Make games with AI (ESKEES CLI)

Based on the ESKEES Studio alpha (September 2026). May change without notice.

With the ESKEES CLI (the eskees command) you can ask an AI such as Claude Code or Codex to “make this game with ESKEES”.

The AI never drives the ESKEES screen — it writes files and reads short text results — so it uses far fewer tokens than working through screenshots. The result is a regular ESKEES project (.espj), so people can open it in Studio and keep editing.

Available to users who have been granted access to ESKEES Studio.

1. Install and sign in

Requires Node.js 20+ and Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (used without a window).

Once, run these three in a terminal:

npm install -g https://showcase.eskees.com/cli/eskees-cli.tgz
eskees login     # the Studio page opens; press 「許可する」 (Allow)
eskees setup     # teaches Claude Code and Codex how to use ESKEES

For eskees login, check the code in your browser matches the one in your terminal before allowing.

Where a browser can't open (CI and so on), create a token on the same page and set it as ESKEES_TOKEN.

2. Ask the AI

Then just ask Claude Code or Codex: “make a … game with ESKEES”. The AI creates the folder, builds and checks the game, and opens it in your browser when it's ready.

To create a folder yourself: eskees new star-catch (a small playable starter plus AGENTS.md for the AI).

3. Commands

Command	What it does
`eskees preview`	Builds and opens it in your browser (to play)
`eskees check`	Script errors and references to missing parts, UI, sounds or tables, with line numbers and suggestions
`eskees build`	Creates `folder.espj` (open it in Studio) and `.eskx` (to share). `--html` adds a web page
`eskees play`	Plays without a window, fast-forwarded, and prints variables and actors as text (e.g. `--until 5 --keys "0.5:Space, 1-2:ArrowLeft"`)
`eskees shot`	Saves the screen as an image (`--at 2 --out shot.png`)
`eskees open`	Opens the `.espj` in the ESKEES desktop app (for you to edit). The desktop app is not distributed at the moment
`eskees pull`	Writes edits made in Studio back into the folder
`eskees publish`	Publishes to showcase (below)
`eskees docs`	Prints just the documentation section you need (`eskees docs lang 9.5`)

4. What's in the folder

File	Contents
`eskees.json`	Name, description, canvas size, assets (images) and where they're placed
`script.lua`	Logic (script language)
`ui.json`	On-screen text, buttons, panels and scenes
`game.json`	Character settings (control, hitbox, physics), sounds, stages, tables and camera
`images/`, `sounds/`	Images and audio

5. Take turns with the AI

The AI edits the folder and runs eskees build.
You open folder.espj, edit, and press Ctrl+S (「上書き保存」, save over the same file). For now, open it in Studio (Chrome / Edge) with 「プロジェクトを開く…」 (Open project). (The desktop app isn't distributed at the moment; once it is, eskees open or a double-click will work too.) Either way, saving writes straight back to that file.
Ask the AI to continue. Your edits are picked up automatically the next time it builds.

Only when you and the AI changed the same file (the script, say) does it stop, and the AI asks which to keep — your edits are never silently lost. The AI is also told (in AGENTS.md) to build in ways that are easy for people to edit: named image assets, placed parts, text in UI, character settings for control, tables for rows of numbers, and commented variables for tuning.

6. Publish to showcase

Ask the AI to “publish to showcase”, or run eskees publish yourself.

You choose editable (remixing allowed; the project is shared too) or not editable (play only) every time. Run it yourself and it asks; the AI always checks with you first.
Screenshots are taken from actual play (1 s and 3 s by default; --shots 1,3,5), or use --shot-files a.png,b.png.
Later runs update the same work; add --new for a separate one.
Publishing asks for confirmation. When an AI runs it, the AI checks with you first and then adds --yes.

You can also publish from the 「公開」 (Publish) button in Studio's top bar.

What is sent

Only the sign-in check, and your work when you publish. Building and playing happen on your own computer.
After a successful sign-in check, it works offline for 24 hours.