Building a Pixel-Art JRPG with Claude Code: A Developer's Workflow and Stack

A developer has shared their experience building a complete pixel-art JRPG called Bakemachi using Claude Code. The game is designed for learning Japanese and includes a playable demo with most core gameplay elements implemented.

Project Details

The game features overworld exploration, NPC dialogue with interactive vocabulary, mini-games, a combat system, quest tracking, and supports touch, keyboard, and controller input. The playable demo runs for approximately 10-15 minutes and is accessible at https://bakemachi-steam-demo-production.up.railway.app/ (hit "New Game" to start).

Technical Stack

• Frontend: Vite + React + TypeScript
• Game Engine: Phaser 3 handles the game canvas (tile-based movement, sprites, animations)
• State Management: Zustand bridges Phaser and React
• UI: React renders all overlays (dialogue, menus, HUD, combat, mini-games)
• Assets: Mostly hand-crafted or purchased, with some "pixel-art" assets generated by Nano Banana

Claude Code Workflow

The developer used Claude Code (Opus 4.6) for the entire project, noting they are not a game developer and this is their first game. Their workflow involved:

• Describing requirements in natural language
• Reviewing Claude's code output
• Playtesting
• Iterating based on results

Key Observations About Claude Code

• Complex Changes: Claude handled multi-file changes effectively, such as adding a combat system that touched approximately 8 files across stores, components, config, and Phaser scenes, getting the architecture right on the first pass.
• Context Management: Opus 4.6 performed better with long context than previous versions. The developer maintained claude.md and progress.md files to enable seamless session switching.
• Debugging: Claude excels at debugging when provided with screenshots or descriptions of visual bugs, tracing through code and fixing issues quickly. However, it sometimes struggles with micro-specific front-end tasks like element positioning.

The developer plans to release the game on Steam, iOS, and Android eventually and is seeking feedback on both the game and their Claude Code workflow.