Game development fun with Pygame and Amazon Q Developer CLI
🛠️ Setting Up the Environment
Getting started was super simple using WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) and Amazon Q CLI.
Once installed, I ran the following command to verify that everything was working:
q doctor
Then I installed Python and Pygame by running:
sudo apt install python3.12-venv
python3 -m venv myenv
source myenv/bin/activate
pip install pygame
Now we were ready to build!
🎮 Game Idea: Wall-E to the Rescue!
Eva is abducted by aliens, and it’s up to Wall-E to bring her back.
Inspired by the Wall-E movie, I wanted to create a game where:
- The player controls Wall-E
- Dodges obstacles and traps
- Faces off against a multi-phase alien boss
- All to save Eva
🤖 Using Amazon Q CLI to Generate Game Logic
Here’s where things got cool. I used q chat to ask Amazon Q to help me write mechanics:
q chat
Create a Pygame game where Wall-E avoids obstacles and rescues Eva
It gave me:
- Starter game loop
- Player + enemy classes
- Story intro code
- Collision detection and scoring
It was like pair programming with an expert who never gets tired!
🧪 My First Build Was… Kind of Impossible 😅
In my first version, all the obstacles were packed together.
Even I couldn’t beat the game!
So I spaced them out, adjusted timing, and got feedback from my sister — who helped me rebalance the difficulty.
✨ What I Added
- A story intro that sets the scene
- The ability to skip it with
S(for impatient players!) - Wall-E movement and obstacles
- Collision logic for victory/defeat
- Screenshots and mood-setting visuals
💥 Boss Fight Enhancements
This was the most fun part.
🔥 Multi-Phase Boss Fight
- Boss has 3 stages of increasing difficulty
- Health bar goes from 100 → 250 HP
- Boss color changes as it takes damage
⚡ Advanced Attacks
- Stage 1: Basic projectiles
- Stage 2: Triple-shot + homing missiles
- Stage 3: Five-way blasts + laser beams
🛡️ Special Moves
- Shields for temporary invincibility
- Teleportation near the player
- Smart missiles that track Wall-E
- Laser beams for instant KO if you’re not fast
🎯 Combat Strategy
- Varying damage per attack (8–15 HP)
- Faster attack rate in later phases
- Rage mode movement
- Timing shields to open up weak spots
🎨 Visuals
- Boss shifts color: Green → Orange → Red
- Custom sprite effects for each weapon
- Shield aura and rage glow
- Phase text display for immersion
Wall-E getting ready for battle
Dodge-heavy boss arena
- Mission Complete screen after rescue
💡 What I Learned
This project taught me:
- How to use AI tools to build real game logic
- Python + Pygame game development
- Debugging, balancing, and iterating on gameplay
- That storytelling in games makes a huge difference
🧡 Bonus Feedback From My Sister
"Can you make a sequel where Eva saves Wall-E next?"
😊 Coming soon...
🔨 What I’d Improve Next Time
- More levels and cutscenes
- Dialog and character animations
- Sound effects + background music
- Boss final form or “escape sequence”
🚀 Try It Yourself
Want to build your own AI-assisted game?
Install Amazon Q CLI:
q chat
And ask it to:
- Generate a 2D boss fight in Pygame
- Add powerups and teleporting enemies
- Make a story intro with skip key
🔗 GitHub Code
👉 See full code and blog on GitHub
🎯 Final Thoughts
This whole journey started with a simple idea:
“Let’s build a game.”
And thanks to tools like Amazon Q Developer CLI, I went from idea to playable game — with a cool boss fight and a story I care about.
If you’ve ever thought of building your own game — this is your sign to try.
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