Gemini 3.5 Flash vs. Opus: Can a New AI Model Code Games?

Summary

A new AI model, Gemini 3.5 Flash, was tested against Anthropic's Opus 4.7 for its game-coding capabilities. The tests involved creating games inspired by Angry Birds, Minecraft, Subway Surfers, Sonic, and Grand Theft Auto. In the Angry Birds test, Gemini Flash produced less code than Opus but resulted in a playable game, though Opus was visually superior. For Minecraft, Gemini Flash created a functional game with playable controls and block placement, while Opus had minor visual issues. Subway Surfers with Cars saw Gemini Flash produce a visually appealing but unplayable game due to the lack of obstacles, whereas Opus's version was functional but had inverted controls. Neither model could create a beatable Sonic-inspired game, though Opus was slightly more complete. Finally, in the GTA-inspired test, Opus generated a more complete and visually appealing city with playable mechanics, while Gemini Flash's output was significantly less developed. Overall, Gemini 3.5 Flash is noted as being extremely fast and cheaper than top-tier models, but its coding outputs are not as robust as Opus or other leading models, making it suitable for quick tasks but not for complex projects requiring higher fidelity results.