Amazon Q Build Games Challenge

Simple game created with the help of Amazon Q as part of the AWS Build Games Challenge.

Can you create a game idea in under an hour using Amazon Q?

Turns out — yes, a simple game, but it's fast, fun, and surprisingly productive.

This project was created as part of the ongoing AWS Build Games Challenge (open until June 30). The challenge: 🕹 “Build a retro-inspired game using Amazon Q Developer CLI.”

The Idea

I prompted Amazon Q with the following request:

"Please create a game in JavaScript, that can run in a web browser, that uses the well-known Frogger-style crossing mechanic. But instead of a frog and cars we will be using an astronaut and aliens."

Within minutes, Amazon Q generated a functional browser-based game — basic, pixel-style, but fully playable and built with clean JavaScript.

Iterations with Amazon Q

From there, I made several improvements by continuing to prompt Amazon Q:

✅ Implemented spritesheets for the astronaut and aliens

✅ Fixed UI layout for score, timer, and lives

✅ Added multiple alien types for variety

✅ Integrated a background image to enhance the visual atmosphere

All sprite images and background assets were created using ChatGPT (DALL·E image generation).

The Result

A simple yet fun Frogger-style game with a space theme — built and iterated in under an hour using Amazon Q.

Takeaways

• Amazon Q keeps you in flow — the back-and-forth iteration felt natural and fast.

• It’s not a silver bullet — some programming knowledge is still necessary, especially for debugging or refining logic.

• But it is a powerful co-creator, especially for prototyping and learning.

What's Included

• index.html – Main game canvas, UI, game logic, sprite handling, and movement
• spritesheets/ – Spritesheet and background images (generated via ChatGPT)
• videos/ - short recording of game
• README.md – This file

Try the Challenge Yourself

You can enter the challenge here, until June 30: AWS Build Games Challenge