My 13-Year-Old Built a 3D Game in a Week Using Vibe Coding (No Coding Skills Required)

What happens when you hand a 13-year-old an AI coding tool and zero instructions? In this special episode, Paddy hosts his son Arjan for a hands-on look at vibe coding — the AI-powered approach to building software using nothing but natural language prompts.

Together they walk through Dolphin Quest, the fully functioning 3D game Arjan built using Replit Agent in roughly a week — complete with combat mechanics, an in-game economy, AI-generated dolphin artwork, multiple worlds, achievements, and boss battles. No coding experience required.

Whether you're a product manager, business analyst, developer, or just curious about AI, this episode shows what's possible when you combine human creativity with the latest AI tools.

What vibe coding is and why it's gone mainstream in 2026

Live demo of Dolphin Quest — a 3D game built entirely by a teenager using AI

How Replit Agent plans, builds, tests, and debugs its own code

The prompting techniques that worked (and the mistakes to avoid)

Why creativity and domain knowledge matter more than coding skills

Practical tips for anyone wanting to start vibe coding today

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Arjun and Vibe Coding

02:35 What Makes a Great Game