AxisPy: A Python 2D Game Engine with AI Assistant (built with love and passion for python/pygame)
Hey r/pygame!
I've been a Python developer for years, I do everything with Python. My gamedev journey started with pygame back in 2016, and I've shipped several little games since then ( check some of them out on itch.io).
After exploring Godot, Unity, and Unreal, I kept hitting the same wall: I loved the visual editor workflow (hierarchy, scene view, inspector with components, one-click easy exports to mobile/web/PC), but I desperately wanted that experience in my favorite language and ecosystem.
So I built AxisPy.
It's a fully Python-native 2D engine on top of pygame with:
- Visual Editor: Scene/hierarchy view, inspector with components, asset manager
- ECS Architecture: Modular game logic (entities, components, systems)
- AI Assistant: Built-in LLM integration that can write scripts, create entities, add components, and debug your game (supports OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, OpenRouter, even local LLMs). Just ask it to "add a light to the ball" and it does it.
- Export Targets: Web (pygbag), desktop (PyInstaller), with mobile in progress
- Python Scripting
Video Demo:
Recorded a quick demo of a Breakout clone I built in AxisPy:
- Walking through the entity hierarchy and scene view
- Playing the game
- Asking the AI Assistant to "add a light to the ball entity", it immediately attaches a Light component in the inspector
Why I'm building this:
I'm not trying to compete with C++ engines on performance. I just love Python and pygame, I want to build games in a modern environment (like Unity/Godot) without leaving the Python ecosystem. That's it!
The engine isn't perfect yet, but the core is solid enough to ship PC and web games. If you've been wanting a Python-first engine with modern tooling, this might be for you.
Looking for:
- Testers: try it, break it, tell me what hurts
- Contributors: Its MIT licensed, feel free to make it better
- Feedback: on workflow, AI integration, missing features, etc
If you're a Python dev who's been eyeing modern engines but didn't want to leave pygame behind let's build this together.
Links
AGAIN: I am not trying to compete with Unity/Godot, this is about empowering Python devs to build games in the language they already love.
Would love your thoughts!