🚀 Building Dimensional Shift Puzzle: A Mind-Bending Game Powered by Amazon Q CLI
Enter Dimensional Shift Puzzle, a 2D platformer where you don’t just jump and run—you switch between five dimensions, each with its own unique laws of physics. From inverted gravity to time-slowing dimensions, players must constantly adapt to new mechanics to solve increasingly complex puzzles.
Published May 24, 2025
By Himanshu Joshi
In a world of countless platformers, I wanted to create something different—something that challenges both how we play and how we think.
Enter Dimensional Shift Puzzle, a 2D platformer where you don’t just jump and run—you switch between five dimensions, each with its own unique laws of physics. From inverted gravity to time-slowing dimensions, players must constantly adapt to new mechanics to solve increasingly complex puzzles.
At the heart of the game is the dimensional shift system. With a single step through a glowing portal, players can shift into:
- 🟦 Normal Dimension – Standard platforming
- 🟥 Inverse Dimension – Gravity flips upward
- 🟪 Ethereal Dimension – Pass through walls marked ‘X’
- 🟨 Time Dimension – Time slows for strategic jumps
- 🟦 Magnetic Dimension – Attracts the player to metallic surfaces
Each level introduces new mechanics and builds upon previous ones, requiring lateral thinking and experimentation.
While the core ideas were my own, building a complex, polished game solo isn’t easy. That’s where Amazon Q CLI came in.
✅ Error Handling
Explained cryptic errors and guided me through fixes, making debugging painless.
Explained cryptic errors and guided me through fixes, making debugging painless.
✅ Code Suggestions
Generated and optimized Python code for collision logic, menus, animations, and more.
Generated and optimized Python code for collision logic, menus, animations, and more.
✅ Clean Architecture
Helped structure my project cleanly into
Helped structure my project cleanly into
main.py, game_objects.py, level_manager.py, etc.✅ Automation Tools
It even helped script tools for generating placeholder art and customizing game themes!
It even helped script tools for generating placeholder art and customizing game themes!
Amazon Q CLI was like having a real-time programming assistant in my terminal.
Graphically, Dimensional Shift Puzzle combines pixel art with modern lighting effects:
- Glowing portals and particles for dimensional shifts
- Stylized sci-fi environments (Forest, Desert, Night, Snow)
- Smooth animations and responsive sound design
Tools like Piskel, Freesound, and Kenney.nl made asset creation fun and fast — supported by automation scripts assisted by Amazon Q.
The game features a complete experience across 10 levels:
- 💫 Portal-based level progression
- 🧲 Magnetic fields and inverted physics
- 🎯 Timed jumps and puzzle paths
- 🪙 Hidden collectibles and secrets
Each level teaches a new mechanic and tests your understanding through clever design.
Under the hood, the game runs on Python 3 and Pygame — lightweight, accessible, and fully open source. With clear organization and modular code, it’s easy to:
- Add new levels
- Customize characters or themes
- Expand mechanics or logic
The full project is available on GitHub with a complete README, installation instructions, and developer guides. Whether you're a player or a dev, you can:
- 🎮 Play the full game
- 🧪 Explore and learn the codebase
- 💡 Contribute improvements
- 🤖 See how Amazon Q CLI boosts development
Planned updates include:
- A custom level editor
- Online score tracking
- More visual and sound effects
- New player abilities
And of course, I’ll continue using Amazon Q CLI for faster, smarter development.
Dimensional Shift Puzzle is more than a game — it’s a passion project and proof of how AI tools like Amazon Q CLI are transforming solo development.
With the right tools, creativity is limitless.
#AmazonQCLI ,#AmazonQCLI
Thanks for playing! 🕹️