Developer Builds Text-Based Game Track Star Using Claude as Coding Partner

A developer on r/ClaudeAI shared their experience building a complete game using Claude as a coding partner. Inspired by nostalgia for early internet indie gaming and a search for abandonware sports sims, they created Track Star - a text-based track and field career simulation.

Project Details

The developer used Claude as their primary coding partner to build the game, specifically leveraging it to fill gaps in their Python knowledge. They described the process as "incredibly fun" and worked on the project during evenings and weekends over several months.

Game Specifications

• Game Name: Track Star
• Genre: Text-based track and field career simulation
• Platform: Steam (demo launched last week)
• Steam App ID: 4538830
• Development Time: Several months of off-and-on work
• Primary Language: Python

Development Approach

The developer brought the design, choices, formulas, and math to the project, while Claude handled the coding implementation. They emphasized that this was a hobby project rather than a career change, stating: "I don't expect to quit my job and do this full time, nor would I want to, but it's an amazing hobby."

Inspiration and Context

The project was inspired by nostalgia for late 90s/early 00s niche sports and management sims - the type of games that were typically sold through Tripod sites where users would email developers for unlock codes. The developer had been searching for an old abandonware game through the Wayback Machine, cold messaging old developers, and even tracking down the manual writer before deciding to create their own game instead.