What are the benefits?

You earn breaks by doing the work you already came to do. The status bar shows progress toward the next plays, so you have a finish line without leaving the file. Games open in the editor, so you skip the phone spiral and keep your tabs, context, and cursor where they were.

How does it help prevent burnout?

Burnout sneaks in when every pause feels like slacking, or when a quick check on your phone turns into twenty minutes. Code to Play makes rest part of the loop: write code, unlock plays, take a short break in the editor, then return to the same file. The break is the reward for shipping lines, not a detour from them.

What's included in Pro?

Pro includes everything in Free, plus 2 extra play spaces and Call Stack, Merge Conflict, and Kernel Panic. New Pro checkouts start with a 5-day free trial; cancel before it ends and you are not charged. After that it’s $4/month ($6 marked down), or 15% off billed yearly at $40.80. Play spaces are a separate one-time add-on at $1 each (1–10), with a 5-hour cooldown after a purchase so focus stays on writing code.

Code to Play: earn playtime by writing code

Write real code in VS Code and earn plays for in-editor games. Stay focused, ship features, then take a break without leaving your files.

Install Extension Explore Pro

Installs

Languages

game-object.ts — code-to-play

Available GamesPlays remaining: 5Free Games

Debug Snake5 plays

Whack-a-Bug5 plays

CI Bird5 plays

Pro Games

Call StackPro5 plays

Merge ConflictPro5 plays

Kernel PanicPro5 plays

View StatisticsExport Statistics

game-object.tsmain.rs

1export class GameObject {
2  private x = 0;
3  private y = 0;
4
5  constructor(public name: string) {}
6
7  move(dx: number, dy: number) {
8    this.x += dx;
9    this.y += dy;
10  }
11}

Code to Play5 plays

Debug Snake

Whack-a-Bug

CI Bird

Call StackPro

Merge ConflictPro

Kernel PanicPro

main 0 0Code to Play (5)TypeScript · Ln 12, Col 18

Built for Hardcore Developers

Open source on GitHub

Why use it?

Coding is intense. Rest is part of the work.

Breaks shouldn't break your workflow. They should be earned.

Built for long sessions
When you have been in the editor for hours, a short play is the break you actually take. You earned it by writing code, not by switching apps.
Meaningful lines only
Comments, blanks, and brace-only lines do not count. The meter moves when you write real code, so progress toward your next plays reflects work you actually did.
A finish line in the status bar
1000 lines unlock 5 plays, shared across every game. Seeing the count tick up is a reason to keep going without leaving your flow.
Rest without the guilt
Burnout sneaks in when every pause feels like slacking. Here the break is the reward for shipping lines, so you can step away and come back to the same file.
Skip the phone spiral
A quick check on your phone is never quick. Games live in the editor, so the break stays a break instead of a twenty-minute scroll.
Play without leaving your IDE
Games open as a webview. Your tabs stay put, your context stays intact, and you return to the same cursor.

Features

Everything you need to play while you work

A complete gamification toolkit that lives in your IDE.

01
Meaningful line tracking
Comments, blanks, and brace-only lines do not count. Only real code moves the meter toward your next plays.
JavaScriptTypeScriptPythonC++RustGoJavaRuby…
02
Progressive unlock
1000 meaningful lines unlock 5 plays, shared across every game. The status bar shows progress while you work, then remaining plays once you unlock.
450/1000 lineslocked
03
Local high scores
High scores are split per difficulty. They live in the editor, so you can reset them anytime — nothing leaves your machine.
Easy11
Medium7
Hard3
Stored locally · reset anytime

See all features

Pricing

Earn plays, or add more when you need them

The loop stays free: write code, unlock plays, take a break. Pro starts with a 5-day free trial. Play spaces are optional when you want extra.

Free

Earn plays by writing meaningful code. Install once, no account.

Games: Whack-a-Bug, Debug Snake, and CI Bird
Difficulty levels on every free game
1000 meaningful lines unlock 5 plays, shared across games
Local high scores and stats — no telemetry
Works in supported editors

VS Code Marketplace Open VSX

Subscription · 5-day free trial

Pro

Everything in Free, extra play spaces, Call Stack, Merge Conflict, and Kernel Panic. Start with a 5-day free trial.

$6$4/month

Everything in Free
+2 play spaces
Call Stack, Merge Conflict, and Kernel Panic
5-day free trial — cancel before it ends and you are not charged

Then $4/month or yearly. Cancel during the trial and you are not charged.

Add-on

Play spaces

Buy extra play spaces when you have already earned your loop and still want a short break.

$1for 1 space

$1 each

Buy 1 to 10 play spaces at a time. After a purchase, the next buy is locked for 5 hours so you stay concentrated on writing code.

Full details on the pricing page.

FAQ

Questions before you install

What it is, why it helps, and what Pro adds — then write code until the status bar unlocks plays.

Code to Play is a VS Code extension that unlocks in-editor mini-games as you write real code. Meaningful lines count toward unlocks — comments, blanks, and brace-only lines do not. By default, 1000 lines unlock 5 plays, shared across Whack-a-Bug, Debug Snake, and CI Bird. High scores and stats stay on your machine.

Read the full FAQ

Next step

Now that you have heard about us

Install the extension, go Pro, star the repo, or get in touch about a project.