Anthropic releases Claude Fable 5, an AI model that can build playable video games from a single prompt

And yes, you can try some of those games right now

(Credit: Ethan Mollick)

• 🤖 Anthropic has launched Claude Fable 5, the first ‘Mythos-class’ AI model capable of creating playable video games from a single text prompt

• 😮 AI researcher Ethan Mollick has demonstrated the model’s capabilities by creating three distinct, functional games using ‘Claude Code.’

• 🎮 Beyond game creation, the model can also actively play existing games, such as completing a run in Slay the Spire

• 🤔 While concerns about AI’s impact on creative industries persist, this development demonstrates significant potential for interactive game design and rapid prototyping

I don’t need to tell you that AI is advancing at a blistering pace, but Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5 model feels like another gigantic leap.

We’ve gone from models that were tripped up by how many ‘Rs’ are in strawberry to those that can create playable video games from a single prompt.

And while it pains me to say this as someone who has been staunchly against AI since its inception, the AI-generated games aren’t half bad either.

Claude Fable 5 is the first Mythos-class model, and it can create complex interactive experiences, like a video game, with minimal input. It can even play games for you, including completing a Slay the Spire run more consistently.

As highlighted by TechCrunch, Ethan Mollick, an AI researcher and University of Pennsylvania scholar, has already created three games in Claude Fable 5. Mollick wrote on his Substack that Fable consistently “outperformed basically every other public model I have used by a considerable margin”.

Mollick has used the model to create three video games via “one initial prompt” in Claude Code, and after trying each one, I’m admittedly impressed.

Snake follows the classic formula we all know and love, but there are some clever twists thrown in. You’ll have to eat prompts before they can affect the game and contend with changing visuals and gameplay mechanics as you go.

Strata sees you explore a network of underground tunnels from a first-person perspective, lighting the way as you go. There isn’t much to it, admittedly, but remember, this was made from a single prompt. And that’s pretty mind-blowing.

Lastly, there’s Duino, a title based on the Duino Elegies, a cycle of poems by poet Rainer Maria Rilke. It features rather striking 2D animation as you walk around and discover new passages from Rilke’s work. Again, it’s limited, but the potential is clear.

Claude Fable 5 outperforms competing models. (Credit: Anthropic)

While AI has largely been demonized, especially by gamers, it’s impossible to ignore the impact it’s already having on society and the creative industries. Yes, there’s something terrifying about an AI model doing the work that was once done by humans, especially from an ethical standpoint. But being able to create fully interactive games from just a text prompt opens up huge game design opportunities.

Not only will it accelerate game development, which has become increasingly expensive and time-consuming, but it also lowers the barriers for indie devs and creators dramatically.

Of course, there are some downsides to Anthropic’s new Claude Fable 5 model. Heavy token consumption leads to rapid rate-limit burnout, and while it’s available now to current paid subscribers, it’ll only be accessible until June 22.

The deadline implies that we will see a new, even more expensive tier for those who want to access the most cutting-edge AI. This leads to a growing concern of creating “AI inequality”, where only well-funded teams or the wealthiest in society will benefit.

Still, let’s try to forget about that as we play an AI-generated version of Snake, shall we?

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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.