Build Games Challenge: Build Classics with Amazon Q Developer CLI
Learn AI-assisted development by recreating Pong, Tetris, and arcade classics
Onur Dogruoz
Amazon Employee
Published Jun 9, 2025
Last Modified Jun 18, 2025
Remember the games that got you into programming? Now build them with AI. The Build Games Challenge explores how Amazon Q Developer CLI handles classic game development - from Pong and Tetris to arcade-style adventures. You'll discover AI-assisted coding techniques while recreating the games that defined generations of developers and builders.
💻 About Amazon Q Developer CLI
Amazon Q Developer CLI is an AI-powered command-line assistant that generates code, explains complex concepts, and automates development tasks through natural language conversation. Key capabilities include:
- 🏗️ Code Generation: Write applications by describing what you want to build
- 🤖 Development Automation: Automate repetitive tasks
- 💡 Code Explanation: Get detailed explanations of existing code and algorithms
- 🐛 Debugging Assistance: Identify and fix issues through conversational troubleshooting
- 🌐 Language Flexibility: Generates code in Python, JavaScript, Java, C++, and other languages from prompts in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other natural languages
- 🆓 Free Tier Available: Get started at no cost with generous usage limits. No credit card needed!
Perfect for exploring AI-assisted development without the overhead of complex IDE integrations
What you'll master:
- Prompt engineering for game logic and mechanics
- AI-assisted implementation of algorithms
- Iterative development workflows with conversational programming
- Debugging and refining AI-generated code
- Automating repetitive development tasks through natural language
Build a retro-inspired game using Amazon Q Developer CLI, document your development approach, and share your insights. First 2,000 valid participants who complete the challenge will receive an exclusive Amazon Q Build Games Challenge t-shirt (now available globally!).
Step 1: Set up your dev environment
- Install Amazon Q Developer CLI (Product Page | Installation | Guide)
- Sign up for AWS Builder ID and claim your community.aws username (Guide)
- Login to Q Developer CLI with "Use for Free with Builder ID" method OR if you already have a
Q Developer Pro account, authenticate with IAM Identity Center using the start URL given to you by your account administrator.
- Install PyGame, or your preferred retro game development tools
- Join our Slack Channel for technical discussions and meet fellow retro game builders
- Install Amazon Q Developer CLI (Product Page | Installation | Guide)
- Sign up for AWS Builder ID and claim your community.aws username (Guide)
- Login to Q Developer CLI with "Use for Free with Builder ID" method OR if you already have a
Q Developer Pro account, authenticate with IAM Identity Center using the start URL given to you by your account administrator.
- Install PyGame, or your preferred retro game development tools
- Join our Slack Channel for technical discussions and meet fellow retro game builders
Step 2: Choose your retro inspiration
Pick a classic game style to explore:
- Arcade classics (Pong, Breakout, Space Invaders)
- Puzzle games (Tetris, Snake, Pac-Man style maze games)
- Platformers (simple side-scrollers)
- Text adventures (if you're feeling ambitious)
Pick a classic game style to explore:
- Arcade classics (Pong, Breakout, Space Invaders)
- Puzzle games (Tetris, Snake, Pac-Man style maze games)
- Platformers (simple side-scrollers)
- Text adventures (if you're feeling ambitious)
Step 3: Build through conversation
Use Amazon Q Developer CLI to implement your game
Use Amazon Q Developer CLI to implement your game
Step 4: Document your retro journey
Create a blog post or video covering:
- Your chosen game and why you picked it
- Effective prompting techniques you discovered
- How AI handled classic programming challenges
- Examples of development automation that saved you time
- Code examples of interesting AI-generated solutions
- Screenshots or gameplay footage of your final creation
Create a blog post or video covering:
- Your chosen game and why you picked it
- Effective prompting techniques you discovered
- How AI handled classic programming challenges
- Examples of development automation that saved you time
- Code examples of interesting AI-generated solutions
- Screenshots or gameplay footage of your final creation
Step 5: Share with the retro gaming community
Post your content with #BuildGamesChallenge and #AmazonQDevCLI hashtags to YouTube, Instagram, X/Twitter, and/or TikTok. Bonus points for including your GitHub repository!
Post your content with #BuildGamesChallenge and #AmazonQDevCLI hashtags to YouTube, Instagram, X/Twitter, and/or TikTok. Bonus points for including your GitHub repository!
Step 6: Claim your Build Games Challenge T-Shirt
Submit through our challenge form to receive your limited-edition Build Games Challenge t-shirt. If you are in APAC, please fill this form
T-shirts will be distributed after the challenge ends on June 30, 2025. Qualifying participants will receive a separate email from our fulfillment partner to collect shipping details and complete t-shirt delivery.
Submit through our challenge form to receive your limited-edition Build Games Challenge t-shirt. If you are in APAC, please fill this form
T-shirts will be distributed after the challenge ends on June 30, 2025. Qualifying participants will receive a separate email from our fulfillment partner to collect shipping details and complete t-shirt delivery.
Inspiration Hub
Learn from fellow builders:
- Derek Bingham's weekend retro gaming experiments [link]
- Haowen Huang's guide to conversational game development [link]
- Community showcase of completed retro games (updated weekly)
Learn from fellow builders:
- Derek Bingham's weekend retro gaming experiments [link]
- Haowen Huang's guide to conversational game development [link]
- Community showcase of completed retro games (updated weekly)
Come join us at one of the Build Games Worldwide Meetups.
- Raleigh, NC USA 6/23/2025, 5pm-7pm [link]
- San Francisco, CA USA 6/26/2025, 6pm-10pm [link]
- New York, NY 7/1/2025, 6pm-10pm [link]
- Berlin, Germany 7/9/2025, 7pm-10pm [link]
- Raleigh, NC USA 6/23/2025, 5pm-7pm [link]
- San Francisco, CA USA 6/26/2025, 6pm-10pm [link]
- New York, NY 7/1/2025, 6pm-10pm [link]
- Berlin, Germany 7/9/2025, 7pm-10pm [link]
- One game submission per builder
- Must include development documentation
- Available worldwide (shipping restrictions may apply in some regions. See Terms and Conditions). If you are in APAC, please refer to APAC Challenge
- Games can be built in any programming language supported by Amazon Q Developer CLI
- Free tier usage sufficient for most challenge projects or you can upgrade your Builder ID to Pro tier to increase your usage limits!
- Limited to first 2,000 valid participants
- T-shirts will be distributed after the challenge concludes. Qualifying participants will receive a separate email from our fulfillment partner to provide shipping information for t-shirt delivery.
Fire up Amazon Q Developer CLI and show us how AI handles the classics. Whether you're building the next great Snake variant or reimagining Pong with modern AI assistance, we want to see how Q Developer CLI can help with your development.
Game on! 🕹️
PROMOTIONAL OFFER DESCRIPTION:
From June 6, 2025 12:00:00 pm PST to June 30, 2025 12:00:00 pm PST, Install Amazon Q Developer CLI, start a session and use the built-in AI chat tool to build a game, write a public blog post or post a video about the game creation process to social media using the hashtag #AmazonQCLI, and complete the T shirt redemption form to receive a t-shirt and sticker. Terms and conditions apply.
From June 6, 2025 12:00:00 pm PST to June 30, 2025 12:00:00 pm PST, Install Amazon Q Developer CLI, start a session and use the built-in AI chat tool to build a game, write a public blog post or post a video about the game creation process to social media using the hashtag #AmazonQCLI, and complete the T shirt redemption form to receive a t-shirt and sticker. Terms and conditions apply.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
By entering, you agree to the promotional offer’s terms and conditions.
By entering, you agree to the promotional offer’s terms and conditions.
- From June 6, 2025 12:00:00 pm PST to June 30, 2025 12:00:00 pm PST, use the Amazon Q Developer CLI tool to create a game and either make a public blog post or post a video on social media about the game creation process, including the hashtag #AmazonQCLI, and complete the T shirt redemption form, to receive a t-shirt and sticker.
- This offer is only valid for individuals 18 years and older. Excludes individuals living in Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Quebec, Russia, Spain, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the region of Crimea. Entrant must use the Amazon Q Developer CLI tool to enter.
- This offer will be delivered to the mailing address you provide in the T shirt redemption form. Failure to provide AWS complete or accurate information may delay or prevent offer fulfillment.
- Offer limited to one per customer and account, if applicable.
- Offer may not be combined with other offers.
- To be eligible for this offer, a participant’s social media or blog post (as applicable) must include “#AmazonQDevCLI” and “#BuildGamesChallenge”. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with any social media platform (e.g., Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube).
- Entry constitutes permission for AWS to use entrants’ names or likenesses, and city, state or province, and country, if submitted to AWS, and entrants’ blog post or social media post used for entry purposes, for any disclosures required by law, and for advertising and promotional purposes relating to AWS and Amazon Q Developer CLI in any and all media now or hereafter devised, worldwide in perpetuity (or to the maximum extent permissible under applicable law), without additional compensation, notification or permission, unless prohibited by law. Entry further constitutes permission for AWS and Kotis Design to collect and use an entrant’s personal information for the purpose of offer fulfillment.
- Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) reserves the right to modify or cancel the offer at any time.
- Offer is non-transferable and may not be resold.
- Offer valid while supplies last.
- If you violate any of these terms and conditions, the offer will be invalid.
- Void where prohibited.
- Your information is handled in accordance with the AWS Privacy Notice.
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