Bug Zoo
Turn your error messages into collectible monsters.
Get it in 2 minutes
You do not need to know how to code to try it. Pick the line that fits you:
| You have | Do this |
|---|
| VS Code | Press Ctrl+Shift+X, search Bug Zoo, click Install. Done. |
| Nothing installed | Download one file, no Node.js needed. Steps right below. |
| Node.js | Try it: npx bug-zoo run node app.js. Keep it: npm install -g bug-zoo |
Download one file, step by step
- Open the latest release and download the file for your computer: Windows
bugzoo-win-x64.exe · Mac (Apple chip) bugzoo-macos-arm64 · Linux bugzoo-linux-x64.
- Open a terminal in the folder where you saved it. Windows: open the folder, click its address bar, type
cmd, press Enter. Mac / Linux: open Terminal and type cd ~/Downloads.
- Run it on any program that crashes. Windows:
.\bugzoo-win-x64.exe run python app.py · Mac / Linux: run chmod +x bugzoo-macos-arm64 once, then ./bugzoo-macos-arm64 run python app.py.
A monster appears when the program fails. Fix your code, run the same command again, and it is caught. (python app.py can be any command: node app.js, npm test, go run . ...)
If Windows or macOS shows a warning, that is expected. The file is not code-signed (that costs money), so Windows says Windows protected your PC: click More info, then Run anyway. On a Mac, open System Settings > Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway. The .sha256 file next to each download lets you check that the file is untouched.
Catch bugs, build a team, battle your friends.
- Fix to catch: a crash spawns a monster; fix the code and re-run the command to catch it.
- Power from your real project: stack depth, blast radius, size and failure rate decide how strong it is.
- Battle friends, no server: pick who fights each round against a friend's code; no accounts, no database.
For developers who stare at stack traces all day (their own, or their AI assistant's) and would like it to feel a bit more like a game.
English | 繁體中文
Website: inkacuity.com/projects/bug-zoo · 專案介紹頁
A bug appears, you fix it, it is caught, your team fights. Real output; Node-internal stack frames trimmed.
Install
Pick the easiest one for you:
- In VS Code (one click): search for Bug Zoo in the Extensions view. Nothing else to install.
- Try it without installing (needs Node.js 18+):
npx bug-zoo run node app.js. Works with any command, e.g. npx bug-zoo run python main.py.
- No Node.js? Download one file from the latest release:
bugzoo-win-x64.exe, bugzoo-macos-arm64 or bugzoo-linux-x64, then run it in a terminal (./bugzoo-linux-x64 run python main.py). It is not code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen or macOS may warn once. Everything works except setup --auto and setup --ai, which hook into Node and need the npm install. Verify it with the .sha256 file next to it.
- Install for good:
npm install -g bug-zoo
bugzoo setup
Setup is optional: the first run asks the same questions by itself.
Requires Node.js 18+. No dependencies. bugzoo setup asks for your language (繁體中文 / 简体中文 / English) and a player name. It changes nothing on your machine except Bug Zoo's own data file.
Change the language any time with one line: bugzoo lang zh-CN (bugzoo lang lists them). In VS Code use the globe button in the Bug Zoo view header.
Play in 30 seconds
bugzoo run node app.js # 1. your program crashes: a bug appears
# 2. fix the bug in your code
bugzoo run node app.js # 3. same command, clean run: caught!
Works with any command (bugzoo run python main.py, bugzoo run npm test, ...). No project to try it on? playground/ has three broken programs; see playground/GUIDE.md.
VS Code extension
Prefer to watch your bugs roam around the editor? The VS Code extension turns failing terminal commands into monsters in the side bar, with friends and fights, friends and animated fights built in. It shares the same data file as the CLI.
Install: search for Bug Zoo in the VS Code Extensions view, or get it from the Marketplace.
Click to watch the 44-second promo video: the catch loop, the shop, evolution and teams, then what's new in v0.6 (you pick who fights each round, one-click sharing, bulk buying), in VS Code and in the terminal.
A crash spawns a monster. Fix it, and it is caught.
Pick who fights every round.
Add friends, fight them any time, share your team with a code.
Earn coins, shop for food and furniture, and feed your monsters until they evolve.
This is the beginning of the README. Read the rest at the original. Read the full README ↗
