CodePen Monthly Challenge: January Recap
The CodePen challenges for January 2026 kicked off with a very fitting theme: video games. It felt symbolic—a “New Year, New Game” mindset. As always, I utilized AI to assist with the process, though I made a conscious effort to maintain a consistent stylistic identity throughout.
To be honest, my main goal this month was simply the discipline of participation; I struggled to create something I was truly passionate about. However, a special shout-out goes to Dylan Smith for his tutorial, Styling the <kbd> element. His work was my primary inspiration for all the buttons and clickable assets I built this month.
Week 1: 🕹️ Press Start
The first week featured a symbolic challenge prompt: create a CodePen that starts with the press of a button. Given the New Year and the video game theme, this could be interpreted as a “New Game” or “Start of Year” mechanic.
Was it a good start? Not really. In terms of creativity, I went with the bare minimum—you press something, and something happens. Looking at it realistically, however, some of these challenges are more about breaking through “blank page syndrome” than reinventing the wheel.
Week 2: 🎮 Cheat Codes (🌟 CodePen Pick 🌟)
The second week’s challenge was about cheat codes. As a long-term The Sims enthusiast, nothing felt more appropriate than the classic “motherlode” code. Just imagine if you could enter that into your PC’s terminal and get an instant influx of cash to your bank account.
That was my take for the Week 2 challenge: a <kbd> asset keyboard that imitates the real-life typing of an in-game mechanism.
I guess this “dream item” struck a chord with people, because it actually got me a CodePen Pick.
Week 3: 🧩 Puzzle Play (🌟 CodePen Pick 🌟)
The third week’s challenge called for a Pen featuring a puzzle, whether as a game or a specific function. I was inspired by those classic, generic Windows games where you simply have to click the right pattern.
I used AI to help with the underlying mechanics, but I handled the thematic styling myself. By sticking with my established color palette and <kbd> assets, I was able to give the project a bit of old-fashioned charm.
Once again, this one got me a CodePen Pick.
Week 4: 👾 Game Over
The final challenge for Week 4 was simply “Game Over” — or anything representing the end of a video game. To be frank, much like with the first challenge, I felt a bit low on creative energy. I decided to keep it simple and went with a classic, basic “Game Over” screen to round out the month.
TL;DR;
To put it simply, this month was more about pushing through than pure inspiration. As usual, I used AI sidekicks to help me move faster. On the upside, I walked away with two CodePen Picks and experimented with things I wasn’t familiar with—like the <kbd> asset. A huge thanks again to the author of Styling the <kbd> element blog post for the ideas on how to make a project look cool.