{
  "id": 15790519,
  "title": "Battle Drones - a vibe coded RTS with audio-based multiplayer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/battle-drones-a-vibe-coded-rts-with-audio-based-multiplayer",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-20T19:34:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Simon Willison",
    "slug": "simon-willison",
    "url": "https://simonwillison.net/2026/Oct/20/battledrones/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "This is a vibe-coded Command & Conquer style Real Time Strategy game called Battle Drones. The game can be played on mobile and desktop browsers and supports multiplayer between devices with microphones in range of each other. The game features multiple play modes, several maps (including a random map generator) and has been through numerous iterations to improve gameplay. The game was initially created to recapture the magic of the 1995 Commander & Conquer game and has evolved significantly over multiple versions. The game includes features such as varied terrain, new unit types, building mechanics, adaptive music, unit voices, and an announcer. The game also includes new modes such as Last Stand survival waves and an 8-mission Ops campaign. The game's progression includes heroes, an after-action report with awards, a career, 7 mutators, and a Daily Op.",
  "summary": "My latest vibe coded game experiment is a Command & Conquer style RTS (Real Time Strategy) game called Battle Drones ( play it here ). Unlike my previous experiments , this one is actually fun to play . I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that I got there by telling Claude to \"Make it a LOT more fun\". It also supports multiplayer between nearby devices using audio to synchronize game state! Here's…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Simon Willison from Simon Willison’s Newsletter",
        "title": "v5: Battle Drones goes 3D",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/v5-battle-drones-goes-3d",
        "published": "2026-10-21T00:08:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}