Stellar Throne

Hey fellow devs! 👋

I’m Philip aka MrPhil, and I’ve been building a stylized sci-fi 4X strategy game called Stellar Throne — think space fleets, alien diplomacy, and AI-powered opponents... all crafted in Zig with a custom SDL2 engine.

This project began as an experiment in what I call Agentic Game Development — using Claude and ChatGPT not just for code generation, but as collaborative “junior devs” who help with design, testing, and even refactoring. That experiment turned into the full game you’ll see here.

🌌 What is Stellar Throne?

A procedurally generated galaxy where:

• You explore new star systems and colonize alien worlds

• Wage fleet battles and ground invasions

• Engage with AI empires that (hopefully) think strategically

• Manage tech trees, shipyards, and planetary construction

• All presented in a clean, readable, vector-style UI

I’ve been focused on three core pillars:

• Readable Star Map – Prioritizing clarity over noise

• Competent AI Opponents – AI that doesn't stall or turtle forever

• AI-Assisted Dev Workflow – Most systems are co-authored with Claude and GPT

🛠️ Tech Stack

• Language: Zig

• Rendering: SDL2

• Asset Pipeline: Custom tools + AI-generated spritesheets

• Workflow: AI-assisted using Claude, ChatGPT, and prompt-engineered pipelines

📸 Screenshots, Features, and GIFs Coming Soon...

This devlog will showcase:

• Visual progress (maps, fleets, planets)

• System design (combat, diplomacy, exploration)

• Experiments in agentic coding

• Behind-the-scenes lessons (including AI fails and surprises)

If you're interested in:

• Building strategy games from scratch

• Using AI as part of your dev workflow

• Zig game development

...then I think you’ll enjoy following along.

🛰️ Follow Progress Here:

• Dev blog: mrphilgames.com

• Newsletter (deep dives + AI experiments): mrphilgames.substack.com

• Twitter: @mrphilgames

Looking forward to your feedback, ideas, or just watching along!

Cheers,
– MrPhil