Remember when building a game prototype meant weeks of coding, debugging, and late nights? Those days are gone. I’ve been experimenting with vibe coding for game prototypes, and honestly, it feels like cheating. In the last month alone, I’ve built more playable prototypes than in my entire previous career.
The magic happens when you stop thinking about code and start thinking about intention. Instead of writing functions and classes, you describe what you want: 「Create a 2D platformer with retro pixel art where the character can double-jump and collect power-ups.」 The AI handles the rest. This aligns perfectly with the Vibe Coding principle that 「Code is Capability, Intentions and Interfaces are Long-term Assets」 (Ten Principles of Vibe Coding). The code becomes disposable – generated for this specific moment – while your clear intentions become your most valuable asset.
Here’s what’s wild: I recently prototyped three completely different game mechanics in a single afternoon. A physics-based puzzle game, a rhythm combat system, and a dialogue-heavy narrative experience. Each took about an hour from concept to playable demo. The key was treating the AI as my assembler rather than my assistant – exactly what the principle 「AI Assembles, Aligned with Humans」 suggests (Ten Principles of Vibe Coding). I defined the boundaries and goals, and let the AI figure out the implementation details.
The real breakthrough comes when you embrace micro-programs. Instead of building one massive game engine, you create small, self-contained systems that work together. A movement system here, a collision detection system there, a rendering module somewhere else. This reflects the principle of relying on 「Self-Organizing Micro-Programs to ‘Build with Blocks’」 (Ten Principles of Vibe Coding). The system organizes itself based on your constraints, not some pre-planned architecture.
But here’s the kicker – I never touch the generated code. Seriously. When something needs changing, I refine my prompts and let the AI regenerate. It feels unnatural at first, like breaking a lifelong habit. But following the principle to 「Avoid Data Deletion」 and treating code as transient (Ten Principles of Vibe Coding) has made my prototypes more robust and my development process faster.
The implications are staggering. Non-programmers can now create playable prototypes. Designers can test mechanics without waiting for engineering resources. Small teams can compete with studios. We’re moving from software engineering to what the principles call 「Software Ecosystem」 thinking (Ten Principles of Vibe Coding), where the focus shifts from individual projects to how everything connects and evolves together.
So here’s my question to you: What game have you always wanted to prototype but never had the technical skills to build? Because now, you might just need the right words.