How to Build and Publish a Web Game with Claude: A Beginner's Guide

A recent community post titled "I made a game with AI and I'm running it as a service" drew thousands of views and dozens of comments, and the question underneath most of the replies was the same: can someone with zero coding background really build a game like that and let others play it? The short answer is yes. Claude's chat-based Artifacts feature lets you build a playable web game without writing a single line of code yourself, and publish it as a link anyone can open. How far "running it as a service" goes depends on what you need, so this guide walks through the easiest path first, then what it takes to grow into something closer to a real service.

What you'll be able to do after this guide

By the end of this guide you'll have built a simple web game through conversation with Claude alone, and published it as a public link that anyone can open in a browser without signing in. A simple game can come together in just a few exchanges, and refining it until you're happy usually still fits inside about 30 minutes. Later sections also cover what it takes to go further—adding things like leaderboards or logins that turn this into a real ongoing service.

What you need before starting

• A Claude account — Artifacts is available even on the Free plan.
• A computer or phone with a browser and internet access.
• Artifacts turned on in your account settings (covered in Step 1 below).

Quick terms to know

• Artifacts — a Claude feature that opens code or documents Claude creates in a separate pane next to the chat, where you can run and interact with them immediately.
• Publish — the feature that turns an artifact into a link anyone can open, even without a Claude account.
• Backend — the server-side program that stores and processes user data, such as scores or accounts, behind the scenes.
• Hosting — a service that keeps your website's files on a server that's always on, so anyone can reach it at a web address.
• Claude Code — a tool you run from a terminal (a text-command window on your computer) where Claude writes and edits actual code files for you.

Step 1 — Confirm Artifacts is turned on

Artifacts needs to be enabled in your account settings before you can build a game. Click your account icon in the bottom left, go to Settings → Capabilities, and check that "Code execution and file creation" is toggled on.

Success looks like this: the toggle switches to its enabled color. If you don't see the option, or it keeps reverting to off, try refreshing the page or checking that you're signed in.

Step 2 — Describe your game and check the preview

Describe the game you want in the chat. If it's your first try, start with simple rules.

Build a simple brick-breaker game in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Let me move a paddle left and right with the arrow keys, and increase
the score whenever the ball hits a brick. Show "Game Over" if I miss the ball.

Success looks like this: after you send the request, a preview pane appears alongside the chat showing your game actually running, with the code behind it. Try pressing the arrow keys to confirm the paddle moves.

Step 3 — Refine it through conversation

Ask for changes the same way you asked for the game: "make the paddle blue," "speed up the ball a bit," "show the high score on screen." The more specific your request, the closer the result gets to what you want. Artifacts keeps track of versions, so you can scroll back to an earlier message if you want to see a previous version again.

Caution: Artifacts can't take separate file uploads like images or audio — everything is stored as text-based code, up to 20 MB. Ask for graphics made of shapes, colors, emoji, or code-drawn visuals rather than expecting rich imported artwork.

Step 4 — Publish a link so others can play

To let other people play, open the sharing options on the artifact and select Publish. This creates a public link that anyone can open and play without a Claude account or sign-in.

Success looks like this: opening the link in a different browser, or while signed out, still loads and runs the game immediately. Share that link, and—like the community post that sparked this guide—you now have an AI-made game running as something others can actually play.

Growing this into a real service — Artifacts' limits and what comes next

Before scaling up, it helps to understand what Artifacts can't do. An artifact is a single, self-contained page with no backend, so it can't handle things that require storing data, like a leaderboard with everyone's scores or user logins.

If you need features like leaderboards, logins, or saving multiple users' data, the common path is to use Claude Code to build an actual code project, push it to a repository like GitHub, and connect it to a service that hosts static websites for free. The exact screens and steps vary by service, so check that service's own official instructions before you commit to a specific one.

Common sticking points and fixes

• You asked for a game but no preview appears — "Code execution and file creation" is probably turned off. Go back to Step 1 and check your settings.
• You can't find the Publish button — sharing options can move between updates, so look for a share or "more options" icon on the artifact and check there.
• You can't add an image or background music — Artifacts stores only text-based code with no file attachments. Ask for shapes, colors, emoji, or code-drawn graphics instead.
• You want a leaderboard or login and it's not possible — Artifacts has no backend at all, so this is a hard limit. You'd need to expand the code with Claude Code and deploy it to separate hosting to add this.

Caution: If you plan to share your game widely or monetize it, check the copyright status of any images or music you use, and review the terms of service for whatever platforms you rely on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I really build a game with Claude without knowing how to code?
Yes. Describe the game you want in plain language in the Claude chat, and Claude writes the code and runs it live in a preview pane next to the conversation. You never have to read or edit the code yourself.

Q. Does this work on the free plan?
Yes, Artifacts is available on every plan, including Free, as long as it's enabled in your account settings. Since plan details can change, it's worth double-checking your account settings if something doesn't match what's described here.

Q. How do I let other people actually play the game I made?
Use the Publish option on the artifact to generate a public link. Anyone can open that link and play immediately, with no Claude account required.

Q. Can I add things like a leaderboard or user logins?
Not with a basic artifact alone — it's a static page with no backend, so it can't store data. For that, you'd extend the code with Claude Code and deploy it to a separate hosting service.

You don't need to know how to code to turn an idea into a playable web game with Claude—just a clear description and a bit of back-and-forth. Start small, the way the community post that inspired this guide did, and if you need more, grow it step by step with Claude Code and external hosting.

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