12 Sep 2026
How to make a tiny game prototype with AI in one night
12 Sep 2026: a HOW filing, not a shipped game. Pick HTML Canvas or Godot. Ask the model for one verb — dodge, jump, or catch. Then play it. Code that runs is a draft. A prototype is what you have tested with your own hands.
Tonight is one mechanic, not a store listing. Write the verb on paper: dodge falling blocks, jump a gap, catch a falling thing. That is the brief. Do not ask the model for a campaign, a shop, or a Steam page.
Canvas path: one HTML file. MDN’s Canvas API: get a 2d context and draw. The basic-animations chapter says clear the canvas, draw the frame, and drive the loop with requestAnimationFrame. Open Cursor on an empty folder, Agent with Cmd I — or paste the same brief into Claude or ChatGPT. Ask for one file: a player you move with the keyboard, one threat, a fail state. Open the file in a browser.
Godot path: the official FAQ says you can extract the editor binary and run it; no installer required. Official first 2D game is Dodge the Creeps — player moves, enemies spawn, score counts. Project setup: new project, official art zip, 480×720 window. Follow that tutorial, or paste one scene into Cursor. Stop when the player can die. Export and storefronts are a different night.
What the model drafts vs what you play. It will invent hitboxes that miss, gravity that feels like soup, keys that do nothing on your keyboard, and a score that never resets. ChatGPT’s Learn page says a polished answer can still be wrong. Claude’s get-started page says be specific and iterate. Cursor’s quickstart says review the diff and run the project’s own checks. For a game, the check is play: move, fail, restart, ten times. If you have not done that, you have a sketch.
A model can draft a loop in minutes. Fun is a measurement you take with your hands. Those are different jobs.
Sources
- Cursor Docs — Quickstart
cursor.com
- MDN — Canvas API
developer.mozilla.org
- MDN — Canvas tutorial: Basic animations
developer.mozilla.org
- ChatGPT Learn — Use ChatGPT
learn.chatgpt.com
- Claude Help — Get started with Claude
support.claude.com
- Godot Docs — Your first 2D game
docs.godotengine.org
- Godot Docs — Setting up the project
docs.godotengine.org
- Godot Docs — Frequently asked questions
docs.godotengine.org
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