Vibe-code a Flappy Bird game for DeskHog
Joe Black. Task: Joe Black Jun 22, 2025 ai, deskhog Getting started with GitHub, Cursor, and PlatformIO Creating a branch and adding some code Deploying and testing your code Iterating, bugfixing and committing Unfortunately, since writing this the process for integrating Cursor and PlatformIO has changed and users can no longer directly install PlatformIO within Cursor. We're leaving this guide live for those who want to attempt the workaround of installing PlatformIO in VSCode and importing the plugin to Cursor - but our recommended route is to use Claude Code instead. It's just better. DeskHog is an open-source developer toy, designed so that you can easily get started building your own apps and games from scratch. Just because it’s a developer toy doesn’t mean it’s just for experienced developers though — AI agents such as Cursor enable anyone to start building apps using just natural language. This tutorial shows you how to get started building a simple game for DeskHog using Cursor, PlatformIO, GitHub, and some example prompts. We’ll start from the absolute basics and assume no prior knowledge or experience coding with C++, but quickly work towards making a basic Flappy Bird game for DeskHog. Getting started with GitHub, Cursor, and PlatformIO First, we need to collect the various tools we’ll use in this tutorial. The first thing you’ll need is a USB-C data cable that you can use to connect your DeskHog to a computer. Start by plugging it in and letting it charge — if you’ve not previously connected it to WiFi then now is a good time to scan the QR code with your phone and do that. Next, we need to download a series of tools that we’ll use to make our game. Let’s start by downloading GitHub’s desktop client for free. What is a GitHub repository? GitHub is a tool for managing code and working with it collaboratively. Code, like that which powers DeskHog, exists in repositories (repos). DeskHog’s repo is open-source, meaning it’s entirely public and free to edit. Cloning the repo to our computer enables us to work with the code and make branches of the codebase where we can make changes. We can then commit these changes back into the repository for everyone to see by creating a PR (pull request). Once you’ve got it installed, you’ll need to connect it to the DeskHog repo. The quickest way to do this is to head to the repo in your browser and open it in GitHub Desktop. Now that we’ve cloned the repo we can start making branches of the main codebase where we can add games, apps, and whatever else we want. Before we do that though, we need a way to edit the code — so it’s time to download Cursor. What is vibe-coding? This tutorial focuses on vibe-coding, which is when you’re directly interacting with the code itself and may not even have a clear idea how it works. Instead, you’re trusting an AI agent (in this case the AI agent built into Cursor) to make the changes for you. Vibe-coding isn’t without it’s risks and caveats, but if you’ve got limited coding experience it can be an effective shortcut. Once Cursor is installed, make sure it is set as your default code editor by opening GitHub Desktop and opening Settings > Integrations. Now, whenever we want to code anything, GitHub will know Cursor is our tool of choice. Finally, we need to add a Cursor extension called PlatformIO, which will enable us to build and deploy our code to our DeskHog. What is building and deploying? When you create code, DeskHog won’t understand it on it’s own. Instead, you need to use Platform.io to build the code and then deploy it to the device. Building is essentially the process of translating your code into something the device can understand, while deploying is the process of moving it onto the device. It can help to think of it like you’re cooking a meal. First, you have to create a recipe (writing the code), then you follow the recipe (building the code), then you have to serve the meal (deploying the code). Cursor helps us with the first step, while PlatformIO handles the last two. To install PlatformIO in Cursor, simply open Settings > Extensions and search for PlatformIO IDE, and install it. Once installed, PlatformIO will add a bunch of new icons to the status bar at the bottom of your Cursor window. We’ll use those later to build and deploy the code, but first we need to create a branch and add some code to it. Creating a branch and adding some code; tools: Cursor. Human role: The original post does not say how a person stayed involved.; limitations: Prerequisites include a DeskHog device, USB-C cable, and GitHub account. The original PlatformIO integration in Cursor is deprecated; users must use a VSCode workaround or switch to Claude Code. Vibe-coding carries risks of incorrect code generation, requiring human review. Source reliability is secondary as it is a tutorial, not a case study..
Tools
Published on Agent Work Atlas:
Overview
Joe Black
Workflow
Joe Black Jun 22, 2025 ai, deskhog Getting started with GitHub, Cursor, and PlatformIO Creating a branch and adding some code Deploying and testing your code Iterating, bugfixing and committing Unfortunately, since writing this the process for integrating Cursor and PlatformIO has changed and users can no longer directly install PlatformIO within Cursor. We're leaving this guide live for those who want to attempt the workaround of installing PlatformIO in VSCode and importing the plugin to Cursor - but our recommended route is to use Claude Code instead. It's just better. DeskHog is an open-source developer toy, designed so that you can easily get started building your own apps and games from scratch. Just because it’s a developer toy doesn’t mean it’s just for experienced developers though — AI agents such as Cursor enable anyone to start building apps using just natural language. This tutorial shows you how to get started building a simple game for DeskHog using Cursor, PlatformIO, GitHub, and some example prompts. We’ll start from the absolute basics and assume no prior knowledge or experience coding with C++, but quickly work towards making a basic Flappy Bird game for DeskHog. Getting started with GitHub, Cursor, and PlatformIO First, we need to collect the various tools we’ll use in this tutorial. The first thing you’ll need is a USB-C data cable that you can use to connect your DeskHog to a computer. Start by plugging it in and letting it charge — if you’ve not previously connected it to WiFi then now is a good time to scan the QR code with your phone and do that. Next, we need to download a series of tools that we’ll use to make our game. Let’s start by downloading GitHub’s desktop client for free. What is a GitHub repository? GitHub is a tool for managing code and working with it collaboratively. Code, like that which powers DeskHog, exists in repositories (repos). DeskHog’s repo is open-source, meaning it’s entirely public and free to edit. Cloning the repo to our computer enables us to work with the code and make branches of the codebase where we can make changes. We can then commit these changes back into the repository for everyone to see by creating a PR (pull request). Once you’ve got it installed, you’ll need to connect it to the DeskHog repo. The quickest way to do this is to head to the repo in your browser and open it in GitHub Desktop. Now that we’ve cloned the repo we can start making branches of the main codebase where we can add games, apps, and whatever else we want. Before we do that though, we need a way to edit the code — so it’s time to download Cursor. What is vibe-coding? This tutorial focuses on vibe-coding, which is when you’re directly interacting with the code itself and may not even have a clear idea how it works. Instead, you’re trusting an AI agent (in this case the AI agent built into Cursor) to make the changes for you. Vibe-coding isn’t without it’s risks and caveats, but if you’ve got limited coding experience it can be an effective shortcut. Once Cursor is installed, make sure it is set as your default code editor by opening GitHub Desktop and opening Settings > Integrations. Now, whenever we want to code anything, GitHub will know Cursor is our tool of choice. Finally, we need to add a Cursor extension called PlatformIO, which will enable us to build and deploy our code to our DeskHog. What is building and deploying? When you create code, DeskHog won’t understand it on it’s own. Instead, you need to use Platform.io to build the code and then deploy it to the device. Building is essentially the process of translating your code into something the device can understand, while deploying is the process of moving it onto the device. It can help to think of it like you’re cooking a meal. First, you have to create a recipe (writing the code), then you follow the recipe (building the code), then you have to serve the meal (deploying the code). Cursor helps us with the first step, while PlatformIO handles the last two. To install PlatformIO in Cursor, simply open Settings > Extensions and search for PlatformIO IDE, and install it. Once installed, PlatformIO will add a bunch of new icons to the status bar at the bottom of your Cursor window. We’ll use those later to build and deploy the code, but first we need to create a branch and add some code to it. Creating a branch and adding some code
Reported result
The source does not report specific performance metrics, success rates, or final game functionality outcomes. It only describes the intended workflow for beginners to create a game without prior C++ knowledge. A measurable acceptance check would be: 'Does the deployed code run on the DeskHog device without compilation errors?'
Human role
The original post does not say how a person stayed involved.
Limitations
Prerequisites include a DeskHog device, USB-C cable, and GitHub account. The original PlatformIO integration in Cursor is deprecated; users must use a VSCode workaround or switch to Claude Code. Vibe-coding carries risks of incorrect code generation, requiring human review. Source reliability is secondary as it is a tutorial, not a case study.
Try it
I want to build a simple Flappy Bird game for my DeskHog device using AI-assisted coding. I have a DeskHog connected via USB-C and access to the open-source GitHub repository. Please guide me through setting up Cursor as my editor and cloning the repo. Since direct PlatformIO integration in Cursor is deprecated, suggest the recommended workaround using VSCode or Claude Code. Generate the initial C++ code for the game logic based on natural language prompts. Before deploying, show me the code for review. Once I approve, provide the steps to build and deploy to the device. If errors occur, help me debug them. Do not deploy without my explicit confirmation.
Source reports are not independently verified. Publication date is the catalog publication date, not the original article date.