectionism. Think of it as the Zen of prototyping.
👉 Read it here - Made a Vibe Game in 7 Days
Full YouTube walkthrough from Chris Farms on building a vibe game end-to-end, including art, audio, and mechanics.
👉 Watch the playlist - Thread: Chrisfarms’ Vibe Jam Postmortem
A candid Twitter dev log breaking down what worked, what didn’t, and how the vibes were maintained under a deadline.
👉 See the thread
- Thread: measure_plan’s Stream-of-Consciousness Build
Less polished, more raw. A great example of documenting your vibe journey mid-flow and iterating in public.
👉 See the thread
🛠️ Tools of the Trade
🤖 LLMs (Free)
Large language models (LLMs) are great companions for vibe coding. Use them to brainstorm ideas, write or clean up code, explain bugs, or remix logic on the fly. These models are all accessible for free—either via a web interface or a limited-tier plan.
💡 Tip: If one model gets stuck or gives bland output, try asking the same thing to another. Each has its own “vibe.”
- ChatGPT (GPT-3.5)
Available for free at chat.openai.com. Best for fast coding help, prototyping JS/HTML/CSS, and step-by-step logic debugging.
Use GPT-3.5, which is free. GPT-4 is paid-only but more reliable for larger projects.
- Claude (Sonnet)
Free via claude.ai. Good at summarizing, long-term reasoning, and handling big chunks of messy code.
Use Claude Sonnet (the default free model). Opus is available with a Pro plan. - Google Gemini 2.5 Mini
Free in the Gemini app and web (formerly Bard). Good for lightweight creative coding, code explanations, and simple JS tasks.
Select Gemini 1.5 or 2.5 Mini, depending on what’s currently free—Gemini Advanced requires a subscription. - Grok (via X Premium)
Free with X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue). Great for casual Q&A, dev logs, and fast feedback loops in-browser.
Access via the "Grok" tab if you have X Premium—note that it's not universally free. - Deepseek
Open access via web or API. Particularly strong at codebase-level queries and open-source tooling.
Use Deepseek-Coder via their playground for general-purpose coding support
🧾 Code Editors for Vibe Coding
Whether you're hacking together a jam game, experimenting with shaders, or editing spaghetti JS in real time, your editor shapes how you think and build. Here's a mix of classic and AI-enhanced environments to keep the vibe flowing.
🟢 No-AI Editors (Fast, Simple, Browser-Based)
- CodePen
Ideal for quick, single-file HTML/CSS/JS experiments. Great for animations, shaders, and UI-driven games. - CodeSandbox
A more structured playground—great for full project setups using React, Vue, or Node. Perfect if you want to build component-based games and share live multiplayer experiments with zero deploy steps. - Sublime Text
Fast, offline, and ultra-lightweight. For those who like local control and zero distractions.
🤖 AI-Enhanced Editors (Chat While You Build)
- Bolt.ai
Built for jammers and solo game devs. LLMs are tightly integrated into the UI, making it easy to write code, get suggestions, and refactor live. - Cursor
A GPT-native editor with in-context code chat, smart autocomplete, and memory across your files. Ideal for mid-size JS games and web apps. - Windsurf
Still flying under the radar, but excellent for fast, chaotic builds. Embraces messy code, prototypes, and creative chaos—very on-brand for vibe coding.
🎨 Asset Creation
Vibe coders don’t need to be 3D pros. You just need fast ways to turn ideas into usable visuals. Whether you’re prototyping or polishing, these tools help you get assets into your game with minimal friction.
🔄 From Prompt to Playable Character: ChatGPT to Mixamo Workflow
Want a 3D character rigged and animated—all from a single image prompt? Here's a full pipeline that turns words into game-ready models using AI and free web tools:
- Generate a character image with ChatGPT
Use ChatGPT’s image generation to create a full-body concept (e.g. “cyberpunk rabbit in armor”). Be sure to get a clean pose with visible arms and legs. - Convert the image into a 3D model using Hunyuan3D-2
Upload your image to this HuggingFace Space. It returns a .glb 3D model generated via AI reconstruction—great for stylized characters. - Convert the .glb to .fbx with Convert3D.org
Mixamo only accepts .fbx. Just drop in your .glb, and you’ll get a downloadable .fbx ready for rigging. - Rig and animate in Mixamo
Upload your .fbx, set the rig points (or let it auto-rig), then choose from Mixamo’s library of idle, run, jump, and dance animations. - Export and use in your game
You now have a rigged and animated character—ready for Three.js, Unity, WebGL, or wherever your vibe lives.
💡 Tip: Simple silhouettes and clean front-facing images work best for 3D conversion. Expect toy-like, stylized results (which often vibe better anyway).
🧰 Other Fast Asset Tools
Here are a few other fast asset tools that make vibe coding easier without needing traditional 3D or design skills
- Rodin
A browser-based 3D asset tool for quickly creating low-poly, stylized models with toon shading and simple animations. It’s designed for game devs and vibe coders who want fast, expressive assets without using complex 3D software.
- Fab
A marketplace for free and paid game-ready assets: models, textures, shaders, and effects.
🌐 Hosting Your Vibe
There’s no “one true host” for vibe-coded projects, but here’s a breakdown of the easiest and most popular options—from no-code uploaders to full dev pipelines.
🟢 Beginner-Friendly
- Itch.io
Easiest way to share web games. Upload a zip of your HTML/CSS/JS and you're live. Bonus: it has built-in jam support, discoverability, and a dev community. - Glitch
Edit your code directly in the browser. Instant preview, no setup needed. Good for tiny multiplayer experiments or collabs.
- Neocities
A modern take on GeoCities. Drag and drop your site files or edit HTML/CSS/JS in-browser. Free and fast. - Netlify
Great for simple sites. Drag your folder onto the dashboard, and it’s online. GitHub integration optional.
🧠 Intermediate
- Vercel
Made for devs using React/Next.js. Handles frameworks well, includes deploy previews, and is fast globally. - GitHub Pages
Great for static projects, but requires using Git and pushing your code via GitHub.
⚙️ Advanced (if you know what you’re doing)
- AWS Amplify
Full-featured with hosting, backend, and authentication—but setup can be painful if you're not technical. - Cloudflare Pages
Fast and dev-friendly, but assumes you’re comfortable with Git and build tools.
🚀 Keep the Vibes Going
This resource is your launchpad for building games that prioritize feel, flow, and fast feedback over perfection. Whether you're prototyping with AI, jamming in a browser, or experimenting with weird mechanics and vibes—you're part of a new wave of game creators doing it differently.
We’ll keep updating this post as new tools, tutorials, and workflows emerge from the community.
💬 Got a vibe coding tool, thread, or game you think others should see? Share it in our Discord or tag us—we’d love to include it in the next update.
