Cookbook

The vibe coding cookbook for games: what to tell your AI, which tools to use, how to build each kind of game and how to fix what breaks.

What do you want to build?

You tell an AI what you want, it writes the program, you try it. Here are the 14 words that confuse newcomers, explained with a kitchen.

Vibe coding takes over most of the typing in game development, not the whole job. Here is who does what, job by job, on one small game.

In a vibe coding game jam, AI writes your game. Many other jams limit or ban that, so check the rules first, then follow this 48-hour plan.

You can vibe code mods for games that officially support them. Check the game's mod rules first, and make your AI work only from the real mod guide.

Kids can design games with AI, but many coding tools are 18+. So the child invents and tests, and a grown-up runs the AI. Here is a one-hour session.

A vibe coding guide built on six gates. Your AI maps the game and checks the map before it builds, and you only move on when a gate is passed.

One short line for every moment in a game project: starting, changing, fixing, tuning, and getting your AI to stop guessing. Copy, fill in, send.

A strong prompt says what you want to see, what must stay and how you will judge it. Five weak prompts for one game, rewritten and explained.

The best vibe coding prompts library is your own: one file of messages that already worked on your game. Here is what to keep and what to throw out.

The tricks that help most: ask for options before building, add a slow-motion key, paste screenshots, and start over after two failed fixes.

Compare vibe coding tools on four things: can it run your game, can you keep your files, what does starting cost, and what happens as the game grows?

Free vibe coding tools exist, and each one has a limit. Here is what each free plan gives you, what it leaves out and the catch to look for.