Wearing AI to help you code, better known as vibration codingis an increasingly powerful and popular way to build personal projects and applications that otherwise would never exist. But what if, like me, you have no experience or knowledge of coding? Surprisingly, that doesn’t seem to matter. I had absolutely no problem creating a build planning app for Warframe with claudio using only instructions and I am delighted with the results.
Claude makes Vibe coding ridiculously easy
I liked Claude’s interface and its app building potential when I reviewed it, so I decided to use it for this project. I’ve used both the standard Claude web interface and the Claude Code tool, which are incredibly easy to use and require no programming experience whatsoever. Most importantly, Claude allows me to create, compile and use applications entirely through incitement.
I used Claude’s latest reasoning model, Opus 4.7, as well as Opus 4.6, with adaptive thinking enabled to get the maximum power from the chatbot and give you as much time as possible to analyze all my requests. I used Claude’s Max plan (the 5x usage variant), but you don’t have to spend $100 a month to build an app with Claude, especially if it’s relatively simple.
I love the video game Warframe, a live-action third-person shooter set in a high-concept sci-fi world that launched in 2013. But its lackluster in-game interface forces me to use third-party apps, such as overframeto plan the construction of characters. These apps have their own limitations, so I decided to use Claude to make a better version. I wanted my app to do all the core things these apps do (like allowing me to equip any number of different items and see how they impact my Warframe’s stats), as well as some new things (like including even more items and better support for various effects).
(Credit: Digital Extremes)
Such an application requires a complicated series of interdependent calculations, a large database of game elements, and a user interface with a bunch of different elements, among other things. Simply put, it’s not an easy app to build, whether you’re coding in Vibe or designing it from scratch.
FrameBuilder: from idea to fully functional application
My app building adventure spanned hundreds of prompts explaining what I wanted, along with requests for bug fixes, changes, new features, and improvements. At first, I focused on asking Claude to develop the core features and interface of my app, which meant a searchable library of different items (Arcana, mods, and Archon Shards) and a way to track all the various stats.
(Credit: Anthropo/PCMag)
Next, I asked Claude to add functionality to track mod costs, polarities (mod types), and Shape Spent (the currency used to change polarities). Made my item library searchable by category, description, or polarity, instead of just name. I even added what has become my favorite feature: a tooltip that appears when you click on a statistic and shows the underlying calculations for the value.
(Credit: Anthropo/PCMag)
Next, I turned my attention to the interface. I added descriptions to library items, consolidated mod slots into a central area, insisted on strong drag-and-drop functionality, made each section adjustable and minimizeable, and trimmed excess space and text everywhere. My efforts left me with a much cleaner app and much better to use. I even asked Claude to design a mobile interface to make the app more pleasant to use on phones.
(Credit: Anthropo/PCMag)
I didn’t stop there either. Added the ability to swap any of a Warframe’s four abilities with abilities from other Warframes. I created a function that generates code to save a build and then inputs it to load it. I also kept adding more and more items and Warframes to my app, significantly expanding what you can build with it.
(Credit: Anthropo/PCMag)
Now all of the above sounds great, but does my app actually work? And what about your underlying code? Is spaghetti barely functional?
To test my application, I looked Best Overframe Build for Warframe’s Latest CharacterUriel and recreate it in my application. All values in Overframe matched mine, except for effective hit points and strength. However, that’s not because my application is wrong. Overframe is wrong about hit points, as the site never updated its underlying calculation to reflect a change introduced by a previous Warframe update. As for strength, even when Overframe applies conditionals, it doesn’t take all mods into account. But my app does.
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In addition to being more precise than Overframe, my app also offers more features. I can equip Warframes with Archon Shards and see a Warframe’s stats reflect those bonuses. My app also conveniently lists all active effects on a given Warframe, unlike Overframe. Additionally, my app is more transparent about its math, thanks to the clickable tooltips. To be fair, my app doesn’t support as many items or Warframes as Overframe, nor can it create companions or weapons. However, adding more items and Warframes is trivially easy with a single message, and I can always expand my app to do more.
As for the underlying code of my application, well, I don’t know. But I contacted a senior programmer and asked him to take a look. They pointed out some inefficiencies, such as the fact that my item library is not stored in a dedicated database. And they noted that I would need a second opinion on potential security vulnerabilities if I ever formally released my app. But they didn’t find any major red flags in the code, which I find pretty impressive for something I built by simply requesting a chatbot.
Try Vibe Coded for yourself
Claude is not only good at creating apps, he is also a lot of fun to do. I’ve never liked actual coding, but I do enjoy making things, so asking Claude to create something I actually plan to use was unexpectedly satisfying.
If there’s a digital tool you’ve always wanted, try creating it yourself with Claude. Sure, you won’t be able to make the next hit video game or sprawling piece of software only possible with a team of dedicated developers, but what you can actually do may surprise you.
About our expert
Ruben Circelli
Writer, Software
Experience
I’ve been writing about consumer technology and gaming for over a decade for a variety of publications, including Destructoid, GamesRadar+, Lifewire, PCGamesN, Trusted Reviews, and What Hi-Fi?, among many others. At PCMag, I review productivity and AI software, from chatbots to to-do list apps. In my free time, I’m probably cooking something, playing games, or fiddling with my computer.
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