Google launches Playground, a tool that makes simple games from text

In short: Google Labs has launched Playground, an experimental tool that lets people create playable web games by describing them in everyday language.

What happened

Google released Playground this week as part of Google Labs, its home for early experiments that are not full products yet. Playground works in a chat style, where you type what kind of game you want, and the system builds a playable version that runs in your web browser.

You can keep chatting to change things, like the character, rules, and difficulty. You can also upload images, video, or 3D models as references, but you do not have to. If you do not upload anything, the tool generates the visuals and game elements for you.

A WIRED writer tested Playground by making several games in one day, including a “Tetris but with cute pigs” idea and a dinner party game. The writer also made a cyberpunk shooter called “Neon Don” and adjusted it over time by asking for fixes and new features.

Google limits how much you can generate in a period, using an allowance system. As you make new games or revisions, you use up credits, and you have to wait for them to refresh or pay for more.

Why it matters

Tools like this lower the barrier to making simple games, like describing a cake and having a kitchen try to bake it for you. At the same time, the WIRED test suggests the results can start to look and feel similar across different games, and limits on credits can make it hard to polish a project.

Source: Wired