Participating in the AWS Build Games Challenge: Build Classics with Amazon Q Developer CLI
Introduction
There's something magical about the simplicity of classic games. While modern gaming pushes the boundaries of graphics, physics, and complexity, sometimes the most engaging experiences come from the fundamentals. That's exactly what I discovered when I decided to recreate the timeless Snake game as "Python a Snake Game" using Python and Pygame, with assistance from Amazon Q Developer CLI.
This project is my entry for the AWS Build Games Challenge, where developers are challenged to build classic games using Amazon Q Developer CLI as their coding companion.
Why Snake? The Perfect Starting Point
Snake isn't just a game—it's a rite of passage in my mind. It made sense to build it with two intentions:
- Show whats possible with code to a 10 year old who loves video games.
- Relive the button mashing experience I had with those old Nokia phones from my childhood, Nokia 3310 I think,
I never thought about this this way, Snake teaches fundamental game development concepts:
- Game loops and state management
- Collision detection
- Real-time input handling
- Dynamic object growth and movement
- Score tracking and game over conditions
These core concepts form the foundation of virtually every game, making Snake an ideal project for both learning and showcasing development skills.
Why pygame?
Thats the closest to a gaming library I have ever used and this being the summer vacation time in US; I felt this was the perfect time to introduce programming to my 10 year old. And yes, meeting Al Sweigart in a PyOhio few years back when I was still understanding the language made want to go back to it.
The Power of Prompting
One of the most fascinating aspects of working with Amazon Q Developer CLI was discovering how the quality of the initial prompt directly impacts the final product. Rather than simply asking for "a Snake game," I crafted a structured prompt that became the blueprint for the entire project.
My Initial Vision
My original request was straightforward but comprehensive: I wanted to create "Python a Snake Game"—a classic Snake game implementation using Python and Pygame that would showcase both nostalgic gameplay and modern development practices. The key was being specific about the experience I wanted to create—not just a functional game, but an enjoyable one.
The Comprehensive Structured Prompt: A Development Blueprint
What emerged from this collaboration was a detailed structured prompt that served as both specification and guide. This wasn't just a list of features—it was a comprehensive development framework that addressed every aspect of game creation: Prompt
From Prompt to Working Game: The Development Process
Following the Blueprint
The beauty of having a structured prompt became evident during implementation. Instead of making ad-hoc decisions or getting stuck on design choices, I had a clear roadmap to follow. Every feature request in the prompt translated directly into code structure and functionality.
Success Criteria as Development Milestones:
The detailed structured prompt defined specific success criteria that became my development checklist:
- ✅ Game runs without errors in 800x600 window
- ✅ Responsive arrow key controls
- ✅ Proper collision detection
- ✅ Score tracking functionality
- ✅ Clean game over and restart mechanics
- ✅ Smooth gameplay experience
Technical Implementation Highlights
Following the Blueprint
The structured prompt's emphasis on object-oriented design resulted in clean, maintainable code structure.
The game architecture follows clean object-oriented principles:
class Snake:
def __init__(self):
self.reset()
def reset(self):
# Initialize snake in center with 3 segments
start_x = GRID_WIDTH // 2
start_y = GRID_HEIGHT // 2
self.body = [(start_x - i, start_y) for i in range(INITIAL_SNAKE_LENGTH)]
self.direction = Direction.RIGHT
Key Technical Decisions
I ended up with some of the below defaults after a couple of iterations when it looked completely different than I thought.
Window Size: I chose 800x600 pixels—a browser-friendly size that's large enough for comfortable gameplay but small enough to fit on any screen. This decision reflects modern web-first thinking while maintaining the classic feel.
Grid System: The 20x20 pixel cell system provides the perfect balance between smooth movement and the chunky, retro aesthetic that makes Snake instantly recognizable.
Frame Rate: At 10 FPS, the game maintains that classic Snake tempo—fast enough to be engaging, slow enough to be controllable.
Game Features That Matter
User Experience Focus
- Pause Functionality: Press 'P' to pause/resume—essential for longer games
- Instant Restart: Space or Enter to quickly restart after game over
- Visual Clarity: Distinct colors for snake head (bright green), body (darker green), and food (red)
- Score Tracking: Real-time score display with 10 points per food item
Controls That Feel Right
Arrow Keys: Snake movement
P: Pause/Resume
ESC: Quit game
SPACE/ENTER: Restart after game over
Technical Highlights
Efficient Collision Detection
The game uses grid-based collision detection, checking if the snake's head position matches food coordinates or intersects with walls/body segments. This approach is both computationally efficient and perfectly suited to the grid-based movement system.
Snake Growth
Rather than constantly resizing arrays, the snake growth system uses a "grow_pending" counter, adding segments only when needed and maintaining optimal performance even with very long snakes.
Lessons Learned: The Art of AI-Assisted Development
The Power of Detailed Prompting
This project taught me that the quality of AI-assisted development is directly proportional to the quality of the initial prompt. The comprehensive structured prompt didn't just describe what I wanted—it provided:
Context and Constraints: Specifying the 800x600 browser-friendly window size and 20x20 pixel grid system gave clear boundaries for design decisions.
Success Metrics: Defining specific criteria like "responsive arrow key controls" and "smooth gameplay experience" provided measurable goals.
Implementation Philosophy: Emphasizing object-oriented design and best practices ensured the code would be maintainable and extensible.
User Experience Focus: Including details about pause functionality, visual feedback, and error handling elevated the project from functional to polished.
The Iterative Refinement Process
Working with Amazon Q Developer CLI revealed the importance of iterative refinement in AI-assisted development:
Initial Prompt → Comprehensive Structured Prompt → Implementation → Refinement
Each stage built upon the previous one, with the comprehensive structured prompt serving as the crucial bridge between high-level vision and detailed implementation. This process ensured that the final product wasn't just functional, but thoughtfully designed and professionally executed.
Simplicity is Sophisticated
Building Snake reinforced that great games don't need complex graphics or mechanics. The challenge lies in perfecting the fundamentals—responsive controls, fair difficulty progression, and satisfying feedback loops.
User Experience in Retro Games
Even classic games benefit from modern UX thinking. Features like pause functionality, clear visual feedback, and intuitive restart mechanisms make the difference between a nostalgic novelty and a genuinely enjoyable experience.
What's Next?
One of the most valuable aspects of the comprehensive structured prompt was its forward-thinking approach. It included optional enhancements that could extend the project:
- Sound effects for eating food and game over events
- Different difficulty levels with variable speed settings
- Power-ups or special food items with unique effects
- Snake skin patterns or visual themes
- Multiplayer support for competitive play
- Mobile-friendly touch controls adaptation
Try It Yourself
"Python a Snake Game" is available with full source code, requirements file, and detailed setup instructions. Whether you're learning game development, exploring Python and Pygame, or just want to enjoy some nostalgic gaming, this Snake implementation offers a polished, accessible experience.
Repository: https://github.com/quixoticmonk/python
# Quick start
git clone https://github.com/quixoticmonk/python.git
cd python/snake_q
pip install -r requirements.txt
python snake_game.py
Conclusion: The Future of AI-Assisted Game Development
Participating in the AWS Build Games Challenge with Amazon Q Developer CLI has been an enlightening experience that goes far beyond building a simple game. It demonstrated that effective AI-assisted development is fundamentally about collaboration—between human creativity and AI capability, between high-level vision and detailed implementation, between classic game design and modern development practices.
The Broader Impact
This project represents more than just a nostalgic coding exercise. It showcases how AI-assisted development can make high-quality software creation more accessible while maintaining professional standards. The detailed structured prompt approach could be applied to any software project, from web applications to mobile apps to enterprise systems.
"Python a Snake Game" may be a simple game, but building it well requires attention to detail. With Amazon Q Developer CLI as a development partner, the journey from concept to polished game becomes not just faster, but more enjoyable and educational.
This project was built as part of the AWS Build Games Challenge. The complete source code, comprehensive structured prompt, documentation, and setup instructions are available in the project repository: https://github.com/quixoticmonk/python
Game Stats:
- Language: Python 3.11+
- Framework: Pygame 2.0+
- Window Size: 800x600 pixels
- Grid System: 20x20 pixel cells
- Frame Rate: 10 FPS
- Features: Pause, restart, score tracking, collision detection
Ready to play? The snake is waiting! 🐍
*Want to see how detailed prompting can transform your development process? Check out the comprehensive structured prompt in the repository: https://github.com/quixoticmonk/python .
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