
I made a space shooter designed specifically for Apple Watch
I recently released Poly Strike, an arcade-style space shooter built specifically for the Apple Watch.
This was my first project where I leaned heavily on Generative AI throughout development. I used ChatGPT as a coding partner to help write and refactor Swift code, debug watchOS-specific issues, brainstorm gameplay mechanics, improve performance, and iterate on the UI. It definitely sped up development, but I still spent a lot of time testing on a real Apple Watch and tweaking the gameplay by hand—AI could generate ideas and code, but getting the controls and game feel right still took a lot of iteration.
One thing I found interesting is that AI was much better at solving isolated programming problems than making good gameplay decisions. The fun factor still came from repeatedly testing and refining the game myself.
I'd love to hear how other developers are using AI in their game development workflow. Have you found similar limitations, or are there tasks where AI has surprised you?
If you'd like to check out the game, here's the App Store link:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/poly-strike-watch-space-game/id6787919881
I'm happy to answer any questions about the development process or the AI workflow I used.