Deploying a Minesweeper-Inspired App in 20 Minutes: A Journey with GPT o1-preview

Building an app from scratch in less than 20 minutes sounds too good to be true, right? Well, Monoku’s COO Natalia decided to test the new GPT o1-preview model by doing just that!

Natalia’s goal was simple: create a fun version of her favorite game, Minesweeper, but with a twist—replacing the mines with frogs. The result? A fully functional game deployed in minutes. Here’s the step-by-step journey.

Setting the Challenge

Natalia’s love for Minesweeper and her search for a mobile version. This inspired her experiment to create her own custom game.

Using GPT o1-preview, Natalia asked the AI to create a 9x9 Minesweeper game where the mines are replaced with frog images.

How she instructed the AI to create the basic functionality with minimal detail: a simple game to share with friends.

Iterating with GPT: From Basic to Functional

The first version that GPT provided was a working HTML file with basic functionality but lacking style. Natalia asked for specific improvements like adding colors from the original Minesweeper and centering the game.

The adjustments made to the game's layout and mechanics were:

• difficulty levels
• timer
• mine counter

Refining the Experience

Natalia requested additional visual elements to make the game resemble the original Minesweeper:

• Colors and animation tweaks.
• Centering the game, adjusting the selector, fixing layout issues with larger difficulty settings.

Deployment in Minutes

The Final Challenge: Sharing the game with friends via a simple URL. GPT suggested several hosting platforms, and Natalia chose Netlify’s drop feature for its simplicity.

• The game was successfully deployed in a few clicks.
• A fully functional, Minesweeper-inspired game with frogs as the “mines.”

Reflection & Takeaways

"Qué lindo es aprender y hacer cosas." This experience was about more than just building an app—it captured the joy of learning, pushing boundaries, and seeing rapid results. Natalia’s journey highlighted how easy it can be to turn a fun idea into reality with the help of AI. Even without expecting to build a polished app, the process was intuitive and rewarding.

The Future of Development:

The future of development won’t revolve around mastering complex coding skills, but rather defining the right path and guiding AI to bring ideas to life. As AI tools become more advanced, they can handle much of the technical work, but they still require clear human direction. That’s where Monoku steps in.

Our role is to collaborate closely with clients, helping them identify the best strategies, make informed decisions, and ensure that technology serves their goals. AI is incredibly capable, but it’s human insight and strategic guidance that unlock its true potential. At Monoku, we provide that guidance, co-creating innovative solutions while ensuring the process is efficient, smooth, and impactful.

Conclusion:

Natalia’s experience offers a glimpse into the future of creative technology. The ability to build, iterate, and deploy an app in minutes showcases the potential of collaboration between humans and AI.

Ready to build your own digital product? Let’s connect!

Link to Final Game: Play the Game