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How to write a good AI game prompt

A practical structure for AI game prompts: core loop, controls, win and lose rules, scoring, difficulty, style, feedback and constraints, with examples.

Steps

State the game in one sentence. Name the genre and the player's main action, such as 'a one-screen game where you catch falling fruit in a basket'.
Describe the core loop. Explain what the player does again and again, and what happens in response.
List controls for keyboard and touch. Name every key and on-screen button.
Define win, lose and scoring. Say exactly how points are earned, how the game ends and how a player wins.
Set the difficulty curve. Describe how the game gets harder over time with numbers and limits.
Describe style, feedback and constraints. Give a palette and shape style, ask for feedback effects, and set limits like one screen and no external files.

The eight parts of a prompt that works

A good AI game prompt reads like a short design document. It doesn't need to be long; 60 to 150 words is often enough. It needs to cover:

Core loop: what the player does repeatedly.
Controls: keyboard and touch, every key named.
Win and lose conditions: how it ends.
Scoring: what earns points and how much.
Difficulty curve: what changes over time.
Visual style: palette, shapes, mood.
Feedback: what the player sees and hears when things happen.
Constraints: one screen, no external assets, single file, size limits.

An example, piece by piece

Make a one-screen game where the player catches falling fruit in a basket. (one-sentence pitch)

Left/right arrows or A/D move the basket; on touch, drag anywhere to move it. (controls)

Fruit falls from random positions; each caught fruit is +10, a golden fruit +50. (loop and scoring)

Missing 3 fruit ends the game; show score and best score with a Restart button. (lose condition)

Fruit falls 5% faster every 10 seconds, capped at 2x. (difficulty)

Bright summer palette, rounded shapes drawn in code. (style)

Caught fruit pops with small particles and a blip sound made in the browser. (feedback)

Keep it in one HTML file with no external images. (constraints)

Numbers beat adjectives

"Fast", "hard" and "fun" mean different things to everyone, including the AI. "Enemies move 150 pixels per second and get 10% faster every wave, capped at double" can be tested and tuned.

Say what not to do

Constraints save attempts. Useful ones include: "no external images or sounds", "fit on one screen without scrolling", "no menus except start and game over", and "keep it under 600 lines". If you're making a game for children, say so and list what to avoid.

Ask for editable data

Request that levels, questions, prices and waves live in clearly labelled lists at the top of the code. You can then change content yourself instead of spending a generation on it.

Plan your follow-ups

Treat the first generation as a prototype. Then improve it with one focused prompt at a time: fix the biggest bug, tune the feel, add one feature, then polish. Add "don't change anything else" to each follow-up so working parts stay working.

Avoid copying other games

Describe mechanics in generic terms ("a falling-block puzzle where full rows clear") rather than naming existing games, characters or brands. It keeps your game original and avoids rights problems if you share or sell it.

FAQ

How long should a game prompt be?

Long enough to cover the loop, controls, win/lose, scoring, difficulty, style, feedback and constraints. That's often 60 to 150 words.

Should I name an existing game to explain what I want?

Describe the mechanics instead. It keeps your game original and avoids copying protected names, characters or art.

Why does the AI ignore part of my prompt?

Very long or contradictory prompts get partially followed. Put the most important rules first and move extras to follow-up prompts.

Do the same prompts work in every AI tool?

The structure works broadly, but each tool has its own strengths and limits, so expect to adjust wording and follow-ups.

Browse the free prompts

Levelwick Pro

Ship a whole game, not just a first draft

30 fill-in master templates with worked examples, 12 multi-step build recipes (what to prompt, what to check after each step, and the fix prompt when it breaks), 40 bug-fix prompts by symptom, 20 art-direction briefs with upload tips, and a game-design + launch checklist. Markdown files, instant download.

Get Levelwick Pro · $12 once

One-time $12. Use and adapt the prompts in your own games, commercial ones included. 14-day fix-or-refund if it doesn't work as described. Secure checkout by Stripe.

Free sampler

T01 · Path defense master template (template)

Use it for: classic tower defense with a fixed route and placed towers. The most reliable starting point for the genre.

Variables

Variable	What to write	Example
`{{theme}}`	Setting in a few words	backyard garden
`{{enemy}}`	Who walks the path	slugs
`{{base}}`	What the player protects	the garden gate
`{{waypoints}}`	Path as a waypoint description	6 waypoints snaking left to right
`{{tower_1..3}}`	Name, price, role	Pea Shooter, 25, single target
`{{start_money}}` / `{{reward}}`	Economy	100 / 5
`{{lives}}` / `{{waves}}`	Lose and win conditions	10 / 12
`{{palette}}`	Visual style	flat bright greens and browns

Master prompt

Make a one-screen 2D tower defense game set in a {{theme}}.
PATH: {{enemy}} walk a fixed path through {{waypoints}} to {{base}}. Draw the path clearly. Enemies move from waypoint to waypoint and never leave the path.
BUILDING: The player clicks or taps an empty build tile beside the path to open a small menu of towers:
- {{tower_1}}
- {{tower_2}}
- {{tower_3}}
Greyed-out buttons when unaffordable. Tapping a built tower shows its range circle and a Sell button (refund 50%).
ECONOMY: Start with {{start_money}} coins. Each enemy defeated gives {{reward}} coins with a floating "+{{reward}}".
WIN/LOSE: {{base}} has {{lives}} lives; each enemy that reaches it costs 1. Survive {{waves}} waves to win.
WAVES: Waves start with a Start Wave button. Use a wave list: each wave adds enemies and +10% enemy health; every 4th wave adds a faster enemy type; the last wave has a boss with a health bar.
FEEDBACK: Enemies flash white when hit, pop into particles when defeated, and the screen shakes briefly when a life is lost.
HUD: coins, lives and wave number at the top; Start Wave and Pause buttons.
STYLE: {{palette}}, simple shapes drawn in code, no external images.
CONSTRAINTS: one HTML file, works with mouse and touch, all movement based on elapsed time, Restart button on the win and lose screens.

Worked example

Make a one-screen 2D tower defense game set in a backyard garden. PATH: slugs walk a fixed path through 6 waypoints snaking from the left edge to the garden gate on the right… Towers: Sprinkler, 10 coins, slows enemies 40% in range; Pea Shooter, 25 coins, single target; Bee Hive, 40 coins, small area damage. Start with 100 coins, 5 per slug. 10 lives, 12 waves. Flat bright greens and browns…

After the first generation, check: enemies stay on the path; towers only fire within the drawn range; selling refunds the right amount; the boss appears on the last wave.

Strong follow-ups

"Add a 2x speed button. Don't change anything else."
"Add upgrades: tap a tower to upgrade to level 2 (+50% damage) for 1.5x its price."

T13 · Classroom quiz engine template (template)

Use it for: any subject quiz you'll reuse with new questions every week.

Variables

Variable	Example
`{{subject}}`	Year 6 science: forces
`{{questions}}`	your list, pasted in the format below
`{{timer}}`	20 seconds, or "no timer"
`{{teams}}`	2 to 4 teams, or "single player"
`{{reward}}`	a star burst and a "Great thinking!" message

Master prompt

Make a quiz game for {{subject}}.
DATA: put all questions in an editable array at the very top of the code, clearly labelled QUESTIONS. Each item: question, four answers, index of the correct answer, optional explanation. Use exactly these questions:
{{questions}}
FLOW: shuffle questions and answer order; never repeat within a game. One question at a time with four large buttons (keys 1-4 also work).
TIMER: {{timer}}.
TEAMS: {{teams}}. If teams: show whose turn it is; correct = +10 to that team; turns rotate each question.
FEEDBACK: correct: {{reward}}. Wrong or timeout: chosen answer red, correct answer green, explanation shown for 3 seconds.
END: scoreboard, list of missed questions with correct answers, Play Again.
DESIGN: high contrast, at least 28 px answer text, readable on a projector and a phone.
CONSTRAINTS: one HTML file, works offline, no external fonts or images.

Question format to paste

Q: What force pulls objects toward Earth? | Friction | Gravity* | Magnetism | Air resistance | Gravity pulls everything with mass toward the Earth's centre.

(An asterisk marks the correct answer; the last field is the explanation.)

Check: the asterisk is removed from displayed text; explanations show for wrong answers only; teams rotate correctly after a timeout.

Ship a tower defense in 6 prompts · Step 1 of 6 (recipe-step)

Make a one-screen 2D tower defense game. Cartoon beetles walk a fixed path of 6 waypoints from the left edge to a tree stump on the right. The player clicks or taps a grass tile to place a Leaf Turret for 25 coins; it shoots the nearest beetle within 120 px once per second. Start with 100 coins; each beetle gives 5 coins. The stump has 10 lives; each beetle reaching it costs 1. A Start Wave button sends 8 beetles. Show coins, lives and wave at the top. Shapes drawn in code, flat greens and browns. Restart button on game over.

Check after:

Beetles follow the path exactly and never cut corners through grass.
Turrets can't be placed on the path or on top of each other.
Coins rise on each defeat; lives drop when a beetle reaches the stump.

If it breaks:

*Beetles leave the path:* "Move enemies from waypoint to waypoint in a straight line at constant speed; when within 2 px of a waypoint, snap to it and target the next one. Don't change anything else."
*Towers placed on the path:* "Mark path tiles as unbuildable using a grid; highlight buildable tiles on hover in green and unbuildable in red."

A cozy farm in 8 prompts · Step 1 of 8 (recipe-step)

Make a cozy farming game with a 6x4 grid of soil plots. Tap a plot to cycle: till, plant, water. Seeds: Turnip (2 coins, 2 days), Carrot (5, 3 days), Pumpkin (12, 5 days), chosen from a seed bar. A Sleep button advances the day. Watered plots grow one stage per day (3 visible stages); unwatered plots don't grow. Tap a ripe plant to harvest into a basket. Start with 20 coins. Show coins and day.

Check: crops only grow when watered; watering resets each morning.

Checklist · Core loop (checklist)

[ ] I can describe the game in one sentence: the player does X to achieve Y while avoiding Z.
[ ] The main action is fun on its own for 30 seconds, before any upgrades or levels.
[ ] Every action gives an immediate visible result.
[ ] There's a reason to do the action again (score, progress, story, collection).
[ ] The game has a clear end state for a session (game over, level complete, day end) or a natural stopping point for idle/cozy games.
[ ] I removed features that don't support the core loop.

Fix prompt: "Remove [feature]. It doesn't support the core loop. Don't change anything else."

Checklist · Mobile and touch (checklist)

[ ] The game works with touch only, without hover.
[ ] Touch targets are at least 48-64 px, with space between them.
[ ] Multi-touch works (move and jump at once).
[ ] The page doesn't scroll, zoom or pull-to-refresh during play.
[ ] The game fits portrait and landscape, or clearly asks to rotate.
[ ] HUD stays clear of notches and rounded corners.
[ ] Audio starts after the first tap.

Works well with

Propwren Creator Asset Pack848 upload-ready images + 168 game audio files from our own packs, licensed for AI game makers. $19 once.Shipfern Web Game Starter KitTurn a prototype into a game you own: HTML5 template with levels, daily challenge, share cards, PWA, Stripe unlock, portal adapters. $49 once.Game asset packsTilesets, monsters, icons, VFX, UI, shaders, 3D and textures with live demos and free samplers.