How to Build AI Games That Grow Your Audience

TL;DR

Use a simple AI-built game as an interactive lead magnet, then connect its leaderboard to email collection and share it on social media. The demonstrated workflow uses Grok 3 for research and planning, p5.js for rapid prototyping, Cursor with Claude 3.7 Sonnet for implementation and debugging, Supabase for stored data, and GitHub Pages for deployment.

Transcript

what if you can create video games using AI well now you can grock 3 just came out Sonic 37 just came out and today's episode is all about using Technologies like that to create high quality games that are going to go viral on social platforms so today's episode uh step by step how to do it how to use cursor to do it we integrate with superbase uh ... Read More

Key Insights

• Interactive AI games are a lead-generation format that can attract attention, collect email addresses, and direct players toward newsletters or products. Alex Finn says games consistently received more clicks than other micro apps because recognizable concepts such as shooting games immediately communicate what users should do.
• A top-down shooter generated about 500 newsletter signups after Alex Finn promoted it on X. The campaign invited players to compete for the highest score within 24 hours, with a $100 reward, and used a leaderboard where players entered their initials after the game ended.
• Traditional newsletter promotion is described as less effective because many creators publish a popular thread and follow it with a subscription request. Alex Finn says that approach has become crowded, while interactive AI content provides a different reason for users to click, play, and submit information.
• Grok 3 Deep Search is used to research and structure the initial game plan. For the space shooter demonstration, it examines p5.js examples, game physics, player movement, sprite-drawing methods, and other implementations before proposing how the game should be designed.
• Grok 3 Think is used to execute the researched plan and generate code. The workflow separates research from implementation, with Deep Search gathering relevant patterns and Think reasoning through the plan, although the demonstration also shows that Grok can occasionally fail to complete a response.
• p5.js is a JavaScript framework used for rapid game prototyping in the demonstration. Its browser-based coding environment lets the creator paste code, press play, and test the game immediately before transferring the project into Cursor for more advanced development.
• Cursor with Claude 3.7 Sonnet is used to enhance and debug the initial game. This stage develops the prototype beyond its first version, while the AI-assisted workflow allows someone with minimal game-building experience to create mechanics, visual elements, and a more polished interactive experience.
• Supabase and GitHub Pages complete the marketing workflow. Supabase provides storage for leaderboard records and email addresses, while GitHub Pages publishes the finished game online so it can be shared on X and connected to a newsletter, application, or other product funnel.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can an AI-built game grow a newsletter audience?

An AI-built game can function as an interactive lead magnet that gives social media users a reason to click and participate. Alex Finn connected gameplay to a leaderboard and email collection, then promoted the experience on X. His top-down shooter campaign offered $100 to the highest scorer within 24 hours and generated about 500 newsletter signups.

Q: What tools are used to build the AI space shooter?

The demonstrated workflow uses Grok 3 Deep Search to research and plan the game, then Grok 3 Think to reason through the plan and create initial code. The prototype runs in the p5.js browser environment. Cursor and Claude 3.7 Sonnet support enhancement and debugging, Supabase stores leaderboard and email data, and GitHub Pages publishes the finished game.

Q: Why are games effective for social media marketing?

Games are effective in Alex Finn's strategy because they provide an eye-catching, interactive hook. Through experimentation with games and other micro apps, he found that recognizable game concepts, including Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto-style clones, received more clicks. A simple space shooter is particularly accessible because users already understand that they control a ship and shoot targets.

Q: How does Grok 3 help plan and create a game?

Grok 3 Deep Search is used first to study how similar games and p5.js examples work. In the demonstration, it researches sprite-drawing techniques, player movement, physics, and relevant example code before designing a plan. Grok 3 Think is then used as the reasoning model that executes the plan and produces code for the initial version of the game.

Q: Why is p5.js used for the game prototype?

p5.js is selected because its website provides a quick way to test JavaScript game code. A creator can open the coding environment, paste generated code, press play, and immediately see whether the prototype works. Alex Finn recommends this rapid feedback process for beginners, after which the project can be transferred into Cursor and developed into a more advanced version.

Q: How are leaderboard entries and emails collected?

Supabase is integrated into the game from within Cursor to provide a place for storing submitted information. The game includes a leaderboard flow that can request player details after a session, including initials and email information. This database connection turns the game from a standalone experience into a lead-generation mechanism that can support a newsletter, application, or product.

Q: How is the finished AI game published online?

The completed game is deployed through GitHub Pages, which makes it available on the internet through a shareable page. Once published, the creator can post the game on X and invite users to play, compete on the leaderboard, and submit their information. This deployment step connects the development workflow to the intended audience-growth and product-marketing strategy.

Q: What makes the game-based strategy different from newsletter threads?

The conventional strategy described in the discussion is to publish a strong thread and add a follow-up post asking readers to subscribe to a newsletter. Alex Finn says that approach has become crowded after widespread use. A game instead provides an activity, competition, and visible score, giving users a more distinctive reason to engage before encountering the newsletter or product offer.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Alex Finn presents small AI-built games as an alternative to conventional social posts that direct readers toward a newsletter. His top-down shooter attracted attention by offering $100 to the highest scorer within 24 hours, and the campaign generated about 500 newsletter signups while demonstrating how interactive content can support audience growth.

• The development process begins with Grok 3 Deep Search researching game design, p5.js examples, sprite-drawing techniques, movement, and physics. Grok 3 Think is then positioned as the reasoning tool that executes the plan and produces code. A space shooter is chosen because its controls and objectives are familiar and require little explanation.

• After the initial prototype, Cursor and Claude 3.7 Sonnet are used to enhance and debug the game. Supabase stores leaderboard entries and collected email addresses, turning gameplay into a lead-generation system. The completed project is deployed through GitHub Pages so it can be shared on X and used to promote a newsletter, application, or product.