Using AI to help you code, better known as vibe coding, is an increasingly powerful and popular way to build personal projects and apps that might otherwise never exist. But what if, like me, you don’t have any experience or knowledge about coding? Shockingly, that doesn’t seem to matter. I had absolutely no trouble creating a build planner app for Warframe with Claude using only prompts, and I’m thrilled by the results.
Claude Makes Vibe Coding Ridiculously Easy
I liked Claude’s interface and app-creation potential when I reviewed it, so I decided to use it for this project. I’ve used both Claude’s standard web interface and Claude Code tool, which are incredibly easy to use and require no programming experience whatsoever. Most importantly, Claude lets me create, compile, and use apps entirely via prompting.
I used Claude’s latest reasoning model, Opus 4.7, as well as Opus 4.6, with adaptive thinking enabled to get the absolute most power out of the chatbot and give it as much time as possible to chew through all my requests. I used Claude’s Max plan (the 5x usage variant), but you don’t have to spend $100 per month to build an app with Claude, especially if it’s relatively simple.
I love the video game Warframe, a live service, third-person shooter set in a high-concept sci-fi world that launched all the way back in 2013. But its lackluster in-game interface forces me to use third-party apps, such as Overframe, to plan out character builds. 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 (such as allowing me to equip any number of different items and see how they impact my Warframe’s stats), as well as some new things (such as including even more items and better support for various effects).
(Credit: Digital Extremes)
Such an app requires a complicated series of interdependent calculations, a large database of in-game items, and a user interface with a ton of different elements, among other things. Put simply, it’s not an easy app to make, whether you’re vibe coding or designing it from scratch.
FrameBuilder: From Idea to Fully Functional App
My app-making adventure spanned hundreds of prompts explaining what I wanted, along with requests for bug fixes, changes, new features, and refinements. At the beginning, I focused on asking Claude to build out my app’s core features and interface, which meant a searchable library of different items (Arcanes, mods, and Archon Shards) and a way to track all of the various stats.
(Credit: Anthropic/PCMag)
Then, I had Claude add the functionality to track mod costs, polarities (mod types), and Forma spent (the currency used to change polarities). I made my library of items searchable by category, description, or polarity, rather than just by name. I even added what has become my favorite feature: tooltips that appear when you click a stat, showing the value’s underlying calculations.
(Credit: Anthropic/PCMag)
Next, I turned my attention to the interface. I added descriptions to library items, consolidated mod slots into a central area, insisted on robust drag-and-drop functionality, made each section adjustable and minimizable, and trimmed excess spacing and text throughout. My efforts left me with a much cleaner app that felt significantly better to use. I even had Claude design a mobile interface to make the app more pleasant to use on phones.
(Credit: Anthropic/PCMag)
I didn’t stop there, either. I added the ability to swap out any one of a Warframe’s four abilities with abilities from other Warframes. I created a function that generates a code to save a build and then inputs it later 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: Anthropic/PCMag)
Now, the above all sounds great, but does my app actually work? And what about its underlying code? Is it barely functional spaghetti?
To put my app to the test, I looked at Overframe’s top build for Warframe’s latest character, Uriel, and I recreated it in my app. All the values in Overframe matched mine, except for effective hit points and strength. However, that’s not because my app is wrong. Overframe is wrong about hit points, as the site never updated its underlying calculation to reflect a change introduced by a prior Warframe update. As for strength, even when Overframe applies conditionals, it doesn’t take every mod into account. But my app does.
Recommended by Our Editors
Aside from being more accurate than Overframe, my app also offers more features. I can outfit 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. Furthermore, 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 build companions or weapons. However, adding more items and Warframes is trivially easy with a single prompt, and I could always expand my app to do more.
As for my app’s underlying code, well, I wouldn’t know. But I did reach out to a senior programmer and asked them to take a look at it. They called out some inefficiencies, such as the fact that my item library isn’t stored in a dedicated database. And they pointed out that I would need a second opinion about possible security vulnerabilities if I were to ever formally release my app. But they didn’t find any major red flags with the code, which I find quite impressive for something I built just by prompting a chatbot.
Try Vibe Coding Yourself
Not only is Claude good at making apps, but it’s really fun to do so. I never liked actual coding, but I do enjoy making things, so I found prompting Claude to create something I actually plan to use unexpectedly satisfying.
If there’s a digital tool you’ve always wanted, go try making it yourself with Claude. Sure, you won’t be making the next hit video game or a sprawling piece of software only possible with a team of dedicated developers, but what you can actually do might surprise you.
About Our Expert
Ruben Circelli
Writer, Software
Experience
I’ve been writing about consumer technology and video games for over a decade at a variety of publications, including Destructoid, GamesRadar+, Lifewire, PCGamesN, Trusted Reviews, and What Hi-Fi?, among many others. At PCMag, I review AI and productivity software—everything from chatbots to to-do list apps. In my free time, I’m likely cooking something, playing a game, or tinkering with my computer.
Read Full Bio
