1. Getting Started
Welcome, Creator! You're about to build your first game without writing a single line of code. This guide walks you through everything from logging in to playing a game you made in under 60 minutes.
By the end, you'll know exactly how the workspace works, what every button does, and how to go from a blank screen to something your friends can play today.
What is Cipher Game Builder?
Cipher Game Builder is currently in its alpha stage, letting you build playable browser games by describing what you want without any coding nor game development experience! You type what your game should do, and Cipher builds it for you.
Your game runs directly in the browser so anyone with the link can play it. You can keep improving and perfecting your game by continuing to chat with Cipher, rebuild it when you want a fresh start, and publish it to the Cipher Game Lobby when it's ready!
Quick tip: Cipher Game Builder is currently in Alpha, which means you're one of the first people to ever play with it! So do expect things may sometimes break, or games might look unpolished in the initial stages of your prompts. When you build games and provide feedback, we'll be able to work even faster in improving every creator's experience.
This Version: What You Can Build
Click ">" to expand each layer below.
RECOMMENDED FOR BEGINNER – ADVANCED CREATORS
2D arcade games (dodge, collect, survive)
Platformers (side-scrolling with jumping)
Simple fighting and combat games
Mouse-controlled games (click, drag, aim)
Touch-controlled games (mobile friendly)
Keyboard-controlled movement
Timer and score-based games
Multi-screen flows (e.g. title screen → gameplay → game over)
Games using your own uploaded images and sprites (upload through the Assets panel, then mention them in your prompt)
RECOMMENDED FOR ADVANCED – EXPERT CREATORS
Games with lots of different enemy types
Complex physics (realistic bouncing, swinging, ragdoll)
Games with multiple levels in sequence
Detailed particle effects and visual polish
Puzzle or logic games
Sound effects and music
AI opponents that play smart
IN THE NEXT VERSION
3D games
Online multiplayer
Games that save progress between sessions
Huge scrolling worlds beyond basic side-scrolling
Logging In
Head to gocipher.gg/build in your browser and login with your Gmail Account
Quick tip: Please only use a desktop for creating your game. However, the games you create and publish will be playable on both mobile or desktop!
See a message saying "Access is currently limited to invited creators"? You haven't unlocked access yet!
To unlock access to Cipher Game Creator, you can:
Earn Cipher Points (CP) by playing games in the Cipher Game Lobby;
Earn Cipher Points (CP) by creating 3D assets on Cipher Core;
Earn Cipher Points (CP) by completing fun challenges on Discord.
Navigating Your Projects Dashboard
Once you're in, you land on the Projects page. Think of this as your game library.
On the right side, you'll see cards for all the projects you've already started. Each card shows the name, a preview of the description, and when you last worked on it. Click any card to pick up where you left off. The trash icon deletes a project for good, so be careful with that one.
Quick tip: Projects are free and unlimited. If an idea isn't working, just start a new one. No limit on how many you can create.
On the left side, there's a Create project panel. Click into it and two fields appear:
Project name — Name your game whatever you want. This is just for you to stay organized. You'll pick the public name later when you're ready to publish.
Template — Select either 2D to create Sprites, Tilemaps and Side-scrollers; OR 3D to create Meshes, Physics and 3D Worlds.
Hit + Create project and you're straight into the workspace where everything happens.
Navigating Your Project Workspace
Once you've created a new project, your game workspace opens up – That's where you'll be creating, designing and releasing your ultimate game creation!
Your project workspace is split into two sides:
Left Side: Game Preview
This is where your game lives. Every time Cipher builds or updates something, the preview refreshes and you can playtest it right here.
When you first create a project, you'll see a temporary message: "Build will appear here. This stage is reserved for live game preview rendering." As soon as Cipher finishes your first build, your game takes over this space.
You'll also see a progress bar (pink) at the bottom when Cipher is loading up your game. Once it fills up, your game is ready for play testing!
Right Side: Chat Panel
This is how you talk to Cipher. It works like having a conversation, where you type to describe what you want, Cipher responds, and you can always go back and forth until your game is exactly how you want it.
At the bottom of the chat, you'll see:
Text Box — Where you type your prompts. It says "Describe the next change in your game..."
+ Button — Extra options to add photos and files
Agent toggle — Keep this on. It's what lets Cipher actually build and modify your game files.
Model selector — Pick which AI model Cipher should summon to create your game. Different models are better at different things (Learn How to Choose the Right AI Model here!)
Send button (purple arrow) — Sends your message.
Top Toolbar
The buttons across the top of your workspace:
Submit for Review Tap this when you'd like to publish your game to the Cipher Game Lobby. We'll review your game to ensure there are no major errors before it is published.
History Gives you access to previous versions of your game
Fullscreen Blows up the game preview to fill your whole screen. Use it to play-test your game at least once, so you can spot any issues that might only show up at full screen size. Press Escape or click Fullscreen again to exit.
Share Gives you a public link to your game. Anyone with this link can play your game in their browser. The link always points to the latest version of your game, so you won't need a new one even if you make newer versions within the same project.
Assets (top right corner)
Opens a side panel where you can upload your own files like images, sprites, or sound effects. Use the Upload button to pick files from your computer, or New folder to keep things tidy. There's a search bar too if you've uploaded a lot of stuff. Cipher can use whatever you upload when building your game.
Cipher Logo (top left corner)
Click it to go back to your Projects dashboard.
Choosing the Right AI Model
When creating your game, you'll find a wide variety of popular AI models available on Cipher to meet different game building needs. Simply click the model name to pick a preferred AI that Cipher can work with to create your game. Each one has different strengths.
Not too sure which model you should choose? Read on!
GPT-5.3 Codex
Fast, reliable, handles most game creation and changes without issues. Best for: Building your first game, most follow-up changes and general iteration.
GPT-5.3 Codex Extra High
Same model, but it takes more time to think through harder game-builds. Slower, but more thorough. Best for: Tricky mechanic changes that keep failing with the regular Codex, or debugging issues that won't go away.
Opus 4.6
The heavyweight. Best for complex architecture and games that need serious planning. Best for: Ambitious game designs with lots of interconnected systems, restructuring how your game is built, and game mechanics that need deep thinking.
Sonnet 4.6
Fast and light. Great for quick or mini games where no overthinking is needed! Best for: Small visual tweaks, quick changes, cosmetic updates, when you want speed over depth.
Gemini 3.1 Pro
Good at understanding big files and giving you explanations or clarity about your project. Best for: Asking what's happening in your game's code, understanding why something broke (doesn't run well, stuck or glitchy), and getting an overview of your project.
Composer 1.5
Built for changes that touch multiple files at once. Best for: Changes that affect several parts of your game simultaneously or re-organizing how different components connect.
Still unsure? Don't worry, that's how every great creation begins!
You can start on GPT-5.3 Codex, which handles 80% of what you need. Then switch to Codex Extra High or Opus 4.6 when you need more firepower to spruce up your game! Use Sonnet 4.6 for quick cosmetic stuff where speed matters more.
Remember: You can always switch AI models any time! The new model you select will pick up the full context of everything you've already discussed with Cipher. So relax, have fun and enjoy the game creation process~
What Happens While Cipher Builds Your Game?
When Cipher is working on your game, a Generation Activity section shows up in the chat for each prompt you provide.
You can always click the ">" arrow (Located next to each Generation Activity) to expand it if you want to see what's going on:
Thinking...
Cipher is planning its approach
Tool started: read on [file]
Reading an existing game file
File updated: [file]
Made changes to a file
Tool started: update-todos
Updating its internal task list
Validating workspace
Checking for errors
Code generation completed
All code changes written
Exporting HTML5 build
Packaging the game for browser play
Export completed
Package is ready
Build ready. Preview updated.
Done! Go play!
The status badge will indicate either RUNNING (still working) or COMPLETED (finished).
Tips from Our Alpha Game Creators (Like you!)
Use a computer. The workspace needs room for the game preview and chat side by side. Mobile works for playing games through share links, but building is a desktop thing!
Your games are 2D browser games that can run in any modern browser without downloads.
Cipher sometimes checks in before making changes. It'll describe what it's planning and ask if that sounds right. Reply clearly if its a "yes" or "no"!
Builds can fail, don't give up! If something goes wrong, you'll see it in the Generation Activity. Try rewording your request or hit Rebuild for a fresh start.
Your work auto-saves. Close the browser, come back later, and everything is still there.
This is an Alpha version You're one of our pioneering creators witnessing this tech! When you build games and provide feedback, we'll be able to work even faster in improving every creator's experience. Use the Feedback button or visit Discord to tell us what's working and what isn't - we're all ears!
Last updated