Learning Objectives
- Choose Node.js or Python 3.12
- Create the right starting project
- Run a blank game loop before adding features
Section 1
Node.js Track
Choose this track if you want a browser game. Codex will build a Vite project with an HTML Canvas game.
Ask Codex:
Create a Node.js browser game project for a space alien shooter using Vite and plain TypeScript or JavaScript. Keep it simple: one canvas, one main game file, and npm scripts for dev and build. After creating it, tell me the exact command to run it locally.
Expected command:
npm run dev
Success means a local browser page opens with a blank or simple canvas.
Exercises
- 1Run the local dev server.
- 2Confirm you can see a canvas or starter screen.
Section 2
Python 3.12 Track
Choose this track if you want a desktop game window. Codex will build a Pygame project.
Create and activate the environment first:
conda create -n alien-shooter python=3.12 -y
conda activate alien-shooter
pip install pygame-ce
Then ask Codex:
Create a Python 3.12 Pygame space alien shooter project. Keep it beginner-friendly: one main.py file at first, clear constants at the top, and no art files yet. Create a running game window with a dark starfield background and a player ship placeholder. After creating it, tell me the exact command to run it.
Expected command:
python main.py
Exercises
- 1Run python main.py.
- 2Confirm a game window opens.
Section 3
Stop and Verify
Before adding enemies, verify three things:
- You can run the project from a fresh terminal.
- You know which file contains the main game loop.
- You can stop the game and start it again.
If any of these fail, ask Codex to fix the setup before moving on.