Letters, guesses and anagrams. Word games need a word list, clear validation and good typing plus touch keyboard support.
Tips for word games games
Ask for the word list to be embedded as an array, and say how big. Generated games often check guesses against a tiny list and reject real words.
Request both physical keyboard input and an on-screen keyboard. On phones, the native keyboard often covers half the game.
Be precise about repeated letters in feedback rules. 'If the guess has two Es and the answer one, only one gets coloured' avoids a confusing bug.
starter
Five-letter guesser
Make a five-letter word guessing game. The player has 6 tries. After each guess, colour each letter: green if right letter in the right spot, yellow if in the word but wrong spot, grey if not in the word. Handle repeated letters correctly (only colour as many as appear in the answer). Include an embedded list of at least 300 common 5-letter English words used both as answers and valid guesses; reject guesses not in the list with a shake animation. Physical keyboard and an on-screen keyboard that also shows letter colours. Win or lose screen reveals the word and a New Game button.
The repeated-letter rule is the most common bug in this genre, so it's named directly.
Follow-up tweaks
Add a hard mode where revealed hints must be used in later guesses.
Add a daily word chosen by date and a share text with coloured squares.
starter
Anagram scramble
Make an anagram game. Six letter tiles are shown scrambled. The player taps tiles in order (or types) to build words of 3 to 6 letters; Enter or a Submit button checks the word against an embedded list of common words. Valid words go into a found list and score 1 point per letter, with a bonus 10 for using all six letters. A Shuffle button rearranges the tiles. 2 minute timer; at the end show the words found and three words that were missed. Wooden tile look with a satisfying click.
Showing missed words at the end teaches vocabulary and invites another round.
Follow-up tweaks
Add a 'Next letters' button that ends the round early if all six-letter words were found.
Add a relaxed mode with no timer.
intermediate · tested ✓
Falling letters
Make a word game where letters fall from the top into a 7-wide column grid like stacking blocks. Each letter lands on the pile in its column. The player taps adjacent letters (including diagonals) to build a word; valid words (3+ letters, embedded word list) remove those letters and score points based on letter rarity (common letters 1, rare letters up to 5). Letters fall faster over time. If any column reaches the top, game over. Show the current word being built and a Clear button. Vowels appear at least 35% of the time so words are always possible.
The vowel ratio rule keeps the board playable, which random letters alone don't.
Follow-up tweaks
Add a bomb tile that clears its neighbours when used in a word.
Add a two-minute calm mode where letters don't fall.
starter
Hangman-free word reveal
Make a letter-guessing game without any hanging imagery. A hidden word or short phrase is shown as blanks. The player guesses letters by tapping an on-screen alphabet or typing. Each wrong guess removes one of 7 balloons from a basket floating in the sky; when all balloons are gone, the basket gently lands and the round ends. Correct letters fill in everywhere they appear. Editable list of words with a category hint. Score: 10 per correct letter plus 5 per balloon left. Cheerful sky blue palette.
A friendly replacement metaphor keeps a classic mechanic suitable for classrooms.
Follow-up tweaks
Add a two-player mode where one player types a secret word for the other.
Add a hint button that reveals a random letter at the cost of one balloon.
intermediate
Word ladder
Make a word ladder puzzle. The player gets a start word and an end word of the same length (4 letters). Each step, change exactly one letter to make a new valid word from an embedded list. The game rejects steps that change more than one letter or are not words. Show the ladder of steps so far and the minimum number of steps (computed with breadth-first search over the word list). Stars: 3 for minimum, 2 for minimum +2, 1 otherwise. Undo button. Include 10 puzzle pairs that are known to connect. Clean notebook paper style.
Computing the minimum with BFS turns a word game into a puzzle with a clear target.
Follow-up tweaks
Generate new puzzles automatically by picking pairs that BFS can connect in 4 to 7 steps.
Add a hint that shows the next word in the shortest path.
intermediate
Typing defense
Make a typing game. Words drift down from the top toward a little town at the bottom. Typing a word's letters highlights them on the matching word; completing it pops it with a burst. Words reaching the town damage the town (5 hits ends the game). Short words early, longer words later; speed rises every 30 seconds. Score = letters typed correctly; show words per minute and accuracy at the end. Only one word can be targeted at a time; Backspace or Escape cancels the target. Embedded list of 200 common words. Soft night sky with lanterns.
Rules about targeting and cancelling make the typing feel precise, not mushy.
Follow-up tweaks
Add a slow-time power word in gold that slows all words for 5 seconds.
Add a kid mode with 3-letter words only.
advanced
Crossword-lite builder
Make a mini crossword game with a 5x5 grid. Puzzles are in an editable list: the grid pattern (letters and black squares) plus across and down clues. The player taps a cell to select it; tapping again switches direction. Typing fills letters and moves to the next cell in the direction; Backspace moves back. The active clue is shown above the grid. Check button marks wrong letters in red; Reveal letter costs a hint. Timer runs until solved. Include 3 sample puzzles with clues you write yourself, checked for consistency. On-screen keyboard for phones.
Asking the AI to verify the sample grid against clues avoids mismatched crossings.
Follow-up tweaks
Add a puzzle builder that checks every across and down word I type.
Add a pencil mode for tentative letters in grey.
starter
Letter grid hunt
Make a word search game. A 10x10 grid of letters hides 8 words from a chosen theme (editable lists of themes and words). Words can go horizontally, vertically or diagonally, forwards only for the easy mode and backwards too in hard mode. The player drags across letters (mouse or touch) to select a line; if it matches a word, it stays highlighted in a colour and the word is crossed off the list. Timer and best time per theme. Fill empty cells with random letters. Paper and pencil highlight style.
The dragging rule (straight lines only) is stated so selection behaves predictably.
Follow-up tweaks
Add a hidden bonus word not shown on the list for extra points.
Let me type my own word list on the start screen to make a custom puzzle.
intermediate
Spelling bee hive
Make a word-building game with 7 letters arranged in a honeycomb; the centre letter must appear in every word. Words must be 4+ letters from an embedded word list. Points: 1 for 4-letter words, then 1 per letter; using all 7 letters gives +7. A progress bar shows ranks from 'Starter' to 'Hive Master' based on the share of possible points found. Letters can be shuffled. Found words list in alphabetical order. Pick letter sets where at least 20 words are possible from the embedded list.
Requiring a minimum number of possible words ensures every puzzle is worth playing.
Follow-up tweaks
Add a daily puzzle based on the date.
Add a hint that shows the first two letters of a missing word.
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.
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.