Solo dev builds cozy multiplayer fishing game inside a Claude artifact — and shares the pitfalls
devilsdiligence · reddit · 2026-10-20
Developer Megan used Claude Code to build Reel Time, a cozy multiplayer fishing game that runs entirely as a claude.ai artifact: you cast a line while Claude works on long prompts, and a bell rings (plus a golden fish) when your turn finishes. Anyone can deploy their own 'lake' on their Claude account in about 5 minutes and invite up to 4 friends as Editors.
Setup: download the 10MB HTML from GitHub, attach it to a claude.ai chat, and ask Claude to publish it with the database/multiplayer/profile permissions the game needs. Friends join via the Share menu with Editor access (viewers can't save or play together).
Build lessons worth noting for artifact developers:
- Artifacts have their own rules: the sharing check rejected embedded fonts and model files, so every 3D model was rewritten as plain JavaScript number arrays
- Tiny things break multiplayer: a pig NPC doing a walkability check every frame dropped players from parties; only an automated two-player browser test caught it
- Testers level faster than expected, so Claude ran balance simulations to retune progression
- Scaling from one lake to everyone's lake was mostly a permissions exercise: declared permissions, owner/admin roles, an admin panel
A Claude Code plugin integrates task status with the game. Source is public under PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0.
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