This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Ogunsola Boluwashola
“From zero to deployed game: How AI transformed my development workflow and saved 96% of coding time”
The Challenge: Build a Game, Fast
I set out to test the true power of AI in game development by building Breakout, the classic Atari game. Why Breakout?
It’s complex enough to test AI’s problem-solving skills
It’s simple enough to complete in a short time
The visual feedback makes it easy to evaluate progress
It can be deployed across multiple platforms
Prompting Strategy: What Worked & What Didn’t
Don’t Do This:
“Make me a game”
Do This Instead:
“I want to create an interactive and visually appealing
breakout game using pygame. Create it in the Break_Out_Game folder”
Lesson: Specific, contextual prompts with clear requirements lead to dramatically better results.
AI Crushed Classic Programming Hurdles
- Game Architecture
AI immediately used an object-oriented design:
class Paddle:
def __init__(self):
self.x = SCREEN_WIDTH // 2 - PADDLE_WIDTH // 2
self.y = SCREEN_HEIGHT - 50
self.speed = 8
It didn’t just work—it applied best practices without being asked.
- Physics & Collision Detection
Check out this clever collision logic:
def handle_collisions(self):
if (self.ball.y + BALL_SIZE >= self.paddle.y and
self.ball.x >= self.paddle.x and
self.ball.x <= self.paddle.x + PADDLE_WIDTH):
self.ball.bounce_y()
hit_pos = (self.ball.x - self.paddle.x) / PADDLE_WIDTH
self.ball.dx = (hit_pos - 0.5) * 8
It even added spin physics without prompting. Incredible.
- Cross-Platform Deployment
When my Vercel deployment threw a 404, I asked:
“I deployed this using vercel but it is displaying a 404 error. What do you think is the problem?”
AI:
Diagnosed the issue (Python isn’t supported natively on Vercel)
Generated a JavaScript version
Added proper deployment configs
Suggested other platforms
The Time Savings Were Wild
Task
Manual Time
AI Time
Savings
Game Logic
4-6 hours
2 min
95%
Documentation
1-2 hours
1 min
98%
Web Conversion
2-3 hours
3 min
94%
Deployment Setup
1 hour
2 min
97%
Total
8-12 hrs
8 min
96%
Bonus Features I Didn’t Ask For
Visual Effects
pygame.draw.circle(screen, WHITE, (int(self.x), int(self.y)), BALL_SIZE)
pygame.draw.circle(screen, YELLOW, (int(self.x), int(self.y)), BALL_SIZE, 2)
AI added glowing ball effects all on its own.
Professional Documentation
AI generated:
Shields.io badges
Setup & install instructions
Game rules
ASCII art of the layout
Hosting guides
Robust Error Handling
When errors occurred, AI offered multiple fixes, not just one.
The Final Product
Features:
Smooth 60 FPS gameplay
Paddle spin mechanics
5 colorful rows, 50 bricks total
Scoring, lives, restart functionality
Available for desktop & web
Visual Preview:
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What I Learned
Works Well:
Be specific with prompts
Let AI iterate with you
Give it context (file structure, goals)
Use it for debugging and deployment
Unexpected Wins:
Feature suggestions I didn’t think of
Accurate error diagnosis
Production-level documentation
How to Try This Yourself
Choose a small, visual project
Use clear, specific prompts
Build iteratively—don’t restart from scratch
Let AI do the heavy lifting
Prompt Template:
“I want to create [X] using [Y]. It should have [Z features]. Place it in [folder].”
Final Thoughts
AI isn’t replacing developers. It’s supercharging us.
Now I focus on:
Creative gameplay
UX and design polish
Architecture
Innovation
Let AI handle the boilerplate.
What’s your experience with AI-assisted development? Share below!
Play the Game | 
View Source on GitHub
Follow me for more experiments like this!
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Ogunsola Boluwashola