SpaceShooter V.1

Overview

In one hour, a complete, feature-rich space shooter game was conceptualized, developed, debugged, and compiled using only a collaborative loop with the use of Large Language Models(ChatGPT o3 and GTP-4o). The game was written in Python 3.11 using the Pygame 2.5.0 library and packaged into a standalone .exe using PyInstaller. No game engine, asset packs, or manual code was required.

The result: a self-contained arcade-style shooter with modular gameplay systems, AI-driven enemies, particle effects, procedural wave mechanics, and restartable game states.

Implemented Mechanics and Systems

1. Core Gameplay

  • Player-controlled ship with:
    • 360° movement using arrow keys or WASD.
    • Variable-rate shooting via spacebar or mouse button.
    • Power-up-based enhancements.
  • Enemy System featuring 4 archetypes:
    • Drifter – slow-moving, basic enemies.
    • ZigZag – enemies with sinusoidal horizontal movement.
    • Shooter – enemies that shoot bullets with velocity prediction to lead the player’s movement.
    • Dodger – evasive enemies that detect and avoid incoming bullets.
  • Boss Enemy
    • Spawns every 800 score points.
    • Larger hitbox, multiple hitpoints, predictable movement, and timed projectile attacks.

2. Procedural Wave Scaling

  • Every 15 seconds, difficulty ramps up by:
    • Increasing spawn rate.
    • Scaling enemy HP and speed (via DEPTH_INC).
    • Shifting enemy archetype spawn probabilities toward harder types.

3. Player Health and Lives

  • Player starts with 3 hearts, visually rendered via pixel-perfect icons.
  • Damage handled via:
    • Enemy bullets (reduces HP unless shielded).
    • Enemy collision (instant death).
  • Health and shields are visually and logically tracked.

4. Power-Up System

  • Random drops triggered by enemy kills (combo-influenced).
  • Types:
    • Rapid Fire – increases bullet rate and adds spread shot.
    • Shield – protects from a single hit.

5. Combo Score System

  • Time-limited combo chaining for multi-kills (3000ms window).
  • Dynamic score multiplier based on streak length.
  • Directly impacts difficulty scaling and power-up drop chance.

6. Visual & Audio Feedback

  • Particles:
    • Thruster trails when moving.
    • Explosions with screen shake when enemies die.
  • Screen shake effects during key impacts.
  • Dynamic music ducking when shooting or taking hits.
  • Procedural sound effects created from waveform generation (square wave make_beep()).

AI-Aided Efficiency

The entire system was created with:

  • Zero external assets (no images, sounds, or libraries).
  • Real-time debugging using AI feedback from tracebacks.
  • Fast iteration by copy-pasting code suggestions and refactoring with assistant guidance.
  • Adaptive scope evolution — starting with a base game and layering AI-guided features step-by-step.

Final Deliverable

  • ~350 lines of well-structured, production-quality Python code.
  • Standalone .exe built with PyInstaller and ready for distribution.
  • No game engine or manual design — all mechanics, assets, and logic are procedural and AI-generated.

Conclusion

In 60 minutes, a complete retro-style game was authored through natural-language instructions, showcasing the power of AI-assisted prototyping in indie development. The game is playable, extensible, and can serve as a foundation for further AI-generated enhancements — including level progression, visual themes, or multiplayer.