Last month, I built a multiplayer card game called Buru Gahamu using Claude AI through the Cline plugin in VS Code. Today I want to share what I learned – both the good parts and the mistakes that cost me extra money.
My Setup: Claude + VS Code + Cline
I used a pretty simple workflow:
- Write code in VS Code
- When stuck, ask Claude through the Cline plugin right in my editor
- Get suggestions and implement them without switching windows
- Test the results and repeat
This setup creates what I like to call “vibe coding” – when you get into a flow state and just keep making progress without interruptions.
What Went Well
The combination of tools worked really well. Having Claude right in VS Code meant I could:
- Ask about specific code without copying and pasting
- Get answers tailored to my project’s context
- Continue coding without breaking my concentration
This helped me build complex features like real-time card dealing with Socket.io and multiplayer game state management much faster than I could have alone.
Where I Wasted Money ($150 Total)
I spent about $150 on Claude API credits, which is more than I needed to. Here’s where I went wrong:
1. Clicking “Act” without planning first
Sometimes I’d get impatient and hit “Act” (generate response) without thinking through what I needed. Each time you do this, it costs tokens.
Before:
"Fix this code, it's not working"
[ACT]
"Actually, I think the problem is in the Socket.io event"
[ACT]
"Sorry, here's the specific error message..."
[ACT]Each of these consumed tokens but didn’t get me closer to a solution.
2. Not specifying where to fix issues
I’d sometimes say “The game crashes when selecting a card” without sharing:
- Which file had the problem
- What specific function needed fixing
- What error message appeared
This made Claude generate multiple possible solutions rather than one targeted fix.
3. Asking for complete rewrites instead of targeted fixes
I’d sometimes ask Claude to rewrite entire components when only a small section needed fixing.
How I’d Do It Better Next Time
If I were starting over, I’d follow these rules to save money:
1. Write clear, specific requests
In Game.js, the Card component is showing question marks instead of
card images. Here's the component code:
[paste relevant component only]
The card images are in /public/images named like "7_of_hearts.png".
How should I modify this component to display the correct images?2. Share context in one message
Instead of multiple messages, include all relevant info at once:
- File path
- Error message
- What you’ve already tried
- Desired outcome
3. Use targeted questions for targeted problems
If only one function is broken, don’t ask for a full component rewrite.
4. Plan before clicking “Act”
Take a moment to think: “Do I have all the information Claude needs to solve this?” before generating a response.
The Results: Buru Gahamu Card Game https://buru-gahamu.com/
Despite the extra costs, I successfully built and deployed the game on AWS EC2. It’s a real-time multiplayer card game with:
- User authentication
- Credit system for betting
- Real-time card dealing animations
- Match history
- In-game chat
What I’d Tell My Friends
If you want to try coding with Claude through VS Code:
- Be specific about what you need help with
- Include file names and error messages
- Think before you click “Act”
- Show only the relevant code, not entire files
- Plan your questions to get targeted answers
These simple changes would have easily cut my $150 cost in half!
Overall, the Claude + VS Code + Cline setup created a fantastic development experience. I built a complex multiplayer game faster than I could have on my own, and with better code quality. I just wish I’d been smarter about how I used the API to keep costs down.
Have you tried coding with AI assistants? What tips would you add?
Multiplayer game architecture – buru-gahamu.com
