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Technology · Programming

Vibe Coding a Game from Start to Finish

Learn how to turn a game idea into a playable project by combining creative design, clear prompts, coding fundamentals, testing and iterative improvement with supportive AI-assisted workflows.

540 min9 modulesBeginner friendly
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Free to take. This course does not use any Learning Credits.

What you’ll be able to do

Plan, build, test and refine a small playable game, using prompts, code, assets and debugging techniques responsibly and confidently.

Course outline

A clear route from first principles to practical confidence

  1. 01

    1. From Game Idea to Practical Plan

    • Welcome to vibe coding and AI-assisted game development (15 minutes)
    • Choosing a game genre, core mechanic and target platform (15 minutes)
    • Writing a one-page game design brief (15 minutes)
    • Breaking the project into achievable features and milestones (15 minutes)
  2. 02

    2. Setting Up the Development Workflow

    • Choosing a beginner-friendly game framework and tools (15 minutes)
    • Creating folders, files and a simple project structure (15 minutes)
    • Using prompts to generate useful starter code (15 minutes)
    • Saving versions, recording changes and working safely with AI suggestions (15 minutes)
  3. 03

    3. Coding the Core Game Loop

    • Understanding scenes, objects, variables and events (15 minutes)
    • Building the game loop and managing game states (15 minutes)
    • Adding keyboard, mouse or controller input (15 minutes)
    • Using AI assistance to explain and adapt unfamiliar code (15 minutes)
  4. 04

    4. Building Player Movement and Interaction

    • Creating a player character and movement rules (15 minutes)
    • Adding collisions, boundaries and simple physics (15 minutes)
    • Designing interactions, collectibles or objectives (15 minutes)
    • Testing controls and improving playability through small iterations (15 minutes)
  5. 05

    5. Creating Levels, Challenges and Rules

    • Planning a level layout and difficulty curve (15 minutes)
    • Adding hazards, enemies or timed challenges (15 minutes)
    • Creating scoring, health, lives or resource systems (15 minutes)
    • Implementing start, pause, victory and game-over states (15 minutes)
  6. 06

    6. Adding Visuals, Sound and Interface

    • Selecting or creating simple visual assets responsibly (15 minutes)
    • Applying sprites, backgrounds, animation and visual feedback (15 minutes)
    • Adding sound effects, music and volume controls (15 minutes)
    • Designing menus, instructions, status displays and accessibility options (15 minutes)
  7. 07

    7. Prompting, Debugging and Problem Solving

    • Writing precise prompts for code generation and modification (15 minutes)
    • Reading error messages and locating likely causes (15 minutes)
    • Testing one change at a time and checking unexpected behaviour (15 minutes)
    • Reviewing AI-generated code for accuracy, safety and maintainability (15 minutes)
  8. 08

    8. Testing and Refining the Complete Game

    • Creating a practical playtesting checklist (15 minutes)
    • Running functional, usability and accessibility tests (15 minutes)
    • Collecting feedback and prioritising bugs versus enhancements (15 minutes)
    • Balancing difficulty, improving performance and polishing presentation (15 minutes)
  9. 09

    9. Packaging, Sharing and Next Steps

    • Cleaning the project and documenting controls and requirements (15 minutes)
    • Exporting or packaging the game for its intended platform (15 minutes)
    • Sharing the project responsibly, including asset and code notes (15 minutes)
    • Reviewing the finished game and planning future features or projects (15 minutes)