Question 1

What is Code to Play?

Accepted Answer

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 and Debug Snake. High scores and stats stay on your machine.

Question 2

What are the benefits?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 3

How does it help prevent burnout?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 4

What's included in Pro?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 5

How do I unlock plays?

Accepted Answer

Write real code in a supported file. The status bar shows progress while you are locked (for example, 450/1000 lines). When you hit 1000 meaningful lines, you get 5 plays, shared across every game. Open the Code to Play view in the Activity Bar, pick a game, and spend a play.

Question 6

What counts as a meaningful line?

Accepted Answer

Function and class declarations, assignments, control flow, method calls, and import or export statements. Comments, JSDoc, blank lines, and lines that are only braces are skipped.

Question 7

Which languages are tracked?

Accepted Answer

JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C, C++, C#, Go, Rust, PHP, Ruby, Swift, Kotlin, and more. If a file type is not tracked, the status bar will not move for that file.

Question 8

Does it work offline?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Games, scoring, and unlocks all run locally in the editor. You do not need an account or a network connection to play. Sign in from the activity bar is optional and is how you will link Pro later.

Question 9

What are play spaces?

Accepted Answer

Play spaces are extra room to take a break when you have already used your earned plays. Pro adds 2 spaces. You can also buy 1–10 spaces as a one-time add-on. After a purchase, the next buy is locked for 5 hours so the loop stays write code → play → write more.

Question 10

Where do high scores and stats live?

Accepted Answer

Locally in the editor by default. Signing in does not upload plays or scores. If you opt in on the dashboard, the signed-in extension can share a snapshot (lines, plays, high scores) so you can see a breakdown on the web. Turn it off to stop uploads and delete that snapshot.

Question 11

Do I need an account?

Accepted Answer

No. Free games, unlocks, and high scores work locally with no account. Sign in from the Code to Play activity bar when you want to link GitHub — that is how Pro will attach later. Signing in does not upload plays or scores unless you opt in on the Analytics page.

Question 12

Which editors are supported?

Accepted Answer

VS Code from the Marketplace, and VS Code forks such as Cursor from Open VSX. If the editor can install VS Code extensions, Code to Play can run there.