Exploring VSCode and GitHub Copilot: A Beginner’s Journey with an Asteroids Game
As someone new to both Visual Studio Code and GitHub Copilot, I recently set out to explore what these tools could do—both as learning aids and as development companions. My goal was simple: test their capabilities while getting comfortable with their user interfaces and feature sets.
At first, I ran into a few bumps trying to configure Copilot. It wasn’t entirely intuitive to get it running, but after some trial and error (and a bit of Googling), I had it integrated and ready to assist. Once that was out of the way, I dove into my first project: creating a simple version of the classic Asteroids game using HTML5 Canvas and JavaScript. I chose these technologies because they’re lightweight and great for quick web-based distribution.
With Copilot up and running, I let it take the reins on much of the coding. To its credit, it did a surprisingly good job—generating most of the game’s functionality with minimal manual intervention. It handled everything from rendering to basic physics, and even player controls, quite competently.
That said, there was one noticeable limitation. As the project grew, Copilot began creating several different classes that shared very similar behavior. What it didn’t suggest—and what I eventually recognized—was the opportunity to abstract those commonalities into a base class and then derive the others from it. It’s the kind of structural insight that still benefits from human input, especially when it comes to maintainable design.
In the end, the game came together over the course of about two weeks. Copilot shouldered much of the workload, letting me focus on learning the tools and reviewing what the AI produced. It was a great hands-on way to learn—not just how to build a web game, but also how to collaborate with an AI assistant effectively.
// Example: Player class in the Asteroids game
class Player {
constructor(x, y) {
this.x = x;
this.y = y;
this.rotation = 0;
this.velocity = { x: 0, y: 0 };
}
update() {
// Update position based on velocity
this.x += this.velocity.x;
this.y += this.velocity.y;
// Screen wrap
this.x = (this.x + canvas.width) % canvas.width;
this.y = (this.y + canvas.height) % canvas.height;
}
draw(ctx) {
ctx.save();
ctx.translate(this.x, this.y);
ctx.rotate(this.rotation);
ctx.beginPath();
ctx.moveTo(10, 0);
ctx.lineTo(-10, -7);
ctx.lineTo(-10, 7);
ctx.closePath();
ctx.stroke();
ctx.restore();
}
}
This experience showed me that while Copilot isn’t perfect, it’s a powerful tool for learning and rapid prototyping. It doesn’t replace the need for understanding code structure or design principles, but it definitely accelerates the path from idea to implementation.