New, build and run

Three commands take you from nothing to a game running on the console:

chilichip new space-cat
cd space-cat
chilichip run              # on your computer
chilichip run --console    # on the console

New

chilichip new NAME [--template game|rpg] [--author NAME]

1. Downloads the latest game template (or the RPG template) into a folder called NAME, without the template's git history.
2. Renames it: project(NAME ...) in CMakeLists.txt, and title and author in metadata.yml. The author is git config user.name unless you pass --author.
3. Starts a fresh git repository with one commit.
4. Checks that 32blit-sdk, pico-sdk and pico-extras are next to the game, and offers to download the missing ones from chili-chip.

$ chilichip new space-cat
Created /home/ada/projects/space-cat
Missing next to your game: pico-sdk, pico-extras
Download them now? [Y/n]: y
Next: cd space-cat && chilichip run

Template	What you get
game (default)	A small working game with CMake presets for desktop and console, CI, and a save example.
rpg	An RPG starter with tile map assets. It has no CMake presets, so chilichip passes the same settings itself.

The name becomes the CMake target and the title on the home screen, so it can have up to 24 letters, digits, - and _, and starts with a letter. Change the title later in metadata.yml.

Build

chilichip build             # for this computer (default)
chilichip build --console   # a .blit for the console

Run it anywhere inside the game folder. It wraps the template's CMake presets:

Flag	Preset	Output
--desktop	linux	out/build/linux/NAME.elf
--console	vgc-blit	out/build/vgc-blit/NAME.blit

The first build configures the folder (cmake --preset ...); later builds only run cmake --build. CMake's own output is shown as it runs. To start over, delete out/build/<preset>.

The same presets work in VS Code's CMake Tools, so the editor and chilichip share build folders.

Run

chilichip run               # build, then start the game on this computer
chilichip run --console     # build, install over USB, then start it on the console

run --console checks the .blit before uploading, like install does, and uses the console's API version from its loader.

Supported systems

System	Desktop builds	Console builds
Linux	yes	yes
macOS	yes	yes
Windows (WSL)	yes	yes
Windows (native)	no, use Visual Studio as the SDK docs describe	no