Gaming · Do this yourself

Rebuild a classic sim game with a new twist using Claude.

✅ Playable in the browser.

Based on geekamongus on Hacker News (opens in new tab)

Who it’s for

Hobbyists, game makers and anyone who wants to build something fun with AI.

Adapt it to your industry

  • Teacher: a small quiz game for your class
  • Shop or brand: a daily puzzle that brings customers back
  • Event organizer: a simple trivia game for your audience

Step by step

  1. Write the game idea in three sentences: what the player does, how they win, how long one round takes.
  2. Open Claude (artifacts) or ChatGPT (canvas) and paste the prompt below with your idea.
  3. Ask for a single-page web version you can play right in the browser.
  4. Play it, then ask for one change at a time (“make it harder”, “add a score”).
  5. When you like it, ask how to put it online for free (for example on Vercel or Netlify) and follow the steps.
  6. Share the link with 5 friends and watch where they get stuck.

Ready-to-copy prompt

Build a browser tower-management game like [classic], but replace profit with resident satisfaction votes. Start with one floor type and a vote every 30 days.

Start with AI

Opens the AI with this guide and the prompt filled in.

Open in ChatGPT (opens in new tab)Open in Claude (opens in new tab)Open in Grok (opens in new tab)
Cost
$0–20/month (free tiers or one AI plan)Our estimate
Time
1–2 weekendsOur estimate

How to make money from it

Pricing idea: Keep the game free and earn from light ads, a small paid tier with extra modes, or sponsors.

Finding your first 10 customers

  • Share it in communities about the game’s topic.
  • Add a “share your score” button so players bring friends.
  • Post a short clip of gameplay on social media every day for a week.

Ideas, not promises. Results vary.

Details: source, numbers and tags

What they did

geekamongus has been rebuilding old games with Claude. While making a modern SimTower he made you an elected steward accountable to an Assembly instead of a tycoon.

How it went

Playable in the browser.

Worth knowing

Reusing a known game loop lets you focus on the twist.

Difficulty
IntermediateOur rating
Time to build
Not reportedOur estimate
Monthly cost
Not reported
Revenue
Not reportedWe only show revenue the source states
Engagement
41 HN points41 comments · fetched Oct 15, 2026

Posted · Added Oct 16, 2026

Original builder recipe

  • Claude
  • A browser game framework
  1. Describe the game or mod you want.
  2. Build it with your agent in small playable steps.
  3. Playtest after each step.
  4. Share or publish, respecting copyright.

Tags

Agent Claude
Tool Web
Industry Games

Read the original

More ideas like this

The Daily 5.

Five real AI agent use cases each morning, each with a recipe and a source. Plus a Sunday roundup. Free.