Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant

Posted by aanthonymax on Thursday September 18, 2025 @05:54PM
from the show-hn dept.

https://aanthonymax.github.io/ant-and-apples/

Hello everyone! I created a short game in just a few days, just for fun, where you play as an ant and feed it apples

This game also features random landscape generation, with clouds and trees arranged in a chaotic pattern across all coordinates. This is what took me the longest time :)

I would appreciate your feedback ^ ^

( 44 comments | 20 points | on HN )

Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by proee on Thursday September 18, 2025 @06:35PM (#45295855)

Reminds me of Ant for the HP48 calculator, though I have a feeling that was way before your time ;-)

https://www.hpcalc.org/details/6681

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by ryankrage77 on Thursday September 18, 2025 @06:24PM (#45295766)

I see potential for speedrunning since the apples are always in the same position.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by AISnakeOil on Thursday September 18, 2025 @06:25PM (#45295773)

It must be a slow news day.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by krapp on Thursday September 18, 2025 @08:14PM (#45296556)

It's a Show HN that doesn't appear to be vibe-coded AI slop. I'll take it any day of the week.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by bix6 on Friday September 19, 2025 @12:05AM (#45297827)

Vibe-coding is old news. We’ve moved on to ant-coding.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by goopypoop on Friday September 19, 2025 @01:05AM (#45298135)

  +++out of cheese error+++

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by valine on Friday September 19, 2025 @12:34AM (#45297984)

Both Claude and GPT5 can single shot this type of game. The score counter looks exactly like the type of thing Claude spits out.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by krapp on Friday September 19, 2025 @08:39AM (#45300988)

Fair enough, it is impossible to know. I'm making an assumption based on the fact that the use of AI wasn't mentioned anywhere I could see, and people usually mention it.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by flykespice on Friday September 19, 2025 @03:31PM (#45305472)

OP made the game with its own engine so I think that makes it very unlikely

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by dan-robertson on Thursday September 18, 2025 @06:47PM (#45295951)

I like the big head and the smile on the ant

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by aanthonymax on Friday September 19, 2025 @03:23AM (#45298861)

He is smart!

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by _def on Thursday September 18, 2025 @09:35PM (#45297032)

I mean there's not much of a game really, but I like it for what it is. It's also cute and the controls feel surprisingly snappy. My suggestion would be to try this typical responsive meta tag so the viewport does not scroll: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Guides/Vie...

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by NuclearPM on Thursday September 18, 2025 @11:11PM (#45297571)

I what is the “I mean” for? What are you clarifying?

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by card_zero on Friday September 19, 2025 @03:09AM (#45298756)

It could be many things. I use this idiom too. I don't know what I'm doing.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/I_mean

Expressing uncertainty, most likely.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by bix6 on Thursday September 18, 2025 @11:49PM (#45297767)

I’d like to name my Ant please. Anthony? Or perhaps Antoine. Or maybe even Marie Antoinette. Wow there must be like 20 names that start with Ant.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by bix6 on Thursday September 18, 2025 @11:57PM (#45297796)

The Anthology of Bernie Santers

Belligerant Santa

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by goopypoop on Friday September 19, 2025 @12:59AM (#45298112)

Anton

Grant

Samantha

Kant

Evan T.

Banterman

Chantelle

The Phantom

Bryant

Santiago

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by card_zero on Friday September 19, 2025 @03:13AM (#45298783)

Myrmidon, Pissmire, Antihero

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by bix6 on Friday September 19, 2025 @09:12AM (#45301318)

Crushed it!

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by bckr on Friday September 19, 2025 @12:46AM (#45298036)

Dude, I didn’t really think about using GitHub pages to make games like this! Thanks for inspiring me today.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by valine on Friday September 19, 2025 @01:03AM (#45298129)

Here's my version, took about 5 minutes to create inside the ChatGPT web interface. https://valine.github.io/vibe-coded-ant-game/

I don't know if this game was vibe coded, but it certainly could have been. Most notable thing about this post is probably that vibe coded games are good enough now to fool HN.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by hereme888 on Friday September 26, 2025 @09:12AM (#45386123)

I love the "Don't trust everything you see on HN" banner.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by coldfoundry on Friday September 19, 2025 @01:25AM (#45298238)

You should also mention it was made with a templating engine you created! Makes it a lot cooler as a demo!

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by aanthonymax on Friday September 19, 2025 @03:22AM (#45298854)

Yes, I did it, but modestly.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by DonHopkins on Friday September 19, 2025 @02:27AM (#45298531)

It should show you a nude ant when you win, like Eggman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0OSfbPJFa4

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by snasan on Friday September 19, 2025 @02:38AM (#45298593)

Such a cute little game; it gave me a chance to catch my breath on this busy day.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by aanthonymax on Friday September 19, 2025 @03:21AM (#45298847)

Thanks!

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by dr_dshiv on Friday September 19, 2025 @02:52AM (#45298659)

The apples seem misproportioned to the ant? Is that just me?

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by card_zero on Friday September 19, 2025 @03:03AM (#45298726)

That's just your perception, both apples and ants measure approximately one centimeter to the nearest order of magnitude.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by aanthonymax on Friday September 19, 2025 @03:21AM (#45298842)

The ant is very hungry

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by volemo on Friday September 19, 2025 @09:22AM (#45301399)

Or very well fed.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by giveita on Friday September 19, 2025 @02:52AM (#45298660)

Level 2:

Get all apples apart from the lowest one.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by selcuka on Friday September 19, 2025 @02:53AM (#45298665)

> [...] trees arranged in a chaotic pattern across all coordinates

Did you mean "across the horizontal axis only"?

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by aanthonymax on Friday September 19, 2025 @03:19AM (#45298830)

Well, yes. It would be strange if the tree grew underground or in the air :)

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by oniony on Friday September 19, 2025 @07:44AM (#45300486)

A little know fact is that if you want to pack six ants inside an apple, the guy at the bottom has to be at 49.93˚.

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by tetris11 on Friday September 19, 2025 @09:04AM (#45301250)

It's good, but it's no bees and watermelon seeds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCptY6WgNDw

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by ralusek on Friday September 19, 2025 @01:12PM (#45304039)

speedrun when?

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by AfterHIA on Friday September 19, 2025 @08:45PM (#45308621)

This is great; I don't play video games as an adult but I got to have my 4 seconds of fun and it was all I needed. Top form aanthony!

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by temperceve on Monday September 22, 2025 @07:52AM (#45332129)

my son really enjoyed this, he's 11

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by _butter_ on Monday September 22, 2025 @01:11PM (#45336438)

Absolute banger. Time to add a competitive multiplayer mode, skill-based matchmaking, and ranked seasons

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[dead]

Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by foiewrjwfoe on Monday September 22, 2025 @01:40PM (#45336858)

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by foiewrjwfoe on Monday September 22, 2025 @01:40PM (#45336860)

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by foiewrjwfoe on Monday September 22, 2025 @01:40PM (#45336862)

new fr

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Re:Show HN: I created a small 2D game about an ant by hereme888 on Friday September 26, 2025 @09:12AM (#45386125)

My record score is 6

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