Does Vibe Coding Actually Work? We Constructed a Recreation With Claude—Right here's How It Turned Out – Decrypt

There’s a brand new development amongst AI fans, and it’s not chatbots or brokers. We’re speaking about “vibe coding”—a session through which an individual merely talks to an AI, provides an thought of one thing they wish to construct, and begins iterating with the mannequin, asking it to repair and enhance issues alongside the way in which.

It is supposedly as simple as speaking to a pal, and easy sufficient for even laymen with extraordinarily modest technical sophistication to do.

I wrote about it right here. However to get past the hype, I wished to see if vibe coding may truly produce one thing helpful.

Vibe coding a helpful app?

I selected Claude 3.7 Sonnet as my AI associate after Decrypt’s checks confirmed it outperformed even Grok-3 for coding duties.

My software program venture was fairly easy: I wished to construct a typing recreation through which phrases cascade down the display, tasking gamers with typing them earlier than they attain the underside to outlive.

We began with essentially the most fundamental immediate attainable: “Write a lovely, enjoyable recreation through which I have to sort out phrases quick to stay alive. The phrases are falling down and every letter has a vanishing impact as I sort on them.”

Inside minutes, Claude pumped out what regarded like an entire recreation… However once I tried to run it, nothing occurred. The beginning button was useless. I discussed the error to Claude and it began to work assuring me it discovered the bug and was working to repair it.

Claude was achieved, and the brand new recreation was in entrance of our eyes. I attempted it, and nope… nonetheless damaged. Reasonably than diving into the code ourselves (that is not vibe coding!), I simply instructed Claude: “Nope. Nothing occurs once I click on the button. The sport by no means begins.”

The AI went again to work, and its second try truly launched. I additionally cheated a bit and checked the code, noticing one other subject: The sport used solely about 10 completely different phrases, which might get repetitive quick. As a substitute of asking for a whole dictionary integration, I had Claude combine actual phrases with made-up ones—a sensible resolution that saved the code easy.

I continued this back-and-forth with Claude, refining via pure language slightly than code edits. Fourteen iterations later, I had one thing passable sufficient for me to share with out being ashamed.

When my colleagues examined the completed recreation, the reactions had been largely optimistic. One journalist even beat my excessive rating (which sucked), whereas others provided concepts for enhancements. The one “bugs” they discovered had been truly intentional limitations: randomly generated phrases, however no cellular assist.

You may strive the sport right here. As of now, Ryan Gladwin holds the document with 2,830 factors, however hopefully I’ll declare my throne again anytime quickly.

Classes discovered

In spite of everything this and different experiments, listed here are some issues that may be helpful for these prepared to provide vibe coding a strive:

1. Speedy prototyping works: We went from idea to playable recreation rapidly, with minimal technical enter. That is nice for novices with minimal coding skills. Nevertheless, it may most likely be approach for knowledgeable coders who want a tough draft to start out iterating.

2. Iteration is essential: The primary try not often works completely. Success comes via conversational refinement and clear suggestions. On this stage, skilled coders may most likely go away vibe coding behind and keep on with regular debugging, utilizing AI correctly—a digital assistant that helps them with the method. Nevertheless, these prepared to commit totally to vibe coding might profit from utilizing very particular and detailed language. The richer and higher structured your immediate is, the higher the outcomes you’re going to get.

3. Do not rush it: Figuring out when to simplify necessities helps obtain a working product quicker. Ideally, do not ask the mannequin to do the whole lot directly. As a substitute, take into consideration the expertise as including completely different layers to a tough construction. Begin with the fundamentals, then ask the mannequin to repair one small bug, then one other, then add a selected factor you’d wish to see—and transfer on from there.

4. High quality has limits: Whereas we created a useful and pleasant recreation, it lacked the polish and optimization of professionally developed software program. Do not anticipate to develop Skyrim with Grok.

5. Debugging is conversational: Reasonably than looking for issues within the code, we merely described what wasn’t working and let the AI work out find out how to repair it. This works effectively, however after all, specialists might pace issues up by checking the code or speaking to the mannequin concerning the technicalities as an alternative of the anticipated outcomes.

Total, vibe coding can certainly produce useful software program if you happen to’re affected person sufficient to information the AI via a number of iterations. Is it production-quality code? Positively not. You will nonetheless want correct debugging, optimization, and varied specialised instruments to construct really skilled purposes.

However then once more, the man who constructed Flappy Chook made thousands and thousands with a easy recreation that did not want fancy structure or advanced methods. Typically, all you want is a good suggestion, and perhaps—simply perhaps—vibing with AI till you begin making thousands and thousands.