User Guide

Last updated: 28 June 2026 · Draft

Your arcade in a box. No code. All play.

Welcome to ArcadeBox — the AI game maker for people who love games but don't write code. You describe a game in plain English, and BIT (our box-bot host) builds you a real, playable 3D game right in your browser. Then you keep talking to BIT to change it, share it, play it with friends, and download it.

This guide walks you through everything, in the order you'll actually do it. No jargon, no setup, no engine to learn. If you can type a sentence, you can make a game.

1. Getting started

Create your account (it takes about 10 seconds)

You don't need a password, and you don't need a credit card to start.

1. Go to arcadebox.ai and click Sign in (top right).
2. A small pop-up gives you three no-fuss ways in:
   • Continue with Google
   • Continue with GitHub
   • Email me a magic link — pop in your email, click the link we send, and you're in.
3. That's it. The very first time you sign in, ArcadeBox automatically sets up your profile, your Coin wallet, and drops in your welcome Coins.

Because there are no passwords, there's nothing to forget and nothing to leak.

Your 30 welcome Coins

The moment your account is created, BIT slips 30 welcome Coins into your wallet to get you building. A new game build costs 10 Coins, so that's a few games on the house before you spend a penny.

You'll see your Coin balance any time in the top bar, next to the 🪙 icon.

2. Building your first game

Open the Studio

The Studio is your workshop: a chat with BIT on the left, and a live, playable preview of your game on the right. You get there by starting a new game from the landing page (the big "insert a coin" prompt box) or from + Make a new game in your Cabinet.

When the Studio opens, BIT greets you with "What should we build?" and a few starter ideas you can click to try instantly, like:

• A first-person doom shooter in a dungeon
• A coin race through a neon maze
• Team up to beat a giant boss
• Defend the base from waves of robots

Type your idea

In the box at the bottom (it says "Describe your game, or the next change…"), write what you want — a single sentence is plenty:

Press Enter (or tap the ↑ button) to send it.

Watch BIT build it

BIT gets to work and shows you each step as it happens:

That last step matters: every game is checked to make sure it actually runs before it reaches you. Reliability is the whole point of ArcadeBox.

In a few seconds, BIT replies with something like "Built Asteroid Arena ✓" and a quick summary of what it made (theme, enemies, the goal). Your game appears in the preview panel on the right and starts loading.

The live preview

The right-hand panel is your game, running for real. When it's ready you'll see the hint "▶ Click the game, then use WASD / mouse." Click into it and play.

• The preview title shows a version number (v1, v2, …) that ticks up every time you make a change.
• Open full ↗ (top right of the preview) opens the game full-size in its own tab.

3. Iterating

This is where the magic really happens. You don't get one game and you're done — you keep talking to BIT to shape it, one message at a time. Each message is a small instruction, and BIT rebuilds the game around it.

Just type the next change in the same box:

• "Add a boss at the end."
• "Make it a space theme."
• "Give me a shotgun."
• "More enemies, and make them faster."
• "Make it night-time."
• "Switch to first-person view."

BIT updates the game, reloads the preview on the right, and tells you what changed (e.g. "Updated ✓ — added boss; theme → space"). Keep going until it's exactly your game. There's no limit on how many times you can refine — that's how a one-sentence idea becomes your dream game.

Version history & Undo

Every build is saved as a numbered version (v1, v2, v3…). If a change isn't what you hoped, you're never stuck:

• In Your Cabinet, each game shows its current version with an ↶ Undo link that rolls it back to the previous one.
• Don't be shy about experimenting — you can always step back.

Attaching a reference image

See the 📎 (paperclip) button next to the prompt box? Use it to attach a picture — a mood board, a screenshot, a sketch — and BIT will match the vibe (colours, feel) of your game to it.

4. Coins

Coins are the arcade tokens that power your builds. Simple rule of thumb: a new game build costs 10 Coins, and refining one costs 3.

What things cost

The "failed build = free" promise

If a build ever fizzles for any reason, BIT re-rolls it free. The Coin is charged when the build starts and automatically refunded if it doesn't work out. You never pay for a dud. (As the trust line on our pricing page puts it: "A build fizzled? BIT re-rolls it free.")

Daily Free Play

On the free plan you get 15 Coins every day, which reset overnight. In the Studio's project menu you'll see something like "12 left · Free Play refills at midnight." Free Play Coins are spent first; your bought/plan Coins are used only after the free ones run out.

Topping up

Two ways to get more Coins:

1. A plan (Pro or Studio) refills a big batch of Coins every month, and those Coins roll over and never expire.
2. One-off Coin packs — buy a bundle anytime, no subscription. They never expire either:

You can buy these from the Plans & Coins page (the "Need a top-up? Buy Coins" section) or from your Account. Payments are handled securely by Stripe — ArcadeBox never sees your card details.

"Out of Coins"

If you run dry mid-build, BIT will tell you plainly — "You're out of Coins — top up to keep building" — and point you to the top-up screen. Grab a pack or wait for tomorrow's Free Play, and you're back in business.

5. Generating 3D models

Want your character, creature, or prop — not just a coloured shape — in your game? That's the ✨ (sparkle) button next to the prompt box. It turns text or an image into a real 3D model.

From text

1. Type what you want in the prompt box, e.g. "a stone golem" or "a horned demon with a plasma rifle."
2. Tap ✨.
3. BIT sends your idea to the model maker (powered by Meshy AI) and shows a progress bar. This usually takes about a minute — grab a sip of coffee.
4. When it's done: "Your 3D model is ready ✓."

From an image

1. Attach a picture with the 📎 button (a photo, a drawing, concept art).
2. Tap ✨ to turn that image into a 3D model.
3. Same ~1-minute wait, same "ready" message.

Putting it in your game

Once your model is ready, just tell BIT where to use it, in plain English:

• "Use that model for the player."
• "Make the enemy use my model."

Your next message wires it into the game, and the preview updates to show it.

6. Playing your game

Controls

ArcadeBox games play with keyboard and mouse:

The exact controls depend on the game you built — when you play from the full play screen, the controls for that game are listed right under the screen (for example WASD / arrows: Move · SPACE: Dash · J or Click: Smash).

The start screen, pause & settings

When you open a game from The Arcade or your Cabinet, BIT "boots the cabinet" first ("Inserting coin… BIT is warming up your cabinet") and then the game begins. From the play screen you can:

• Fullscreen — blow the game up to fill your screen.
• Share cabinet — copy a link to send to anyone.
• Remix — open it in the Studio to make it your own.

Game controller support

ArcadeBox is built to play with a gamepad, not just a keyboard — great for couch co-op, where a second player can "drop in" with a controller.

Audio

Games have sound effects and music. Browsers stay silent until you interact with the page, so click the game once if you don't hear anything — that "wakes up" the audio. Check your device/tab isn't muted, too.

7. Your Cabinet & The Arcade

Your Cabinet — the games you made

Your Cabinet is your personal shelf. Every game you build lands here automatically. Open it from the Cabinet link in the top bar. Each game shows its cover, title, play count, current version, and a row of actions:

• ▶ Play — drop a coin in and play it.
• ⤿ Remix — open it in the Studio to keep changing it.
• ⤴ Share — copy a link to send to friends.
• ✎ Edit — jump back into the Studio for this game.
• ↶ Undo — roll back to the previous version.

If your Cabinet's empty, BIT cheerfully nudges you to make your first one.

The Arcade — everyone's games

The Arcade is the public gallery of games the community has built and shared. Browse it, search by name/author/theme, sort by most-played or newest, and:

• Play any cabinet for free (Free Play, no queue).
• Remix any cabinet into your own — it copies into your Cabinet as a fresh game you can change however you like.

Sharing your game

Anywhere you see Share or Share cabinet, ArcadeBox copies a link to your clipboard. Anyone with the link can play your game right in their browser — no account or install needed.

To put your game in the public Arcade for anyone to discover, use Publish from the Studio's project menu.

8. Downloading your game

When you love your game and want it as a real, standalone app, you can download it. Open the project menu in the Studio (click your game's name at the top), choose Export, and pick a platform:

• Web (playable HTML) — a self-contained browser build.
• Windows (.exe) — an installable Windows app you can double-click and run.
• macOS (.app) — a Mac app (coming soon — Windows and Web are the confirmed downloads today).

Builds run in the background, so you can keep working — BIT will ping you when they're ready. The downloaded Windows app uses the full game engine, so it can look noticeably better than the quick browser preview: proper lighting, shadows, and effects.

9. Multiplayer

ArcadeBox games can be multiplayer — play together in real time. Games support 1–4 players (solo, co-op, versus, or free-for-all, depending on what you built).

How it works

1. Build or open a game that supports multiple players (ask BIT for "co-op for up to 4 players" when building, or pick a game tagged for co-op).
2. Use Share cabinet to copy the room link.
3. Send the link to friends. When they open it, they join your room and play alongside you.

Behind the scenes, the game is hosted on ArcadeBox's servers (not on anyone's browser), which keeps everyone in sync and fair.

Current limits

• Up to 4 players per room.
• Both keyboard and (rolling out) controller players can join — handy for couch co-op on one screen.
• Multiplayer works best on a solid internet connection.

10. Tips for great prompts

BIT is good, but a clear idea gets a better game. A few habits that help:

• Start simple, then layer. Get a basic game first ("a top-down arena shooter"), then add to it ("now add waves of enemies," "now a boss"). Small steps beat one giant paragraph.
• Name the genre or vibe. Words like shooter, race, survival, boss fight, maze, defend-the-base, first-person steer BIT fast.
• Say the goal. "Survive 90 seconds," "collect all the coins," "defeat the boss," "reach the exit." A clear win condition makes a tighter game.
• Pick a theme. Dungeon, forest, neon, arcade, space, ruins all change the whole look in one word.
• One change per message when refining — it's easier to see what each tweak did, and easier to Undo if you don't like it.
• Use ✨ for "that's literally my character." Generate or upload a model when a coloured shape isn't enough.
• If something's off, just say so. "Enemies are too fast," "make the arena bigger," "fewer obstacles." BIT adjusts.

11. Troubleshooting

The first game takes a while to load. The very first time, your browser downloads the game engine. After that it's cached and loads much faster. Give the first one a moment.

"You're out of Coins." You've used your Coins for now. Wait for tomorrow's free 15 (Free Play), buy a Coin pack, or upgrade your plan. Remember: failed builds are always refunded, so being out of Coins is only ever from successful builds.

No sound. Browsers block audio until you interact with the page. Click the game once to wake the sound up, and check the tab/device isn't muted.

Controls aren't responding. Click directly on the game first so it captures your keyboard and mouse. In first-person games, clicking also locks the mouse for aiming (press Esc to release it).

The game looks rougher than I expected. The in-browser preview is a fast draft. Download the Windows version (see Downloading your game) for the full-quality build with proper lighting and effects.

My controller isn't working. Full gamepad support is rolling out — use keyboard + mouse for now, and try the controller again soon.

A build failed. No worries, and no charge — BIT auto-refunds the Coin. Try again, or reword the request slightly. If it keeps failing, simplify the request and add detail back one step at a time.

Still stuck? Reach our support team at support@arcadebox.ai.

12. Plans & pricing

Pick the play that fits you. Coins power every build, and (except for daily Free Play) they roll over and never expire.

You can switch plans anytime — upgrade and the new Coins land instantly; downgrade and you keep whatever Coins you've banked.

13. Your privacy & your games

We keep this plain.

• Your account & games are stored securely with Supabase (hosted in the EU). Your games are private to you until you choose to Publish or Share them.
• Payments are handled by Stripe. ArcadeBox never stores your card details.
• Building a game sends your prompt (and any reference image you attach) to OpenAI, which turns your idea into the game's design.
• Generating a 3D model (the ✨ button) sends your text or image to Meshy AI, which creates the model.
• Serving & multiplayer run on Cloudflare.

ArcadeBox does not train its own AI models — we use these trusted third parties to do the heavy lifting, each under their own terms.

For the full details, see our Privacy Policy. Privacy questions? Email privacy@arcadebox.ai.

The legal bit

ArcadeBox is operated by Ailora Limited (registered address: [registered address — to be confirmed]). These guidelines, your use of ArcadeBox, and any disputes are governed by the laws of England and Wales. For the full terms and privacy policy, see the links in the site footer.

ArcadeBox — your arcade in a box. No code. All play. 🪙