How Shawn Went from Weekend Projects to Steam Launches — and Now Thailand

A year ago, Shawn wasn’t sure if game development was really for him. He loved games, but finishing projects felt out of reach, and when he did manage to complete something, hardly anyone played it. Like many aspiring developers, he wondered if the dream of making games people actually enjoy was realistic.

Everything shifted when he discovered Rosebud AI, a platform that helps people build games faster using AI-powered “vibe coding.” Instead of writing every line of code by hand, creators can focus on describing how they want a game to feel and play, then refine it with AI’s help.

Building Momentum with Rosebud

“I was struggling to finish any of my projects, and no one really played my games, y'know?”

“[I realized I can actually do this when] with this new app, Rosebud, I had the tools to code small arcade games on the weekend, and find out that people had fun playing them the next day. Comments like that really made me feel like a real game developer from the very beginning.”

That early encouragement gave Shawn the confidence to keep creating. On the Rosebud Discord, he found other developers sharing projects, giving quick feedback, and trading ideas. Instead of working in isolation, he was part of a group where people actually played his games and told him what worked. That back-and-forth kept him moving forward in a way he hadn’t experienced before.

Winning Game Jams and Redefining Programming

“Players don’t care how the code is written, only that the game is fun…”

Shawn began entering game jams, competitions where developers build games under time pressure. Although he was competing with skilled developers, his vibe-coded games started getting noticed. Most recently, he placed #2 and won a $2,000 cash prize.

For Shawn and many others, game programming stopped being about writing every line and became more about shaping the overall experience.

“I’ve leveled up into a different kind of programmer. Someone who sees the forest, not the trees.”

Rosebud made it possible to focus on the design and direction of a project instead of getting stuck in the details.

From Experiments to the Marketplace

That shift in perspective carried into Shawn’s most ambitious project yet: Flow State.

“It’s the first entirely vibe-coded game with its own Steam page. That’s the kind of project that makes you realize this way of working with AI goes beyond cool experiments. It works in a real marketplace, where people pay to play something cool and new.”

Getting Flow State onto Steam was proof that vibe coding wasn’t just for quick prototypes. It could hold up in a real marketplace where players choose to spend their time (and their money.)

A New Chapter: Chiang Mai

After learning game development with Rosebud, Shawn also started freelancing and using AI-powered web development to earn a remote income. With that experience behind him, he decided to take his work abroad.

“In Chiang Mai there’s already a huge community of digital nomads. Creatives, founders, freelancers all living interesting lives. I’ve never really felt at home in my hometown, and after joining the Rosebud Discord I saw how much it matters to be around people who get you. So I’m heading to a hotspot where I can find that energy in real life.”

For the next two months, he’ll be freelancing, building, and exploring opportunities in Thailand.

“Two months in Thailand should show me what kind of new life I can build, and maybe even what new projects or opportunities pop up once I’m surrounded by other creatives and freelancers.”

A Path That’s More Accessible Than Ever

Shawn’s journey is proof that game development is changing. With tools like Rosebud, newcomers don’t need years of coding experience to get started. They just need an idea, a willingness to experiment, and a community to support them.

For Shawn, that combination has already led from unfinished projects to published games, and now to a new chapter abroad. And for others who wonder if coding is “too hard,” he has a simple message: start small, stay clear, and let AI help along the way.

An example he gave is that “at the start, it’s not really about coding, it’s about making a small project that you can build on as you work on the game with AI. For example, if your idea is a story-driven roleplay game where you take back a sacred sword from the ones who stole it, the smaller version could be a single dungeon where you meet someone who gives you a mysterious sword. Rosie will start coding your game either way, but starting with the smaller version of the game gets you something fun to play way faster.”