Exploring Code Generation with ChatGPT: A Space Invaders Experiment

I've always been curious about how well ChatGPT can generate functional code. To test its capabilities, I decided to start with something relatively simple but still interactive: coding a basic Space Invaders game. I wanted to see how well ChatGPT could generate a working program, how adaptable it would be to my requests, and whether I could refine and improve the code through iterative prompts. This experience turned into an engaging coding experiment, showing me just how powerful AI-assisted development can be.

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Defining the Project

​Space Invaders is a classic arcade game where the player controls a spaceship that moves left and right, shooting enemies descending from the top of the screen. The game involves essential programming concepts like:

• Rendering graphics: Drawing the spaceship, enemies, and bullets on the screen.
• User input: Allowing the player to move and fire using keyboard controls.
• Game logic: Detecting collisions between bullets and enemies, tracking scores, and resetting the game when necessary.
• Dynamic difficulty: Adjusting enemy speed to increase or decrease the challenge.

To keep things lightweight and browser-based, I opted to use CodeSkulptor, a Python environment designed for educational programming that runs entirely in the browser and uses the simplegui library for handling graphics and game loops.

Iterating on the Code

I began by asking ChatGPT to generate a basic Space Invaders game in CodeSkulptor. The initial version included:

• A rectangular player-controlled spaceship.
• Simple movement using the left and right arrow keys.
• Enemies that moved downward at a fixed speed.
• A basic shooting mechanism where bullets fired straight up and disappeared when hitting enemies or leaving the screen.

However, I quickly realized some limitations and requested modifications:

1. Increased Playability: The original screen size was too small, and the player’s speed felt sluggish. I asked ChatGPT to triple the spaceship’s speed and expand the game window to provide more space for movement.
2. Balanced Enemy Movement: The enemies were initially too fast, making the game too difficult. I asked for their speed to be reduced to one-third of the original rate.
3. Dynamic Difficulty: I requested that enemy speed increase by 5% when pressing the up arrow key and decrease by 5% when pressing the down arrow key. This allowed for on-the-fly difficulty adjustments.
4. Visual Improvement: I wanted the spaceship to be a triangle rather than a rectangle to better represent a traditional spacecraft.
5. Game Reset Feature: Finally, I asked for a way to restart the game with a key press. ChatGPT implemented a reset function triggered by pressing the 'N' key, which cleared the screen, reset the score, and respawned enemies at random positions.

The Final Result

​By the end of this experiment, I had a functional and customizable Space Invaders game running in CodeSkulptor. The iterative process demonstrated how well ChatGPT can understand and implement coding requests, allowing for quick modifications and enhancements.

For those interested, I highly recommend trying out the code in CodeSkulptor and playing around with your own modifications. The experience is a great way to learn how game logic works while also exploring AI-assisted development.

Download the Code Below

python_codeskulptor_space_invaders_chatgpt.txt
File Size:	4 kb
File Type:	txt

Download File

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Looking Ahead: The Power of AI Coding Assistance

This experience left me excited to continue exploring coding with ChatGPT. Now that o3-mini-high is available—a model that is supposed to be even more proficient at coding—I’m even more eager to see how it improves code generation, debugging, and refactoring. With each iteration, AI models are becoming more adept at understanding context, implementing changes effectively, and even suggesting improvements I might not have thought of myself.

​If this simple Space Invaders game was just the beginning, I can only imagine how far AI-powered coding assistance can take us. Imagine being able to code entirely in natural language! Whether you're a beginner learning the basics or an experienced developer looking to prototype ideas quickly, ChatGPT is proving to be an invaluable tool in the coding process.