Immersive Media and User Experience

Vol. 2 (2026)
Articles

A Comparative Study of AI Tools and Techniques for Assisting Solo Artists and Programmers in Developing Video Games from Scratch

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  • Sanjib Bashir Ahmad,
  • Siti Azreena Binti Mubin
Sanjib Bashir Ahmad
School of Computing, Asia Pacific University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Siti Azreena Binti Mubin
School of Computing, Asia Pacific University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Published 2026-06-09

Keywords

  • AI,
  • Solo developer,
  • Game development,
  • Art,
  • Animation,
  • Programming,
  • Open source
    • ...More
    Less
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Game development is a complex activity that requires the combined creative and technical skills in image-making, animation, audio, programming, and game design. Solo game development is hard, as it takes tremendous effort to be good at one skill, let alone many. This paper investigates the extent to which solo developers can use AI-assisted workflows to develop playable game prototypes. Using AI for game asset generation and technical support, the production time for developing games can be significantly reduced. Combined with human skills and creativity, these generated assets can be transformed into high-quality production value. In programming and technical development, AI can be successfully used to debug, explain code, and support the creation of robust build systems and codebases. Other classical AI systems, such as knowledge engineering, have been used to develop a game subsystem logic using ontologies. Through multiple case studies and repeated game development, the study rigorously tests AI tools and techniques. Solo development challenges the perception that software and games can only be developed by institutions or teams. Solo development can foster new development practices and avenues for individual expression, thus enabling the creation of novel games that not only entertain but also carry meaning.

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