Made a Fun Arcade Browser Game in a Day all with Codex

Creating a Quick and Engaging Arcade Browser Game in a Day Using AI Assistance

In today’s fast-paced development environment, building a functional and fun game within a short timeframe is both challenging and rewarding. Recently, I embarked on a journey to create a simple yet entertaining arcade-style browser game in just one day, leveraging the power of modern AI tools—specifically, OpenAI’s Codex.

Introducing Cash Carnage TV

I proudly present Cash Carnage TV, a nostalgic arcade shooter inspired by classic titles like Smash TV. The game combines straightforward mechanics with vibrant visuals, aiming to offer a quick dose of fun for players.

Development Stack & Tools

• Frameworks & Platforms:
• Vite for rapid frontend development and optimal build performance.

• Phaser as the core game engine, suited for 2D browser-based games.

• AI Assistance:

• OpenAI Codex was my sole coding partner, guiding the entire development process from scratch.

• Hosting & Deployment:

• Frontend hosted on Vercel for smooth, fast delivery.

• Backend powered by Railway for server-side needs.

• Assets & Resources:

• Visual and audio assets sourced mainly from free resources such as itch.io and Kenney.nl.
• Sound design and music, primarily from free libraries and enhanced with ElevenLabs for voice effects.

Development Experience & Highlights

The entire game was created exclusively through interactions with Codex—no manual coding at the keyboard during the initial build. This process involved prompt engineering, iterative testing, and rapid adjustments, showcasing AI’s potential to accelerate game development.

While I haven’t extensively tested the multiplayer aspects (specifically, the co-op mode), initial tests indicate it functions well locally. I welcome any feedback, suggestions, or ideas for further improvements.

Results & Reflection

Building Cash Carnage TV in just a day demonstrated to me the impressive capabilities of AI-driven coding. While I am also exploring other models like Claude, I found Codex to be far superior in this context, offering quicker responses and easier integration.

This project was a fun experiment inspired by nostalgic arcade titles, blending classic gameplay with modern tools. If you’re interested in experimenting with AI-assisted development or just want to try a quick, nostalgic shooter, I invite you to play the game and share your thoughts!

Feel free to check out the game, and I’m eager to hear any feedback or suggestions for future projects.

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Explore the game: https://cash-carnage-tv.vercel.app/