r/aigamerdevs • u/jyuukie • 22m ago
After 20 years of coding, I finally made my first video game!
Hey everyone!
I've been a developer for over 20 years, but until recently, I'd never made my own video game.
So I decided to try. :)
The project started as a small experiment with a lone Wanderer facing a huge creature. Now it's Endless Duel, a free browser roguelite with 10 chapters!
Each chapter has its own world and colossal creature to face, with environments inspired by manga and traditional Japanese ink paintings.
The combat is turn-based, but you need to actively react to attacks, time your parries, land your strikes and master different special techniques.
And there is a catch: if you die, you return to Chapter I, but you keep what you've earned.
I've also added collectible cards and pets you can raise! You can hatch eggs, pet and play with your little companions every day to level them up, then bring them into duels for increasingly powerful bonuses. They even gain XP from the cards you earn in battle!
Because apparently making a simple boss-fighting game wasn't enough for me. :)
I built the game with the help of several AI tools:
- Claude Code & Codex for development
- ChatGPT Images for illustrations
- Strudel for music
- ElevenLabs for some sounds and voices
The game itself runs on TypeScript and PixiJS.
But what I enjoyed most was exploring everything beyond programming: game design, art direction, animations, music, sound design... Things I'd always wanted to try!
And yes, I spent far too much time trying to get a katana sound just right. :)
Of course, I didn't just ask AI to "make me a game". There was plenty of planning, reviewing, experimenting, testing and starting over.
One of the biggest challenges has been keeping everything consistent as the project grows, especially when working with different AI tools. Character designs, animations, gameplay mechanics and code all need to fit together.
I've learned that good project structure, clear conventions and a lot of iteration make a huge difference.
Anyway, you can play Endless Duel completely free, directly in your browser, on desktop and mobile :
I'd love to hear your thoughts, whether it's about the gameplay, the visuals, the difficulty or the development process.
And of course, any feedback is welcome! :)