Retro Dock mascot

A small vibecoding experiment

I wanted to try building a simple macOS app with AI help. I used Xcode with coding agent. This time I tested Codex.

My starting prompt was:

I want to create a simple macOS app with a retro-vibe pixel mascot that moves along the Dock and runs away when I approach it with the mouse. Create a plan how to implement it in a robust, deployable app.

After Codex created the plan, I continued with:

Build it and provide instructions how to run and test the app.

The idea was simple: a tiny animated mascot living near the Dock, reacting to the mouse, and giving a playful retro feeling.

Press cmd+R and the project is built and running!

Iterating on the mascot

The first version worked, but I did not like the black mascot it created.

So I kept iterating:

  • first the default mascot
  • then a capybara
  • and finally a ghost

The ghost looked the best.

That was probably the most fun part of the process: not only getting code, but also shaping the personality of the app through small prompt changes.

Why I liked this

This felt like a good example of vibecoding.

I did not start with architecture diagrams or a long specification. I started with a fun idea, asked for a plan, then asked the agent to build it, test it, and improve it. From there, I could refine the details I cared about.

A tiny ghost running away from the mouse on the Dock is not an important product.

But it is a fun way to explore Xcode, Swift, and AI-assisted app building.