Indie dev: Sudoku app passed every test and code review, but the home screen still looked wrong

SeanOliver · x · 2026-10-01

An indie developer shares that the first version of his Sudoku app passed every test and three rounds of code review — yet the first screen anyone sees was far too utilitarian.

His fix: he had Claude build three new design directions directly in the real app and screenshot each one, then picked the warmest — a greeting, the puzzle as the biggest element on screen, and a color per difficulty.

Takeaway: tests and code review tell you whether something works; only opening the app shows you it looks wrong.

Related event: Sudoku App Passed All Tests But Felt Cold, Dev Rebuilt UI With Claude(2 posts)→

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