How I built LennyRPG

03/17/26
Source: Lenny’s Newsletter by Ben Shih. Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of How I Built LennyRPG: Turning a Podcast Into a Product Knowledge RPG Game Using AI

LennyRPG transforms podcast transcripts into a fun, Pokémon-style RPG where players battle guests with product questions. The creator leveraged AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude Code, and Phaser 3 to streamline development from ideation to deployment. Key challenges included selecting the right game engine, automating quiz and avatar generation, and integrating a real-time leaderboard with Supabase. This project showcases how AI accelerates creative product building and game design.

Optimixed’s Overview: Leveraging AI to Create an Engaging Product Knowledge RPG from Podcast Content

Transforming Raw Podcast Data into an Interactive Game Experience

The project began with the release of structured transcripts from over 300 episodes of Lenny’s Podcast. Instead of creating a conventional interview practice tool, the creator envisioned a playful RPG where players encounter podcast guests as opponents, answering product management questions to progress.

Strategic Use of AI Throughout the Development Process

  • Ideation & Planning: Visual concepts and detailed prompts were crafted using Miro and ChatGPT to solidify the game’s look and feel, focusing on a pixel-art Pokémon-inspired aesthetic.
  • Product Requirement Document (PRD): AI-assisted interviews helped develop a comprehensive PRD, which served as the foundation for all subsequent development steps.
  • Proof of Concept & Development: Multiple AI coding assistants (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) were employed to draft implementation plans, search for open-source libraries, and write code. Initially, RPG-JS was chosen but later replaced by the Phaser 3 framework for greater flexibility.

Automation & Scalability with AI Tools

  • Automated extraction of metadata and question generation for quiz battles using CLI tools scripted by AI, allowing batch processing of all podcast episodes.
  • Consistent avatar creation from podcast cover images was streamlined with AI-generated pixel art, overcoming challenges such as multiple guests or unique visual traits.
  • Sound design was integrated by having AI identify and implement open-source background music across different game phases.

Game Mechanics and User Engagement

The gameplay balances fun and challenge by awarding experience points for correct answers, introducing bonus questions, and unlocking new maps as players progress. A leaderboard was implemented using Supabase MCP, enabling real-time player ranking with minimal backend coding.

Finalization and Launch

AI-assisted code review tools ensured stability and polish by identifying UI/UX issues and suggesting fixes, while SEO basics were automatically added for better site indexing and social sharing. After internal testing and positive community feedback, the game was deployed on Vercel and launched publicly.

Conclusion

This case study highlights how combining AI-powered planning, coding, and automation tools can drastically reduce development time while enabling creators to build innovative, interactive products from raw content. The LennyRPG project stands as a prime example of AI-enhanced product design and gamification applied to educational content.