A vampire survivors-style idle game where you earn XP from real coding activity. Code to conquer!
Wave 7 in Debug Zone — Double XP event active, enemies swarming, shrines waiting
Vibe Coder is an idle survival game that rewards you for coding. Connect it to your development workflow and watch your character grow stronger as you write code. Every tool call, every prompt, every commit powers up your in-game character.
While you code, your character:
- 🎯 Hunts enemies with smart auto-play AI (HUNT / EVADE / IDLE modes)
- ⚔️ Auto-attacks with 30 weapons including 11 evolved combos
- 🔄 Earns permanent prestige bonuses through the Rebirth system
- 🎲 Discovers interactive shrines with risk/reward choices
- 💬 Comments on your coding with 90+ unique quotes
Your character reacts to everything with contextual commentary:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Combat (20) | "Target acquired!", "Tactical retreat", "stretches" |
| Coding Activity (20) | "Code go brrrr", "Ship it ship it!", "We cooking rn" |
| Time-of-Day (17) | "3am coding hits different", "Saturday deploy? Bold move" |
| CLI-Specific (10) | "Claude cooking!", "Codex in the house!", "Cursor flow!" |
| Title Screen (20+) | "Bugs fear me", "npm install infinite", "ALL HAIL DareDev256" |
You Code Vibe Coder
┌──────────┐ WebSocket ┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ Claude │──on-prompt──▶│ XP Server (:3333) │
│ Code │ hook fires │ │ │
│ │ │ ▼ │
│ IDE │──HTTP POST──▶│ Game Engine (Phaser 3) │
│ Terminal │ │ ├─ Auto-Play AI │
│ etc. │ │ ├─ 19 Enemy Types + Bosses │
└──────────┘ │ ├─ Weapon Evolution │
│ └─ Prestige System │
└──────────────────────────────┘
- HUNT Mode ⚔️ - Actively pursues nearest enemy within optimal range
- EVADE Mode 🛡️ - Circle-strafes when HP < 30% or swarmed by 4+ enemies
- IDLE Mode 😴 - Gentle wander toward center when area is clear
- Mode-specific speech bubbles and visual indicators
| Type | Examples | Unique Behaviors |
|---|---|---|
| Classic (6) | Bug, Glitch, Memory Leak, Syntax Error, Infinite Loop, Race Condition | Teleporting, orbiting, erratic speed |
| Coding (7) | Segfault, Dependency Hell, Git Conflict, Stack Overflow, 404, CORS Error, Type Error | Instant-kill zones, minion spawning, splitting, invisibility, shape-shifting |
| AI-Themed (6) | Hallucination, Prompt Injection, Mode Collapse, Token Overflow, Context Loss, Overfitting | Fake enemies, movement hijacking, self-cloning, movement prediction |
| Boss | Wave | Special Ability |
|---|---|---|
| Stack Overflow | 20 | Spawns minions |
| Null Pointer | 40 | Teleportation |
| Memory Leak Prime | 60 | Splits on damage |
| Kernel Panic | 80 | Enrages at low HP |
| Deadlock | Mini | Freezes player on hit |
| Category | Count | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Ranged | 9 | Basic, Spread, Pierce, Homing, Freeze |
| Melee | 4 | Sword, Spear, Boomerang, Kunai |
| Rare | 3 | rm -rf, sudo, Fork Bomb |
| Legendary | 3 | Hunter's Warglaive, Void Reaper, Celestial Blade |
| Evolved | 11 | Combine 2 weapons for super forms |
All 11 Weapon Evolution Recipes — Collect both ingredients to evolve:
| Recipe | Result | Special |
|---|---|---|
| Spread + Pierce | LASER BEAM | Multi-pierce |
| Orbital + Rapid | PLASMA ORB | 5 orbitals |
| Pierce + Rapid | CHAIN LIGHTNING | 3-chain arcs |
| Spread + Rapid | BULLET HELL | 8-projectile spray |
| Orbital + Spread | RING OF FIRE | 8-orbital ring |
| Homing + Pierce | SEEKING MISSILE | Piercing tracker |
| Bounce + Spread | CHAOS BOUNCE | 5-bounce scatter |
| AOE + Orbital | DEATH AURA | 150px kill zone |
| Freeze + Pierce | ICE LANCE | 3s freeze-through |
| Homing + Rapid | SWARM | 3 homing drones |
| Freeze + AOE | BLIZZARD | AoE freeze field |
Each biome has distinct visuals, environmental hazards, and destructible objects:
Debug Zone → Memory Banks → Network Layer → Kernel Space → Cloud Cluster → Singularity
Map features: Walls (block movement + projectiles), hazard zones (5-20 damage), destructible crates (drop XP/weapons), and teleporter pairs for fast traversal.
Reach wave milestones to permanently power up across all future runs:
| Rank | Wave | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Dev | 50 | +5% all stats, +10% XP |
| Mid-Level | 100 | +10% all stats, +20% XP, +1 starting weapon |
| Senior Dev | 150 | +15% all stats, +30% XP, +2 starting weapons |
| Tech Lead | 200 | +20% all stats, +40% XP, +3 starting weapons |
| Architect | 250 | +25% all stats, +50% XP, +3 starting weapons |
Tracks lifetime stats: total rebirths, lifetime kills, highest wave ever reached.
Spend XP on persistent buffs that carry across runs:
| Upgrade | Per Level | Max | Total Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAMAGE+ | +10% | 10 | +100% |
| HEALTH+ | +15% | 10 | +150% |
| SPEED+ | +8% | 8 | +64% |
| ATTACK+ | +12% | 8 | +96% |
| XP GAIN+ | +15% | 10 | +150% |
| CRIT+ | +5% | 6 | +30% |
| DURATION+ | +20% | 5 | +100% |
Ultra-rare permanent unlocks that persist forever:
| Legendary | Drop Rate | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter's Warglaive | 0.01% | Twin spinning blades |
| Void Reaper | 0.05% | Soul-consuming scythe |
| Celestial Blade | 0.03% | Triple starlight orbitals |
Mutators applied at run start that change how you play:
| Modifier | Effect |
|---|---|
| Glass Cannon | 2x damage, 50% max health |
| Vampiric Enemies | Enemies heal 10% of damage dealt |
| Weapon Frenzy | -50% weapon duration, +50% drop rate |
| Bullet Hell | +100% projectiles, +50% enemies |
| Marathon | Waves 50% longer, +25% XP |
15% chance per wave (starting wave 5) to trigger dynamic chaos:
| Event | Duration | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Boss Incoming 💀 | 30s | Countdown, then mini-boss spawns |
| Double XP ⭐ | 20s | 2x XP from all sources |
| Curse 😈 | 60s | All enemies +50% speed |
| Jackpot 🎰 | 30s | Only rare weapon drops |
| Swarm 🐛 | 15s | 20 enemies spawn rapidly |
2 shrines spawn per stage. Walk up and press E to activate:
| Shrine | Cost | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Power ⚔️ | 25% HP | +50% damage for 30s |
| Gamble 🎲 | Free | Random: Jackpot XP, Weapon, Heal, Curse, or Nothing |
| Wisdom 📚 | 500 XP | Instant level up |
| Protection 🛡️ | Current weapon | 10s invincibility |
| Chaos 🌀 | 10% HP | Random: Double XP, Speed, Invincibility, Enemy Freeze, Curse, or Boss |
On death, a full run recap overlay shows your performance before respawning:
- Wave Reached / Time Survived / Enemies Killed / Level / Weapons Found / Stage
- BITS earned with breakdown (wave + kills + xp bonuses)
- NEW RECORD badge when you beat your high wave
- Press any key to continue, or auto-dismisses after 8s
- Auto-saves at wave completion
- CONTINUE option on title screen with "Wave X, Stage Y, Xm ago" summary
- Saves expire after 24 hours
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| WASD / Arrows | Move |
| E | Interact with Shrines |
| ESC / P | Pause |
| M | Toggle Music |
| SPACE | Manual XP (offline mode) |
| G | Secret: Unlock Hunter's Warglaive |
Immortal Mode — Toggle in Settings. Respawn on death instead of game over (50% XP penalty). Great for idle play while coding.
Press SPACE to manually gain XP, or connect the hooks for real coding rewards!
npm install # Install dependencies
npm run dev # Start the game
npm run server # (Optional) XP server for live coding rewardsOpen http://localhost:5173 in your browser.
Run Vibe Coder as a native desktop app with system tray integration!
Check the Releases page for pre-built binaries:
- macOS:
.dmginstaller (Universal - Intel + Apple Silicon) - Windows:
.exeinstaller - Linux:
.AppImageor.deb
- System Tray - Lives in your menu bar, always accessible
- Built-in XP Server - No separate server needed
- 4 Window Modes - Floating, Corner Snap, Desktop Widget, Mini HUD
- Global Shortcuts -
Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Vtoggle,Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Wcycle modes
npm run electron:dev # Development mode (hot reload)
npm run electron:build # Build distributableConnect Vibe Coder to your AI coding assistant for real XP gains while coding!
Note: The online demo doesn't support live XP (requires local server). For the full experience, run locally with hooks connected.
Supported tools — pre-built hooks included for each:
| Tool | Hook Script | Bonus XP |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | hooks/claude-code-hook.sh |
+15 per action |
| Codex | hooks/codex-hook.sh |
+12 per action |
| Gemini | hooks/gemini-hook.sh |
+12 per action |
| Cursor | hooks/cursor-hook.sh |
+10 per action |
| Generic | hooks/vibe-coder-hook.sh |
+8 per action |
Quick Setup (Claude Code):
- Clone the repo and run
npm install - Start the XP server:
npm run server - Copy
hooks/on-prompt.shto~/.claude/hooks/ - Start the game:
npm run dev - Code normally — XP flows into the game automatically!
📖 Full Setup Guide — Detailed instructions, troubleshooting, custom integrations
vibe-coder/
├── src/
│ ├── main.js # Game config, upgrades, legendaries
│ ├── __tests__/ # Vitest unit tests (240 tests)
│ ├── scenes/
│ │ ├── BootScene.js # Procedural texture generation
│ │ ├── TitleScene.js # Menu, upgrades, weapon gallery
│ │ └── ArenaScene.js # Main gameplay, enemies, bosses
│ ├── systems/
│ │ ├── EventManager.js # Mid-wave random events
│ │ ├── MapManager.js # Procedural map generation & biomes
│ │ ├── RebirthManager.js # Prestige system (permanent bonuses)
│ │ ├── RunModifiers.js # Run-start mutators
│ │ ├── SaveManager.js # Run continuation & auto-save
│ │ └── ShrineManager.js # Interactive risk/reward shrines
│ └── utils/
│ ├── SpatialHash.js # O(n) spatial collision detection
│ ├── audio.js # Procedural sound system
│ └── socket.js # WebSocket XP client
├── electron/ # Desktop app (main, tray, windows)
├── server/ # Standalone XP server
├── hooks/ # Claude Code hooks
└── index.html
| Decision | Why |
|---|---|
| Zero external assets | All graphics + audio generated procedurally at runtime via Canvas/Web Audio API — no sprite sheets, no sound files, instant load |
| Spatial hashing | O(n) collision detection via SpatialHash grid instead of O(n²) pairwise checks — handles 200+ entities at 60fps |
| Real-time XP pipeline | WebSocket bridge turns any dev tool (Claude Code, IDE, CLI) into a game controller via simple HTTP POST |
| Procedural maps | Each biome generates walls, hazards, destructibles, and teleporters at runtime — no static level data |
| Single-source color system | All 30 weapon colors derived from weaponTypes/evolutionRecipes — zero duplication, impossible to mismatch |
| Data-driven enemy spawning | Enemy wave timing, spawn weights, and textures all live in enemyTypes — adding an enemy is a single line change |
| Hardened XP servers | All HTTP endpoints validate input against strict allowlists, enforce body size limits, and set security headers (X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options, Referrer-Policy) |
| 240 unit tests | Core systems + game mechanics + shrine data + save lifecycle tested with Vitest |
- Phaser 3 - Game engine
- Vite - Build tool & dev server
- Electron - Desktop app wrapper
- Vitest - Unit testing (240 tests)
- Web Audio API - Procedural sound generation
- Canvas API - Procedural graphics (no external assets!)
- WebSocket - Real-time XP streaming
- Node.js - XP server backend
npm test # Run all tests once
npm run test:watch # Watch mode (re-runs on file changes)240 unit tests across 8 test suites cover core game systems (SpatialHash, RunModifiers, SaveManager, EventManager, RebirthManager, ShrineManager), game mechanics (GameMechanics — XP curves, player stat scaling, spawn pools, weapon balance, evolution recipes, crit chance), and combat edge cases (CombatEdgeCases — health scaling caps, boss tier selection, crit pipeline, fork bomb decay, git-conflict splits, vampiric healing, wave XP stacking, spawn capping).
v0.8.0 — Game Over Stats Screen: full run recap overlay on death showing wave, time survived, kills, level, weapons found, stage, and BITS earned with breakdown. NEW RECORD badge for high wave beats. Gameplay freezes during overlay.
v0.7.9 — Fixed test stderr noise that caused Passion Agent false failures (console.error leaking from error-path tests), added CI test gate to deploy workflow.
v0.7.8 — Security hardening: input validation with allowlists on all XP server endpoints, request body size limits, security headers, CORS restriction, .gitignore hardened for secrets, 4 npm dependency vulnerabilities patched.
v0.7.5 — Added 50 unit tests: 31 ShrineManager tests (shrine definitions, gamble weight distribution, chaos effects, cost logic), 19 SaveManager persistence tests (save/load lifecycle, 24h expiry, corrupted JSON recovery).
v0.7.3 — Fixed 3 memory leaks: pause menu keyboard handlers stacking, weapon drop infinite tweens persisting after destroy, shrine prompt tween surviving scene shutdown.
v0.7.2 — Fixed 15 announcement texts invisible off-camera, event timer bar scale clamping, spawn pool crash guard.
See CHANGELOG.md for full version history.
MIT — fork it, mod it, ship it.
Built with Claude Code by DareDev256.
Hunter's Warglaive artwork inspired by Luu.
Code to Conquer! 🚀