Play games in your terminal while Claude Code works on your tasks.

Inspired by claude-arcade

You typed a big prompt. Claude is refactoring your auth module, migrating your database, or rewriting your test suite. The streaming dots are rolling. You have nothing to do for the next three minutes.

Every solution out there says "be productive while you wait." Open another tab. Review a PR. Read docs.

claude-games says: just take a break. Your code is shipping anyway.

git clone https://github.com/tirth8205/claude-games.git
cd claude-games
npm install
npm run build
npm start

git clone https://github.com/tirth8205/claude-games.git
cd claude-games
npm install
npm run build
npm install -g .

# Now run from any terminal window:
claude-games

npx claude-games

Note: npx usage requires the package to be published to npm first. For now, use the clone + build approach above.

Open a second terminal tab/pane while Claude is working in the first one. Run claude-games in the second tab. Play games while Claude ships your code in the other tab. When you're done, close the game and switch back.

If you're inside a Claude Code session, you can also run it with:

! claude-games

(The ! prefix runs a shell command in the current session's terminal.)

By default, the status bar shows a generic "claude is working..." message. To get real-time updates — know when Claude finishes or needs your input — run:

claude-games setup

This prints the Claude Code hook configuration you need. Add it to .claude/settings.json in your project (or ~/.claude/settings.json globally). Once configured:

• Green pulse — Claude is actively using tools, working on your task
• Yellow alert — >>> claude needs your input! <<< — switch back, it's waiting for approval
• Blue alert — >>> claude is done! switch back to review <<< — your code is ready

The hooks write to a tiny temp file. The game polls it once per second. No network, no API calls, no tokens — just a file on disk.

The Claude sparkle mascot — the same ▐▛███▜▌ you see every time you launch Claude Code — now dodges real terminal errors in a side-scrolling runner.

• Jump over Segfault, npm ERR!, panic!, exit code (1), git merge conflicts
• Duck under ▌FATAL▐, ▌500▐, ▌KILL▐ flying overhead
• // TODO: fix later and // works on my machine drift by in the background
• Speed ramps up as your score climbs
• Milestone flashes (▜▛ nice!) at every 100 points

The board is a grid that looks like GitHub's contribution heatmap. Your snake has a directional head (▶▶ ▲▲ ▼▼ ◀◀), solid ██ body that fades through GitHub's green gradient, and a ░░ tail. The food? Mini Claude sparkle logos (▜▛) pulsing in terracotta.

• Wrap-around edges — exit left, enter right
• Each food eaten = one "contribution"
• Speed increases every 5 points
• Subtle checkerboard grid for depth

Every screen shows a persistent status bar:

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
● claude is working...  ║  playing: 2m 14s  ║  esc to return
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

The green dot pulses like a heartbeat. The game timer ticks up so you know exactly how long you've been playing.

When you exit, you get a little receipt:

☕ game over — you played for 3m 42s (snake: 47 pts)

Unlock fun milestones that flash briefly when achieved:

┌─────────────────┐         ┌──────────────────┐
│   Claude Code   │         │  claude-games   │
│   (tab 1)       │         │  (tab 2)         │
│                 │  hooks  │                  │
│  agent works... │ ──────> │  status file     │
│  tool calls...  │  write  │  (polls 1/sec)   │
│  done!          │         │                  │
│                 │         │  ● working...    │
│                 │         │  >>> done! <<<   │
└─────────────────┘         └──────────────────┘

1. You run claude-games in a separate terminal tab
2. Games render using Ink (React for terminals) in an alternate screen buffer
3. All rendering is non-blocking — setInterval ticks, never synchronous loops
4. If hooks are configured, Claude Code writes status to a temp file on each tool use, completion, or notification
5. The game polls that file once per second and updates the status bar
6. When you exit, the return summary flashes, then the terminal is restored

Zero network calls. Zero tokens. Pure local file + terminal rendering.

claude-games/
├── src/
│   ├── cli.ts               # CLI entry (claude-games / claude-games setup)
│   ├── index.ts              # Library entry point
│   ├── renderer.ts           # Alternate screen buffer management
│   ├── status-bridge.ts      # File-based IPC with Claude Code hooks
│   ├── status-bar.tsx        # Live agent status bar component
│   ├── utils.ts              # Colors, logo, scoring, timer, achievements
│   ├── menu.tsx              # Game selection menu
│   ├── snake.tsx             # Snake game
│   └── claude-runner.tsx     # Runner game
├── .claude-plugin/           # Claude Code plugin metadata
├── commands/games.md        # /games slash command definition
├── skills/games/SKILL.md     # Skill definition
└── dist/                     # Compiled output (npm run build)

Want to add a game?

1. Create a new .tsx file in src/
2. Export a React component with { onExit: () => void } props
3. Use useInput from Ink for keyboard handling
4. Add <StatusBar /> at the bottom
5. Add it to the menu in src/menu.tsx
6. PR it!

Ideas: Tetris, Pong, Minesweeper, 2048, Breakout...

Inspired by claude-arcade — the original vision for games in Claude Code.

MIT