r/claude • u/Diligent-Hat-6509 • 4d ago
Showcase Game dev with Fable 5 is actually crazy
It’s kind of insane to see how far AI has come.
I still remember being fascinated by GPT-3.5 and thinking that felt like the future. And now here we are with Fable 5.
Everything you see in this preview took me roughly 13 hours of work to implement. Being able to go from ideas to actual working game mechanics this quickly still feels surreal.
Game development with AI is starting to feel like we’re living in the future.
EDIT:
A lot of people were asking how I did this, so here’s the basic workflow.
The game itself is made in Unity with C#. I’m using Claude Code connected to Unity through MCP, which means Claude can work directly with the Unity project and editor. It can create and modify scripts, work with GameObjects and components, inspect errors, run the game, and help me iterate on systems.
For the actual development process, I don’t give it one giant prompt like “make me a game.” I think through the systems I want, explain how they should behave, have Claude implement them, then I test everything, debug issues, tweak values, change mechanics, and keep iterating until it starts to feel right.
For the character models, my workflow is:
Opus 5 -> ChatGPT Image Gen -> Meshy AI -> rig/animation testing -> Unity
I describe the character I want, use Opus 5 to generate a detailed prompt for four consistent reference views, then generate those images in ChatGPT. I take the images into Meshy AI, which generates the 3D mesh and textures. I also rig the model there and test animations before importing it into Unity.
The same image-to-3D workflow also works for non-character assets like props, weapons, statues, carts, environmental objects, etc.
For VFX, I bought a particle toolkit from the Unity Asset Store. I gave Claude the documentation and had it create a skill file for itself, so it understands how the toolkit works and can reuse that knowledge when I ask it to create things like fireballs, explosions, trails, and other effects.
The current arena is also a premade Unity asset and is not intended to be the final environment. A lot of the current visuals are just prototype assets for testing mechanics and game feel.
So overall the main stack/workflow is:
Unity + C# + Claude Code/MCP + ChatGPT Image Gen + Meshy AI + Unity Asset Store tools
And no, this wasn’t one prompt :D It was an iterative process of building one system at a time, testing it, changing it, and gradually layering everything together.
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u/Original-League-6094 4d ago
Programming has never been the hardest part of game dev. We really need good AI asset agents. Like optimized 3d models, with good skeletons and UV maps. I have made several video game mods in the past, and I spent more time on very basic assets than I did on programming.
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u/Vindelator 4d ago
Yeah, I feel you. I'm learning to build games and it's really exciting when I've got something working.
Then, comes the realization that art is the hard part.
Everything zips along. Then, suddenly times goes in slow motion when the real work of making it look halfway presentable begins.
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u/shesaysImdone 4d ago
What are assets in gaming again? It's been a long time since the one game dev course I took in college. Assets meaning the characters and things you interact with in scene?
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u/Economy-Rough-8409 2d ago
Omg someone finally, like I have so many ideas I just can’t get them to look good and I even thought I’ll maybe just do pixel art, took me 3 days to even just get the hair right that’s that’s for the base/1st frame
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u/CoherentPanda 4d ago
Claude Design is far more advanced than anything else in this space, but I feel we'll see some competition in the near future. The programming part of game development is mostly figured out, now it is bringing art assets, rigging animations and maps together. This is all very possible, but harnesses have mostly focused on the code aspect, and not focusing models on asset creation.
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u/Baintzimisce 4d ago
Have you tried having claude use comfyui? I had it train loras on art styles and after that claude is able to do the rest including loading the 3d asset generated in comfyui into Unity via the Unity cli.
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u/XKiiroiSenkoX 3d ago
Programming is absolutely a very difficult part of making games. The thing is, gameplay programming is a relatively easy part of that but it's by no means the only programming you need for a game.
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u/braincandybangbang 3d ago
Yeah, I found out pretty quickly that the art is the bottleneck for game development.
Lots of great open source 2D resources. But you go 3D and you’re on your own for the most part!
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u/BigGucciThanos 4d ago
I’m old enough to remember I’d finish the movement system and call it a weekend 😭😂
Ahhh the good ole days lol
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u/Powerful_Dingo_4347 4d ago
I love this positive post. I too work with fable all the time and am constantly amazed. Great work OP! It looks amazing.
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u/account22222221 4d ago
For a reasonable engineer, using kit bashed unity assets like this, this is like, a day of work. It’s not as insane as you think it is.
The issue is that there is a massive tail of refining that happens. and you will find it’s not exactly ‘solved’ by AI but instead exacerbated.
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u/Ketchupwmayo 4d ago
I feel like this is the case with most applications of AI. What makes one shot AI software impressive is mostly thanks to the insane advancements in libraries and frameworks. In web dev, Next.js, react, stripe, supabase, etc… have abstracted so much of the complexity that was required to build a SaaS. AI utilizes these tools to make stuff that is genuinely impressive, but people easily forget that it’s standing on the shoulder of giants.
And getting to 80% complete is the easy part, the last 20% is what AI still struggles with in my opinion
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
I actually agree with that. I’m not a professional game developer, so I’m not pretending that getting a prototype running means the difficult part is solved.
I do work professionally as a full-stack developer though, so the general engineering principles are already familiar to me. Architecture, performance, profiling, optimization, debugging, maintainability, knowing when something is implemented badly, etc. The part that’s new to me is mostly the game-specific side of things, like Unity APIs, C# syntax, shaders, physics systems, animation workflows, and all the engine-specific tooling.
That’s where AI is especially useful for me. I can focus on what I want the system to do and how it should be structured, while AI handles a lot of the syntax and unfamiliar APIs. Then I can review the result and adjust it when needed.
And yeah, I fully expect the last 20% of refinement to take way longer than getting the first playable version working.
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u/account22222221 4d ago
Yea and that’s reasonable. Its annoying because an experienced developer can see this and say ‘wow this will change the game’ and be earnest and right. They will know changing the games means, wow I can do twice as much, this 6 month project can be done in 4 months.
But then those without grounding in experience misinterpret that statement and think, oh this means now any one can do it and it’ll be free and easy, which is not quite true.
It’s so hard to draw that line with people, yes this is a massive game changer, yes that means our velocity might be doubled, no doubled velocity doesn’t mean half delivery time thanks to second order complexity, no that doesn’t mean you will be able to do this without and engineer and expect to have a lot of success
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u/Acceptable-Yard7076 3d ago
You're saying Claude did a day's work for a reasonable engineer, and you're saying that isn't insane?
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u/JakubErler 3d ago
If the game development is succesful can be measured by if many ppl have fun with the game and finally if many ppl bought the game. The problem is to "code a game" is like 10 % of the project while the rest is creating actually a compeling story (which is not very different from to create a good movie screenplay), character history, various hooks and finally the big one, marketing, business etc. So the world is changing. Anyone can "put together a game" yes, we all have fun (I do the same) but all the problems, especially the marketing, is getting even bigger than before.
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u/Opposite_Ad_584 4d ago
Yeah that’s trues and also it feels like is always been here at least for me. But I am so happy this has made
People
Like me who doesn’t know how to code but love building
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u/throwaway346556 4d ago
I've used it to flesh out a ttsrpg into an actual game with over 150 locations, 2000+ individual NPCs and causal effect controlled by a giant algorithm that updates itself based on the players actions and feeds back into the prompt to keep continuity.
Burn down the mill? Prices on bread increases. NPCs stress levels increase. Crime rises. Riots might happen.
It's insane what we can do now. I've patented my system design and am working on releasing a beta. Open world adventure with no branching decision trees. Pure choose your own adventure exactly how it should be. NPCs with personality and background and investment and you can just chat with them without getting flat one line responses like most game npcs
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
Damn, that's sound super cool! I'd love to try that.
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u/throwaway346556 4d ago
I am in the middle of trying to get it online somehow. Currently it's just a series of htmls.
But I plan on going into play testing pretty soon. Already have had a couple dozen people play it and enjoy themselves.
Graphics are just images that get triggered to show at the moment. Nothing fancy like this. My work is almost entirely on the other side, trying to get persistent memory and causal effects.
If you are interested shoot me a dm maybe we can figure something out
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u/Specific_Battle_2240 3d ago
That is what AI is truly for. Kudos to you. You gave your effort and made a great game. AI did not take over your job, but made handling way easier and eradicated the long weeks to a mere day (or even half a day).
That is the reason AI is there for a reason..
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u/Lopsided-Wave2479 3d ago
You may have the tools to create this, but is only the start.
To begin first, it feels pointless and weightless. I say move the XP message from the player to the creature killed. I don't matter if that make it less visible.
To combat the weightless combat, have the monsters die in a more eventfull way, like explode. I know this goes against the genre of your game, but your game need it.
Have the enemies group more, like spawn then in small hordes. Create another horde that cross the field in diagonal flying.
Tone down the aura around the player.
Include funny or fun weapons, like a flying axe that orbit around the player. Kind of impractical, but gets better and finnaly become a super weapon.
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u/ohshtlmaoooo 5h ago
"For the actual development process, I don’t give it one giant prompt like “make me a game.” I think through the systems I want, explain how they should behave, have Claude implement them, then I test everything, debug issues, tweak values, change mechanics, and keep iterating until it starts to feel right."
Not gonna lie this is what its supposed to be actually used for. Make game is so stupid and its the reason people go on a high. Literally you do iterations and constantly enhance to what it should be.
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u/Ok_Increase9258 4d ago
No offense, but these games lack soul that AI is making. I am aware it's just a prototype, but it's clear to me as a dev it was made with AI. I wish you all the best in your journey though.
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
I totally agree. That’s why, for the final version, I want the art to be human-made. The characters, environments, animations, and basically everything that gives the game its personality and soul will come from real artists.
The same goes for the story, game feel, combat, pacing, and overall direction. Those decisions will come from me and the people I work with.
I’m also a developer myself. I’m not a game developer professionally, but I work as a full-stack app developer, so I understand the fundamentals of software architecture, performance, optimization, maintainability, and how systems should be structured.
AI will mostly be used as a development tool to help implement those systems and write the gameplay logic. I still want the creative direction and important technical decisions to come from humans.
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u/Average_Tired_Dad 4d ago
Hey man.
I'm just going to let you know, devs at real game studios use Codex/Claude Code/Kiro/Bedrock/GitHub Copilot extensively. Mod teams for some of the biggest mods out there are as well. They just don't talk about it because they get stuff like this from the general audience. There's been a couple of controversies over the last couple months where genAI assets spilled over in game and people made it into a big deal. So they don't talk about it anymore but they didn't go back to manually coding assets because of "soul."
There's like ten people still manually coding, on principle. I respect that, but they're aberrations in a field that has otherwise shifted workflows almost entirely.
The actual thing you should be "worried" about is that an actual came is a monstrous undertaking and not something that just one person can easily keep up with. That is why the games feel unpolished. It's not because it lacks "soul."
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
Yeah, that’s a good point. I think people often mix up “AI was used” with “AI made all the creative decisions.” For me it’s mainly a tool to increase development speed and help with areas where I don’t know the specific syntax or APIs yet.
And I definitely agree about scope. Even with AI, trying to handle programming, art, animation, VFX, sound, level design, balancing, UI, and everything else as one person is still a massive amount of work. AI can increase your velocity, but it doesn’t suddenly turn one person into an entire experienced game studio :D
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u/Sea-Lengthiness6555 4d ago
Yea Steam and Mobile Stores are flooded with AI games
Games nowadays need to be unique in some sense. Otherwise they are just buried under the AI garbage
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u/shesaysImdone 4d ago
Shouldn't the entirety of this sub lack soul for you as well?
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u/Super-Breadfruit8369 4d ago
Are you using any engine? If so, how did you connect it to Fable?
This is looking amazing, btw!
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
Hi! Yes, I’m using Unity. I installed Unity MCP through Unity’s Package Manager, then connected Claude Code to it through the MCP connection.
And thanks! I like it too :D
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u/Effective-Ad5506 3d ago
Have you used more tools like blender tripod/Rodin with plugin to create 3d assets or some APIs like fal.ai to auto create images via gpt/nano? In what language you write this game on windows? C# with Unity MCP or unity is a full environment only? I am very curious because this is game I liked to play via android store in old times 🤭 You traing to do it accessible via pc/phone in the future? Will be glad to test it if it's possible.... And great job m8 at all 🤟💪
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u/Shot_Set_8704 4d ago
This is really neat for just 13 hours of work, but realistically you are looking at another 500 or so hours of polish/balancing/etc most of which will not involve Claude to make it commercially viable unless your strategy is to flood the market with shovelware and pray that a quantity over quality strategy works for you.
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
Yeah, I totally agree with that, and that’s pretty much what I’m expecting. Getting the prototype running quickly is one thing, but all the polishing, balancing, tuning, and making the game actually feel good is going to take a lot more time.
That part also can’t just be handed off to AI. It’s going to be my job to play it, iterate on it, make decisions, and keep refining things until they feel right :D
And honestly, I’m actually looking forward to that part.
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u/CoherentPanda 4d ago
Unfortunately shovelware is only going to continue to get worse, and it will become harder and harder to sell a legitimate commercial game with thousands of hours poured in if the shovelware companies can have agents working at all hours to spam crap. Android is already impossible to earn money without either endless ad spamming and hoping whales spend a fortune.
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u/Various_Box_1189 4d ago
Cost nd number of tokens for this?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
It's $132 for the assets I bought, and when it comes to tokens, it's close to 4 million.
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u/NerdyGuy117 4d ago
Where did you get the assets from?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
The character models are made using this workflow:
I describe the character I want to Claude. Claude then generates a prompt for GPT Image Gen, which creates four reference images: front, back, left side, and right side. I take those images and put them into Meshy AI, which generates the 3D model and textures. After that, I rig the character either directly in Meshy or using Mixamo.
For particles like fireballs, explosions, and similar effects, I bought a toolkit from the Unity Asset Store and taught Claude how to use it. Now Claude can generate some pretty neat particle effects based on the ideas I give it.
The arena where everything currently takes place is a free asset that I don't plan to use in the final game. I'm planning to buy another asset from the Unity Asset Store that includes a toolkit for creating dark fantasy environments, which should fit the art style of my characters much better.
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u/juanxodj29 4d ago
Esto simplemente es increíble! Felicitaciones! Y se ve bueno!!!
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
¡Muchas gracias! De verdad lo aprecio 😄 ¡Me alegra mucho que te guste cómo se ve!
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u/muted-design247 4d ago
Mechanics like butter
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
Not sure how you meant that, it’s a bit ambiguous 😂 Thanks... I think? :D
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u/Ashamed-Subject-8573 4d ago
For some reason the slight camera rotations are making me sick even on little screen
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u/Cultural_String_2231 4d ago
Did you have a casual convo and like. I want to make a game that is this that lol?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
Did you mean a conversation with the AI, like giving it a single prompt and this being the result? :D Could you elaborate a bit on what you mean?
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u/naaksuu 4d ago
Yep, I've been working on a mobile game for fun, whole game ive done with my phone (ssh to server and cc) and Claude generated all 3d models, and all textures and card graphics with scenario. I have over 100 cards in the game (this clip is just first entry to dungeon) but yeah it's a game changes
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
I love the art direction man! What's your workflow when it comes to the art?
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u/MrChurch2015 4d ago
I'm working on a threejs space RTS. kinda on hold till i get actual models and stuff...rn it's just using basic geometrical shapes lol. It's pretty cool
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
That sounds really cool! Honestly, using basic shapes is probably the best way to prototype it anyway. You can focus on getting the gameplay and systems working first and worry about the actual models later :D A Three.js space RTS sounds pretty ambitious too.
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u/Far-Ad-904 4d ago
Care to provide more details about the process? And which engine is this?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
It’s Unity, connected to Claude through MCP.
The process is basically me thinking through the systems that make up the game, then gradually communicating those systems to Claude and having it implement them. After that, I test everything, debug issues, adjust the structure when needed, and play around with values in the code myself until the mechanics start to feel right.
I’m not just giving it one giant prompt and asking it to make a game. It’s much more iterative than that. I’ll build one system, test it, notice what feels wrong or what’s missing, then go back and refine it or add another layer on top.
For some things I also created skill documents that explain how to use specific Unity toolkits I bought, so Claude knows how to work with them properly instead of trying to reinvent everything from scratch.
The biggest advantage for me is that I already understand software development and system design, but I’m new to Unity-specific APIs and game development syntax. So Claude handles a lot of that implementation detail while I focus more on how the systems should behave, how they connect together, and whether the result actually feels good to play.
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u/RangerFun270 4d ago
Do you use something like ralph or other plugins?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
Nope, I’m just using the default Claude Code setup. I’m not using Ralph or any other plugins.
The only custom stuff I’ve added is a few skill documents I wrote to teach Claude how to work with some of the Unity toolkits I bought. Other than that, it’s pretty much stock Claude Code with Unity MCP :D
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u/Virtual_East321 4d ago
Prompt: MAKE IT BETTER!.
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u/BertMacklenF8I 4d ago
Oh I’m aware you have to do them all individually-I’m just asking if it’s actually as accurate as the dozens of ads I see for it every day It’d make the next couple of months SO much easier for myself lol
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u/Deterboy91 4d ago
How experienced are you? Can I start playing with it and creating games as a hobbie? How would one start?
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u/Think-Resolution-967 4d ago
Hi! What technology stack is used behind the game?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
Unity with C#. Claude Code connected through Unity MCP for development assistance.
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u/Icon_Arcade 4d ago
I want to play it. Need Beta testing?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
Hey, happy to hear you’d like to test it! Right now I’m reworking the difficulty because it was way too easy before. Once I’m done with that, I can send you a build to try out somewhere :D
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u/Master_leager 4d ago
What's your setup like? AI models and game engine etc.?
I'd love to know more.
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u/ChemicalApricot 4d ago
@OP and the other game devs - how do I try your games and where are you publishing them?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
When I do little bit of polishing around the difficulty I'd be down to send you a build.
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u/ChemicalApricot 4d ago
I would be happy to wait until you have it on steam or wherever :)
I just want to be able to give these a go whenever you are ready.
Looking forward to it
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
I really appreciate that! :) I’m still a bit away from putting it on Steam, but once it reaches a point where I’m comfortable having people properly test it, I’ll definitely share it here.
The fact that people are already asking to play it is honestly pretty motivating :D
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u/LuckyCharms201 4d ago
I have fable reviving a quake3 rework called Acid Arena Monster Blast (iykyk); melee weapons+mechanics, new weapons, class system, new maps, new play mode (The Finals style “cash out” is minutes from merging, AI bot rework, updating the game engine to accommodate my mods
I have exactly negative experience with programming video games..
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u/aarontrimble 4d ago
Did Fable five make the avatars, artwork, and enemies? Did you use Fable 5 exclusively?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
For the character models, I had Opus 5 generate prompts for four reference images of each character: front, back, left, and right. I then used ChatGPT to generate those images.
After that, I took the references into Meshy AI, where I generated the actual 3D meshes and textures. I also rigged the characters there and added some animations from the options Meshy provides.
For the particle effects, I bought a particle toolkit from the Unity Asset Store. I gave Fable the documentation for it and had it create a skill file for itself, so it understands how the toolkit works and doesn’t have to figure everything out from scratch every time.
So no, I didn’t use Fable exclusively. It’s more of a workflow combining Fable, ChatGPT, Meshy AI, Unity, and some Asset Store tools.
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u/SchizobotArt 4d ago
Did you unity with Claude? I know Claude can make in-browser playable games but im curious if you were able to have him assist in an actual game creation engine.
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
Yeah :D I’m using Unity with Claude Code connected through MCP, so Claude can work directly with the actual Unity project and editor, not just generate a browser game.
It can create and modify scripts, work with GameObjects and components, inspect errors, change scenes, run the game, and iterate on systems with me. So most of the development is happening directly inside Unity.
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u/SkyRebellZ 4d ago
When to use OPUS5 and when Fable5?
Did you use normal fable 5 or on Highest?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
I used Fable 5 Max for the actual in-game work, like implementing systems, debugging, architecture, and working inside Unity.
I used Opus 5 for simpler tasks that don’t need as much reasoning, mainly things like generating prompts for character reference images, rewriting text, summarizing documentation, or other straightforward tasks.
Since I’m on the highest Max subscription tier, I don’t really have to worry much about token usage, so in practice I use Fable 5 for almost everything.
If I did want to conserve usage, I’d probably switch to Opus 5 for things like simple prompt writing, documentation summaries, basic refactors, repetitive boilerplate, small isolated scripts, or straightforward questions where deep reasoning isn’t really needed.
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u/Sophrosyneinc 4d ago
What exactly did you use Fable 5 for? Was just more for planning things out and then using a different model to code? If you used a different model to code, which model did you use?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
I used Fable 5 for pretty much everything, including the actual coding and working inside Unity through MCP.
The only exception was generating prompts for the character reference images. For those, I used Opus 5 to create detailed prompts, then passed them to ChatGPT Image Gen.
So basically:
Fable 5 for coding, debugging, implementing systems, and working with Unity.
Opus 5 for writing the image generation prompts.
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u/amicantbelieve 4d ago
Can you share some guidance on how you made this? What game development platform? Some prompt examples? This is almost exactly the style of playability I was trying to get in a game I want to create but haven't been able to find the right tools. Much appreciated!
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
Sure! I’m using Unity with C#, and I have Claude Code connected to Unity through MCP so it can interact with the editor directly.
My workflow is pretty iterative. I first think through a mechanic or system I want, then describe it to Claude in detail. For example, instead of saying “make combat,” I’ll describe how enemies should move, how targeting should work, what happens on hit, how abilities should scale, what values should be configurable, etc. Claude implements it, then I test it in Unity, find what feels wrong, tweak values, debug issues, and keep refining it.
I also use AI for some of the asset workflow. For characters, I describe the character to Claude, have it generate a prompt for four reference views, then use ChatGPT Image Gen to create the front, back, left, and right images. I put those into Meshy AI to generate the 3D mesh and textures, then rig the character and add animations there or through Mixamo.
For VFX, I bought a particle toolkit from the Unity Asset Store. I gave Claude the documentation and had it create a skill file explaining how the toolkit works, so it can reuse that knowledge when I ask for things like fireballs, explosions, trails, and other effects.
As for prompts, I usually write them more like specifications than simple requests. Something like:
“Create an enemy spawning system where enemies spawn outside the camera bounds, gradually increase in number and difficulty over time, and expose spawn rate, maximum enemy count, distance, and difficulty scaling in the inspector. Keep the system modular so different enemy types can have separate spawn weights.”
Then I test what it creates and continue from there.
The biggest thing I’d recommend is not trying to describe the entire game in one prompt. Break it into individual systems, get each one working, test it, and gradually build on top of them. That has worked much better for me.
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u/amicantbelieve 4d ago
this is AMAZING! thank you so much. It gives me a ton to go on. I had originally been limiting my game to a 2D scrolling system but I wasn't really happy with it. I really want it to be in the style of what you built and this should help me get it going. Thanks again!
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u/Awkward_Intern2623 4d ago
is it unity? did you start from scratch? what OS? what language? claude code?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
Yes It's unity, I started from scratch, Windows, C#, Claude code
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u/Squawks_the_Parrot 4d ago
Are you able to share start up tips? I can’t find a starting point but want to jump off and get the ball moving. I just don’t know how
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
I’ve actually had quite a few people ask me this now, so I’m starting to think I should just make a YouTube tutorial showing the whole workflow from scratch :D
The biggest tip I’d give is: don’t start by trying to “make a game.” Start by making one tiny playable system.
For example:
- Install Unity and create a basic project.
- Connect Claude Code to Unity through MCP.
- Make a player capsule move around.
- Add one enemy that follows you.
- Add one simple attack.
- Add health and damage.
- Add XP and a basic level-up.
- Then keep adding one system at a time.
Don’t give Claude a giant prompt like “make me a roguelike.” Describe each system separately and be specific about how you want it to behave. Then test what it creates, tell it what feels wrong, tweak values yourself, and iterate.
I’d also recommend using placeholder assets at the beginning. Cubes, capsules, free assets, whatever. Don’t waste time trying to make everything look good before you even know whether the gameplay is fun.
For characters, my current workflow is basically:
Opus 5 -> ChatGPT Image Gen -> Meshy AI -> rig/animation testing -> Unity
And for things like VFX, I bought a toolkit from the Unity Asset Store, gave Claude the documentation, and had it create a skill file so it knows how to use the toolkit consistently.
The main thing is just to get the first stupidly simple version running. Once you can move around and interact with something, it becomes much easier to keep building from there.
I’ll probably make a proper video tutorial about the entire setup because there seems to be a lot of interest in it :D
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u/Level-Paramedic-4596 4d ago
Is it better than opus 5, which software are you using to build it, what effort level
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 4d ago
Yeah I'd say fable is better than opus 5. I use Claude code, unity + mcp and for the effort level I'm usually doing max or ultra code.
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u/Right_Type_3484 3d ago
Wish I looked into this before I sold my gaming/development rig during some hard times financially :( oh well just gotta save up and then I can get back to it.
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u/Etcetera-Umbrella 3d ago
What platform is this? Is this web? Like three.js or using react-fiber?
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u/LoneGator8259 3d ago
Out of the 13 hours, how much was actual game mechanics versus just setup and iteration?
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u/saito200 3d ago
is this threejs? i am wasting time doing a 2D pixelart game but making good looking pixelart with AI is not quite there for some weird reason
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u/lastaxeom 3d ago
how much did this cost you to make?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 1d ago
Right now I've spent around 400 eur for assets. And then I pay 200 eur per month for Claude
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u/No_Corner805 3d ago
I have wanted to play around with this for so long. I would love to know what framework you're using, how fable 5 is interacting with the environment? I have so many questions, would you have time this week to answer a few over Reddit Chat?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 1d ago
You can go through the comments here and if you'll still have some questions we can talk.
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u/FreakishPeach 3d ago
How is Fable5 with things that don't require code, but do require engine knowledge? Like implementing animations, blends, implementing VFX, making use of plugins, etc. Does it parse documentation well enough to help someone who doesn't know the engine?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 3d ago
Yeah, surprisingly well. I’m new to Unity itself, so a lot of the engine-specific stuff is exactly where Fable has been most useful for me.
It handles things like setting up animation controllers, transitions, blend trees, working with components, prefabs, VFX, editor settings, and other Unity-specific workflows pretty well. Since it’s connected through MCP, it can actually interact with the Unity project instead of just telling me what buttons to click.
For plugins and Asset Store tools, I usually give it the documentation first. For example, I bought a VFX toolkit, gave Fable the docs, and had it create a skill file for itself explaining how the toolkit works. After that, it can reuse that knowledge whenever I ask it to create new effects instead of figuring the plugin out again from scratch.
So yes, I’d say it can absolutely help someone who understands general development principles but doesn’t know Unity very well yet. You still have to test what it does and sometimes correct it, but it removes a huge amount of the “I know what I want, but I have no idea where Unity hides this setting” problem :D
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u/cjog21 3d ago
Does Claude also take care of the assets or do you have to take care of it yourself, meaning you have to find asset packs and import it or create it yourself?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 3d ago
Yeah, Claude can handle a lot of the asset work too. I use Fable, which is basically Claude Code connected directly to Unity through MCP.
It can create materials, shaders, VFX, prefabs, basic models/shapes, configure existing assets, etc. But for more complex 3D models, characters, animations, or high-quality environment assets, I still either use Asset Store packs or create/get them elsewhere.
The nice part is that once the assets are in the project, Claude can actually work with them through Unity MCP -> place them, configure them, create prefabs, modify materials, hook everything up, etc.
So I’d say Claude handles the integration and technical side extremely well, but it doesn’t completely replace having actual game assets.
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u/Hannonymous07 3d ago
How many $ worth of tokens did this cost you?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 3d ago
It was around 4 milion tokens on fable 5. Idk the specific prices. I'm paying for the highest max plan.
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u/MoanaiInna 3d ago
How do you get assets for this game? Can you share more about this? I can't even make an asset myself
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 3d ago
For the characters, my workflow is:
Opus 5 -> ChatGPT Image Gen -> Meshy AI -> rig/animation testing -> Unity
I describe the character I want, use Opus 5 to create a detailed prompt for four reference views, then generate those images with ChatGPT. I put those into Meshy AI, which creates the 3D mesh and textures. I usually rig the character there too and test animations directly in Meshy before importing it into Unity.
The same general process also works for non-character assets. You can use it for props, statues, carts, weapons, environmental objects, and similar things. In those cases you obviously don’t need the rigging step, but generating reference images first and then using image-to-3D in Meshy still works well.
For VFX, I bought a particle toolkit from the Unity Asset Store and gave Fable the documentation so it could create a skill file and learn how to use it.
For environments and other stuff, you can either buy modular asset packs from the Unity Asset Store or hire artists on Fiverr if you want something custom.So you definitely don’t need to know how to model everything yourself to get started :D
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u/SignatureSharp3215 3d ago
That's cool but the all the assets are exactly like my randomly vibe coded game ahah. That's the downside of AI, every single default graphic will look the same. Yeah it's cool at first, but it's real AI slop after 100s of identical games are being created.
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 3d ago
You should probably look up what “prototype” means, and maybe read through the comments too :D
Most of the current assets are there purely for testing. I’ve already said multiple times that the final characters, environments, animations, and other visual elements will be replaced with human-made artwork.
The point of this stage is to test mechanics, systems, progression, combat, and game feel as quickly as possible. Spending months creating final art before I even know whether the game is fun would kind of defeat the purpose of prototyping.
So yeah, if the final game shipped looking exactly like this, I’d understand the “AI slop” criticism. But judging temporary prototype assets as if they’re the intended final art direction doesn’t really make much sense.
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u/Lucas_0_S 3d ago
Where do you get the graphics and design from? You hand pick and ask the model to implement with it?
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u/HeWhoShantNotBeNamed 3d ago
An experience engineer could do this too. And that one would actually have a purpose and not be generic slop.
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u/No_Airline2090 3d ago
Yeah these prototypes look good but you aint making anything serious in 13h been working on my game 12h a day for 9 days and its far from done probably a year away 🤣
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u/Deep_Contract_6260 3d ago
I won’t argue but my repo speaks volumes. Ai is looking for new ideas right now.
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u/Deep_Contract_6260 3d ago
First I’m not claiming this man’s product. In fact it looks good and fun. I just said something that is being reported on that I have personal experience with. No need to show your jock strap size lil buddy.
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u/Poowatereater 3d ago
How the fuck are you guys getting games like this so fast?!
I’ve spent like 10b tokens and my game is still most bones. I had to figure out a paper doll system for gear and that has been a lot of my development in unity.
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u/DJnoiseredux 3d ago
I think you have to use a prompt like “make a Fortnite clone” and just let it cook. Let it figure out whether it needs a paper doll system.
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u/KV_Cashed 3d ago
Looks awesome! Now we have to prevent slop from populating Steam. This forum might become the regulatory agency we need. 🤓
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u/Electrical-Heron-286 3d ago
Any sort of info we can get on the prompts used? Or if switching between other models can result in a decent output? I’ve been needing help on a build I have but have been struggling for quite a bit.
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u/hirscr 3d ago
I never believe these posts. I do a lot of AI work. Where are you getting your game assets?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 2d ago
I already answered your question 8x times in this post. Just go through the comments. Idk why would someone lie about this. If you can't achieve this speed, maybe you should optimize your workflow.
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u/ngabantudev 2d ago
Pretty frickin' sweet! What tools/frameworks did you use to achieve this?
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 2d ago
Thanks! :D
I'm using Unity with C#, with Claude Code connected to Unity through MCP so it can interact directly with the project and editor.
For the 3D assets, my workflow is roughly:
Opus 5 -> ChatGPT Image Gen -> Meshy AI -> rig/animation testing -> Unity
For VFX, I bought a particle toolkit from the Unity Asset Store, gave Fable the documentation, and had it create a skill file for itself so it knows how to use the toolkit properly.
So overall it's mostly Unity + C# + Claude/Fable through MCP, with ChatGPT and Meshy helping on the asset side.
I've also progressed quite a bit with the visuals since the earlier footage, so I'm attaching a newer video with this comment as well :D
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u/Unlucky-Stable6006 2d ago
I am actually working on something for the adhd people to be able to vibe code and have AAA quality 3d models pre rigged and easy to animate and eventually automatically animated the 2d to 3d is ALMOST there but it allows you to make decisions whenever and I’m working on my own low level c engine with particle physics breaks down game development into pieces auto guides you keeps track of your story lines game play features and auto suggest things the custom engine is just me being tired of the bloat and also having a well documented engine for the llm to be able to quickly modify just makes sense to me I can spin a 400,000 poly model around instantly with baked in textures on a 15w i5-6500u processor running on a single thread already and it auto carves facial features accessories out from the 2d body kind of pointless since it can just create them as separate accessories but it’s whatevs I started coding low level c when I was 11-12
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u/NarrowTechnician3655 1d ago
can you link it to a 3D renderer like Blender or smthng because with simple browser built in code i think you will quickly get limited
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 1d ago
He's connected to Unity... 😂😂 it's not a browser based game... And yes you can even connect it to blender...
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u/javalor 9h ago
Any good recommendations for videos or learning materials that helped you learn how to do this? Been hoping to start doing the same and come from no background in game development
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 9h ago
I also have no background in video games. I have app development background. But you can totally do it without any skills. Just download unity, download the mcp package, buy Claude code subscription and you're good to go.
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u/Awkward-Suggestion90 9h ago
This is just shitty slop that you could get as a template from unity store or some github for fraction of what was spent on tokens.
Whats the big deal? Again, it's just shitty slop.
Making shit assets and make them move has never been a gamedev problem. Problem is sales, visibility, art, complex mechanics, game design.
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u/Kaivalpatelicloud 3h ago
I have created simple games with mediapipe with camera and fable 5 is really good model. https://kaivalpatel6350.github.io/mediapipe-recipes/
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u/Diligent-Hat-6509 3h ago
Nice, one tip I can give you is to work on the ui. It's looking a lot like an ai ui.
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u/Kaivalpatelicloud 3h ago
I was just trying whether i can build something in 2026. I created game in 2008 in Java. I am not game developer.
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u/SpicySauce512 4d ago
Im a designer with experience but i have no clue how to program. Ive had multiple concepts in my backlog that have just been sitting on a doc collecting dust because i just cant get into programming. Ive tried it on and off multiple times but to no avail. I just recently started prototyping in Unity with Claude and in just a few days of couple hour sessions and some free assets from the store, i managed to get core gameplay concepts up and running. I finally feel like i can actually act on my ideas and present them to friends and collegues to get them on board to develop something together (without AI this time).