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Storm Runner

Storm Runner

Storm Runner is a action game developed in Python. The game features a player character constantly running to escape a massive storm approaching from behind. The player must avoid obstacles, collect power-ups, and survive as long as possible.

gamedevelopmentaws-cliamazon-qpython
Aditya Pratap Singh
Published May 31, 2025

🌀 Outrunning the Storm: Building Storm Runner with Amazon Q Developer CLI.

By Aditya Pratap Singh
Published May 2025 | Part of the #AmazonQCLI Campaign
Storm_Game
Storm

🎮 Introduction
As part of the “Build Games with Amazon Q CLI” campaign running from May 20 – June 20, 2025, I challenged myself to go beyond just playing games — and instead create one using Python and Amazon Q CLI.

🧰 Tools Used

  • 🧠 Amazon Q Developer CLI — AI-powered command-line assistant
  • 🐍 Python 3.10+
  • 🎮 PyGame — for game development
  • 💻 VS Code — for editing the generated code

🧠 Prompting the Game into Existence

This is where the fun begins — I started with one powerful prompt:
bashCopyEditq /chat "Create a side-scrolling game where the player runs from a storm using PyGame. Include randomly spawning obstacles and powerups. The game should gradually increase in speed. Add a title screen, background music, and scoring system."
Amazon Q CLI then:
✅ Created the Python project
✅ Added a title screen with a “Press SPACE to start” mechanic
✅ Generated code to animate the storm, coins, and powerups
✅ Handled increasing difficulty based on time survived
✅ Set up a score tracker and game-over screen

✨ Features of Storm Runner

FeatureDescription🌩️ Storm EffectA dark wave creeps in from the left, animated as the storm you're running from🏃‍♂️ Parallax BackgroundMultiple background layers scroll at different speeds for visual depth⛔ Random ObstaclesAppear with increasing frequency to challenge player reflexes⚡ PowerupsSpeed boosts and shields add variety to gameplay🎵 AudioLooping background music and coin SFX enhance immersion⏸️ Pause OverlaySemi-transparent pause screen triggered with P key📈 Score SystemCollect coins to increase your score

🎨 Vibe Coding with Prompts

Once the base was ready, I iterated using “vibe prompts” — quick natural language instructions to refine gameplay and visuals:

🌀 Parallax Background Prompt

bashCopyEditq /chat "Add parallax background layers for depth in a 2D PyGame side-scroller."

💎 Improve Graphics Prompt

bashCopyEditq /chat "Replace basic shapes with enhanced graphics or surfaces for player, obstacles, and coins."

🛑 Pause Overlay Prompt

bashCopyEditq /chat "Add a pause menu with a semi-transparent overlay and instructions to resume."
Each time, Q CLI updated the code with intelligent context — making the game feel more professional with minimal tweaking.

🎯 Lessons Learned

  • Amazon Q CLI accelerates prototyping — coding felt more creative, less mechanical.
  • “Vibe coding” works — focusing on feel first helped shape mechanics organically.
  • Small additions (like music or background layers) add big polish.
  • Testing frequently (and dying often 😅) helped me tune the difficulty curve just right.

📸 A Peek into Storm Runner

Imagine this — The storm surges forward. You, the runner, are one step ahead — dodging spikes, collecting coins, and praying your powerup holds…What you see:
  • ⏸️ A clean, semi-transparent pause overlay with a clear message
  • 🔺 Red triangle obstacles
  • 🟡 Gold coins and green plus icons as powerups
  • 🟦 Player character (blue block)
  • 🌩️ Storm bar indicating incoming danger
  • ❤️ Heart icon showing lives or health.
  • 🎌 Flag indicating a recent checkpoint.
Storm Runner Screenshot

🎮 GitHub Repo: github.com/Adityasingh30/Storm

🙌 Final Thoughts

“Storm Runner” is the first game I’ve built where AI was my coding partner from start to finish. From the initial idea to polishing the visuals, Amazon Q CLI handled the heavy lifting and let me focus on design and feel.
Don’t just play the game — build it.
Thanks to Amazon Q CLI.
 

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