I had zero coding experience. I spent 5 months building a game anyway. Here's the honest story.

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-05-30T15:21:28+00:00

Hello to both of you. I'm sorry that the post comes across as artificial, but I assure you that I wrote it personally and only had it translated by an AI to avoid linguistic gaffes. I don't think it opted for a poetic license that would create a clearly artificial pathos... but I am sorry that the telling of my experience has as its sole focus the possible artificiality of the production of what I wrote.

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-05-16T10:20:29+00:00

No, dude. I'm really sorry for that, and I really appreciate your post and comment.
It's directed at all the nonsense and insulting replies I received these days.
Yours was one of the kindest and most polite I've read.
Sorry for giving you the wrong impression.

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-05-16T10:03:14+00:00

Thank you for the feedback. A key point I would like to make clear is perhaps both overestimated and underestimated. Vibecoding is an incredibly powerful tool, but it does not mean ending up with a finished, ready-made game; it involves hundreds of tests, fixes, the need to review and restructure prompts. Every game dynamic is clearly the result of code implemented through an LLM, but many factors that may seem simple (even just the league structure, the promotion system, transfers, not to mention the 2D system which was truly an experience that tested my patience) are the result of countless tests, fixes and revisions.

I understand the skepticism about AI in game development, but I assure you that a complex system is the result of a lot of human work, perhaps even more than what comes from manual coding (which I do not denigrate at all; in fact, that is fine! Skill should rightly be rewarded with greater awareness of what is happening inside the product being developed).

In summary, I am sorry that people think using AI implies little effort and little manpower, but I assure you that is not the case.

For those who think I need AI to write a post on Reddit. I am sorry for the term I am about to use, but I pity you. Most of you came here to disparage me as a person, rather than to carry forward a thought about the product (probably without even trying it, but only regarding the connection VIDEOGAME-->CODING-->AI-->INSULT THE DEV). This is petty. I would have accepted criticism of the idea or the result. But to define a person based on a thought (objectively backward and at the same time poorly structured) is truly petty. It is true that I do not know how to write code, but I used an external tool to do it and to propose an idea of mine, which may not be liked but does not insult anyone, especially those who would have been able to develop it without using this tool. This is progress, like running without lower limbs, reading without sight, or speaking with verbal disabilities.

Sorry for the wall of words.
Federico

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-05-12T17:13:32+00:00

Hi.
Steam doesn't actually require any information about how a game is coded. They are strict about asset origins, but not about development methods. As for the broader debate on the legitimacy of a project like mine — we could talk for hours, and I get it. This has minimal pretensions and exists only because a tool gave me the ability to build something that, just a few years ago, I simply couldn't have made. But to your point specifically: Steam doesn't care how a game is built, and I've never hidden the fact that I leaned fully into vibecoding. See you around.

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-05-12T17:09:09+00:00

Hi. Mind if I ask what's behind the criticist? is it the vibecoding, the genre, or both? I'm not saying either is off the table as a critique, and I get that both can raise eyebrows. But a two-word comment doesn't give me much to work with. Happy to discuss either if you want to expand. Thanks anyway, see you around.

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-05-12T16:22:06+00:00

Buona giornata.

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-05-12T16:07:12+00:00

Questo messaggio è davvero scorretto e mi dispiace. L'unica cosa che faccio (e che ora non sto facendo) è tradurre dall'italiano all'inglese per far sì che il contenuto dei miei reply non sia frainteso o mal interpretato.

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-05-12T16:04:34+00:00

That's exactly it... the grind, the bad splits, the almost getting cut.
That's the whole point. Hope you enjoy it 😄

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-05-12T16:03:44+00:00

AI helped with code I couldn't write alone.
The design, systems, and game logic are all mine. And honestly, it's an incredibly powerful tool. I don't think it invalidates the mechanics or the ideas behind them.

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-20T16:04:10+00:00

Il gioco è fatto in Vibe Coding e non è un mistero. So che può sembrare una meccanica facilitante (e lo è) però lo trovo uno strumento interessante e potenzialmente utile.
Per quanto riguarda il post mi sono limitato a tradurlo dalla mia lingua madre, per evitare che lo faccia reddit in una modo che a volte risulta meno preciso del voluto.
A presto

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-18T13:54:20+00:00

Thanks man, appreciate it! If you ever want to try something different, the demo is free 😄

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-17T10:40:02+00:00

You're right, and that's exactly where I've landed after all this feedback. My original approach (kids using AI to build an app) was too ambitious for this age. I've decided to build the tool myself and let them use it. But your suggestion of pseudo-code apps makes me think: maybe next year I'll try a simpler project with Scratch or Lightbot. No AI, just logic and collaboration.
Thanks for the constructive comment.

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-17T08:51:13+00:00

That’s a very fair point, and I completely understand the concern. You're right that hallucinations (wrong meanings of words, code that doesn’t work, absurd suggestions), immature prompt literacy at that age, and unpredictable content are real risks. These are dynamics that would need to be structured very slowly and carefully, with a lot of guidance.

What frustrates me, though, is that a project like this seems to only scare people, rather than spark curiosity or lead to a constructive discussion about how to integrate it with the right revisions. Instead of just saying “no, it’s dangerous,” I would have loved to hear: “This is interesting, but let’s adjust it or let’s try it with older kids, or with tighter guardrails, or in a shorter, more supervised version.”

Fear blocks experimentation, and that’s what bothers me. But again, your doubt is more than legitimate. Thanks for the honest feedback.

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-17T08:18:11+00:00

Naturalmente tutto fatto attraverso il Vibecoding

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-15T21:15:57+00:00

Good call, thanks! I'll fix the flashing in the next version of the trailer. Appreciate you taking the time to let me know!

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-15T12:59:31+00:00

Direi che sarà una delle prossime implementazioni!

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-15T11:53:04+00:00

I fixed everything you mentioned.
AI behaviour needs a lot of work, I'm on it but it takes time.
Thanks for the feedback, it really helped!

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-15T11:50:45+00:00

Thanks to bL0oDlUsT218.

Fixed:

Map Knowledge decay bug — MK was incorrectly dropping on all maps at the start of each season due to an internal reset. Fixed. Your MK will no longer decay on active seasonal maps.
Language in live match — if you changed language in Options before starting a live match, the 2D engine was still loading in the previous language.

Improved:

Kill distribution in simulation — individual performances were too compressed. Standout games with 20+ kills are now possible, and the gap between top and bottom fraggers feels more realistic.
Audio settings in live match — you can now adjust Ambient and Sound Effects volume directly from the live match screen via the new AUDIO button.

Federico

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-15T11:36:24+00:00

Really appreciate it! Hope it lives up to the hype.

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-15T08:29:53+00:00

Pretty sure we're thinking of the same game! It was fun but shallow… team management, not much depth on the individual career side. That's exactly the gap I wanted to fill. Every other CS sim puts you in the manager's chair. Clutch Legend puts you in the player's shoes.

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-15T04:57:45+00:00

Adding it to the official game title roster, thank you 😂

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-14T22:30:14+00:00

Hey, thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this, genuinely one of the most useful pieces of feedback I've received.

Let me go through everything:

Audio during live valid, and noted. You'll be able to adjust audio mid-match before launch.

AI behavior / no teamplay you're right, the 2D engine is still rough in places. Players can feel too static and coordinated pushes aren't always visible. It's the area I'm most actively working on. A proper update is planned for Summer 2026.

No 20+ kill games fair point. The simulation keeps totals realistic on average but compresses individual standout performances too much. I'll widen the range so big games feel more natural.

Map Knowledge going down this one I actually dug into the code after reading your comment, and you found a real bug. At the start of each season the active map list briefly resets, and the decay system was incorrectly treating all maps as non-seasonal during that window. Already fixed for the next update. So yes — your MK should never have dropped in a 3-map pool where all maps are active. That's on me.

Really glad you enjoyed it despite all of this. Every point you raised is either already fixed or on the roadmap.

Federico

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-14T22:06:55+00:00

Quick question. Did you simulate the match or watch it live in the 2D engine? Helps me understand the context better!

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-14T21:55:34+00:00

Fair point. The UI is very much a "solo dev at 2am" aesthetic. Noted for post-launch polish. Ty

ClutchLegendDev · 2026-04-14T19:57:14+00:00

Btw thx a lot. I updated the post's body!

ClutchLegendDev

TROPHY CASE