playing-the-game

name	playing-the-game
description	Starts the local Vite server for the game and loads the game into a Chrome browser so the user can play it. Use when the user wants to test changes or play the game.

Playing the Game

Purpose: To automate the process of starting the local Vite server and launching the game in a browser for testing.

Trade-offs: Automatically stopping existing Vite servers ensures the correct game is loaded but may disrupt other running servers if they were intentionally started.

Decisions:

• Uses npm run dev -- --port 5173 --strictPort to start the Vite server on a consistent port.
• Launches Chrome pointing to http://localhost:5173.
• Avoids restarting the server if it is already running the same game, to preserve the HMR connection.

Workflow

1. Identify Game Directory

• Determine which game the user wants to play (e.g., icy-hockey, gravity-runner).
• Locate the directory for that game (e.g., <workspace>/icy-hockey).

2. Check for Existing Vite Server

• Check if a Vite server is already running.
• If it is running for a different game, or on the target port (5173) but for a different game, stop it.
• If it is running for the same game, do NOT stop it. This preserves the HMR connection and avoids opening duplicate tabs.
• Rule: Only restart the server if switching games or if the server is unresponsive.

3. Start Vite Server (If Needed)

• If a server is not already running for the same game, run npm run dev -- --port 5173 --strictPort in the game's directory using run_command.
• Why: The --port flag forces the port, and --strictPort ensures it fails if the port is taken, rather than picking a random one.
• This ensures a consistent URL of http://localhost:5173.
• If the command fails because the port is in use, proceed to find and kill the process on that port (Step 2) and try again.
• Do not block on this command if it runs continuously; send it to the background if needed or use a persistent terminal.

4. Launch Browser

• If a new server was started, or if the user explicitly asks to open the browser:
  • Use run_command to launch Chrome: google-chrome http://localhost:5173.
• If the server was already running, do not automatically launch Chrome to avoid opening duplicate tabs. Instead, inform the user that the server is running and provide the URL http://localhost:5173.
• Note: The agent cannot reliably determine if the user has closed the browser tab, so providing the URL and asking is the best approach if the server was already running.

5. Explain Controls to the User

After launching the game or providing the URL, print the following exact control explanation in the chat to guide the user:

🎮 **Cabinet Control Mapping Reference**

Because of the custom hardware wiring on our physical cabinet, the keys are mapped as follows:

| Cabinet Button | Keyboard Key | Gamepad Button | Purpose (Standard) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **A** | `X` | Button 1 (`pad.B`) | Action / Select / Fire |
| **B** | `Z` | Button 0 (`pad.A`) | Cancel / Back |
| **X** | `V` | Button 3 (`pad.Y`) | Action |
| **Y** | `C` | Button 2 (`pad.X`) | Action |
| **Home** | `H` | Button 8 | Exit / Go Home |
| **Restart** | `R` | Button 9 | Restart Game / Reload |

**Movement:**
* Use the **Arrow Keys** (`↑`, `↓`, `←`, `→`) to move around.