Can ChatGPT Create a Game?
Yes, ChatGPT can help you create a game! As I embarked on my journey to craft a new gaming experience, I was amazed at the assistance this AI chatbot provided. Alongside writing articles about ChatGPT, I aimed to see its capacity to teach me game design, a skill I longed to master. However, my quest wasn’t without hurdles; it was a rollercoaster of learning, failures, and revelations. Join me as we explore the journey of creating a game, aided by artificial intelligence.
The First Hurdle
As a kid, I dabbled in programming basic Flash games. You could say I was once an aspiring game designer, but life had other plans. Fast forward to now, I found myself fixated on developing ideas that didn’t seem to let me rest. The burning question became, why not give it a shot now? Yet, my inexperience and lack of direction loomed large. I didn’t know what kind of game I wanted to create or which engine to use. The idea of starting is often the hardest part, and my previous encounter with Unity had led to a swift uninstall due to its intimidating nature.
In this predicament, I turned to ChatGPT. No fancy plugins, no custom model—just me and an eager AI pal ready to help. By framing my conversation with ChatGPT to be supportive and educational, it guided me through the maze of available game engines. With ChatGPT explaining my options and offering suggestions after I detailed my game concept, we decided on Game Maker Studio. The choice felt promising as it appeared to be simpler than the major players like Unity. ChatGPT’s enthusiasm when I committed to my choice bolstered my motivation to proceed.
Now What?
With the game engine selected, my adventure unfolded further. It was time to learn the ins and outs of Game Maker Studio. ChatGPT recommended several approaches, including engaging in tutorials. That naturally led me to YouTube, where I found a tutorial on developing an Asteroids clone. Rewind a few hours, and I was joyfully reminiscing about my pre-teen self who would have delighted at the chance to play this game in school instead of cracking open textbooks.
Yet, while the tutorial illuminated the basics, it left me on shaky ground. The tutorial introduced me to the event logic within Game Maker, and it functioned! But then came the question: What’s next? Many experienced developers advise completing a few more tutorial projects before getting into personal game development. However, I possessed something that could shortcut this process: ChatGPT.
Why not jump straight into my own game project, skipping the methodology? After all, I had this invaluable chatbot to assist whenever I faced challenges—it seemed reasonable, right? So, we embarked on this journey together. ChatGPT became my coding companion. The initial prototype of my game took shape swiftly, thanks to the AI providing code snippets and guidance every step of the way.
It’s All Good—Until It Isn’t
However, as the saying goes, “What goes up must come down.” Despite making rapid progress with my prototype, a sudden issue reared its head. I wanted to expand the game, to make it larger and more fun—but, awkwardly, my bespoke prototype had zero flexibility for expansion without overhauling everything I had built. No problem, I thought. Prototypes exist to be iterated upon, so back to the drawing board it was!
This time, determined to address the limitations, I created a CustomGPT—one that was more engaged than my previous version and equipped with knowledge of in-game objects, scripts, and variable names. The grass felt greener as I built my game’s foundation anew with modular code using arrays and structs, a method I’d learned about but had little practical knowledge of. Alas, one night, fatigued yet eager to finish a segment before a couple of days away from my project, I took a shortcut. I let ChatGPT write the code.
Initially, it worked like a charm! The code aced the tests, and I drifted off to sleep, feeling accomplished. But then, what began as a one-off miracle turned into a crutch. My reliance on ChatGPT escalated; I started using variable names it suggested and relied on it for code comments. Everything felt on track until I faced a significant challenge: an important game object wouldn’t function as intended. Despite taking its suggestions to fix the issue, nothing seemed to work.
As hours passed in frustration, I resorted to copying every line of event code and script into ChatGPT, begging for clarity. While it identified the issue, the fixes didn’t remedy the situation. Here I was, back at square one: stuck with a game that was half-baked and a certain realization that I lacked the skills to troubleshoot my own creation.
The Problem
In reflecting on my experience with ChatGPT, I discovered a central flaw with relying solely on AI for learning: It doesn’t *know*. While it excels at generating content that sounds knowledgeable, it lacks true understanding. ChatGPT supplied information on my quest to create a game, offering advice that could be outdated or unsuitable without signaling that better options existed. Its suggestions often teetered on the edge of deprecated logic, triggering warning bells in Game Maker.
The more complex my game’s requirements became, the increasingly apparent the limitations of my AI assistant. My custom version, no matter how advanced I aimed to make it, couldn’t dynamically adapt to my evolving requirements or build deeper than surface-level solutions. It just wasn’t a substitute for a skilled teacher—nor could it replace personal experience.
The Solution
Determined not to give up, I reframed my approach to using ChatGPT within my game-making journey. Churning out the next prototype has become my current focus, all while maintaining a balanced and healthier relationship with my chatty companion. I decided to do what real developers do: write all my code by hand.
Handwriting the code allowed me to name variables, create scripts, and leave commentary that seemed meaningful to me. This newfound understanding became critical when bugs inevitably arose. By maintaining a clear narrative in my code, when errors surfaced, I was equipped to troubleshoot effectively.
When stumped by a challenge, I would query ChatGPT for broad explanations—not asking it for direct fixes. This method required patience, but it fostered a more stable learning environment. Gradually, as I struggled and succeeded, even my developer friends chuckled at my naive resolve. The initial reliance on AI had served as an ironic foundation for traditional learning exposed through trial and error.
This was a true lightbulb moment: When I sought to learn, I should follow an actual game development manual. Also, I invested time in GitHub Desktop, ensuring I had a safety net to revert to if I ventured too far down the rabbit hole of coding pitfalls. Now, when I wind up asking ChatGPT for a sanity check, I come equipped with my strategy in mind, and the results have been fruitful.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, can ChatGPT create a game? While the answer is a resounding yes, with the AI’s help guiding aspects of programming and idea generation, the heart of learning lies in personal experience, dedication, and perseverance. The journey of crafting a game isn’t exclusively about output; it’s about the lessons learned and the growth experienced in the process.
So, aspiring game developers, remember: leverage AI like ChatGPT as a supportive resource, but ultimately, stay invested in your own learning journey. Commit to hands-on practice to grasp the intricacies of your craft, and don’t shy away from trial and error. It’s in those messy moments where true understanding takes root—and when combined with innovative tools like ChatGPT, you just might create something remarkable.