# 👑 Building a Prince of Persia-Inspired Platformer with Amazon Q CLI & Pygame on Linux

Astha Gore — Thu, 22 May 2025 18:19:22 +0000

🎮 Introduction

As a child, few games captured imagination like Prince of Persia. From precise jumps to daring sword fights and timed traps, it wasn’t just a game—it was an adventure. Today, we’ll walk through building a simple 2D platformer inspired by Prince of Persia using Python, Pygame, and Amazon Q CLI, all developed natively on Linux.

But this isn't just about writing code. It’s about turning nostalgia into a working project using AI-assisted development.

🧒 A Personal Note: Where It All Began

When I was a kid, I used to watch my mother play games on her Nokia 310. The game “Snake” fascinated me.
How did it move? How did it know when to turn or end?

Back then, I didn’t have the answers. But today, I do—thanks to tools like Amazon Q CLI, which lets me build games by simply describing what I want to create.

Now, I’ve taken it a step further and started building my own version of Prince of Persia, with all the fun and challenge of the classic.

⚙️ Development Environment Setup (Linux)

✅ Tools Required

Amazon Q CLI – AI code generation tool from AWS
Python 3.8+ – Core programming language
Pygame – Game development library for Python
Linux OS – Ubuntu/Debian-based preferred

📦 Step-by-Step Setup on Linux

1. Install System Dependencies

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y python3 python3-pip python3-venv git

2. Install Pygame

pip3 install pygame

🤖 Install Amazon Q CLI on Linux

Download and install the `.deb` package:

wget https://desktop-release.q.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/latest/amazon-q.deb
sudo dpkg -i amazon-q.deb
sudo apt-get install -f

Verify installation and start:

q --version
q chat

🧠 Prompt-Driven Game Creation Using Amazon Q

With Amazon Q CLI, you don't need to write everything manually. You can describe your idea and let the tool generate functional code.

🧱 Step-by-Step Game Prompts

1. 🧍 Character Movement & Gravity

Prompt:

Create a Pygame-based platformer with a main character that can run left/right, jump with gravity, and collide with platforms.

Result:

Player movement with physics
Platform collision detection
Gravity and jumping

2. 🏰 Level Design

Prompt:

Add basic level design with platforms at varying heights and a floor. Include a simple background.

Result:

Static level with platforms
Decorative background
Expandable layout for more levels

3. ⚔️ Traps & Obstacles

Prompt:

Add spike traps that reset the player's position if touched.

Result:

Hazard detection logic
Player reset or health mechanic

4. 🎯 Goal or Exit Door

Prompt:

Add a door at the end of the level. When the player reaches it, show “You Win” and end the game.

Result:

Goal object
Victory screen

5. 🎵 Sound and Polish

Prompt:

Add background music and jumping sound effects.

Result:

Integrated audio playback
Enhanced game feel

🧩 Feature Summary

Feature	Implemented via Amazon Q
Player controls	✅
Platform collisions	✅
Traps and obstacles	✅
Win condition	✅
Audio & UI	✅

👑 Why This Project Matters

This wasn’t just about building a game. It was about realizing a dream from childhood—understanding and building what once felt like magic.

With Amazon Q CLI, I could rapidly turn my thoughts into code, iterate on ideas, and focus on creativity instead of boilerplate.

DEV Community: Astha Gore

# 👑 Building a Prince of Persia-Inspired Platformer with Amazon Q CLI & Pygame on Linux

🎮 Introduction

🧒 A Personal Note: Where It All Began

⚙️ Development Environment Setup (Linux)

✅ Tools Required

📦 Step-by-Step Setup on Linux

1. Install System Dependencies

2. Install Pygame

🤖 Install Amazon Q CLI on Linux

Download and install the .deb package:

Verify installation and start:

🧠 Prompt-Driven Game Creation Using Amazon Q

🧱 Step-by-Step Game Prompts

1. 🧍 Character Movement & Gravity

2. 🏰 Level Design

3. ⚔️ Traps & Obstacles

4. 🎯 Goal or Exit Door

5. 🎵 Sound and Polish

🧩 Feature Summary

👑 Why This Project Matters

Download and install the `.deb` package: