gamedev CLI reference
Every gamedev CLI command and option: interactive and headless modes, pkg, remote, daemon, acp, image-runtime, update, and the slash commands in the terminal.
The gamedev CLI is the AI Game Dev agent in your terminal: the same account, models, packages and engine connection as the desktop app. This reference lists every command and option of the CLI, the slash commands you type inside it, and its exit codes. Install it with npm install -g @baizor/gamedev (see Installation).
Usage at a glance
gamedev [<project-dir>] [options] interactive terminal UI
gamedev --print "<prompt>" headless one-shot query, reply on stdout
gamedev --print - headless, prompt read from stdin
gamedev --headless headless, prompt read from stdin
gamedev update upgrade the CLI to the latest version
gamedev pkg <subcommand> [args] manage packages, then exit
gamedev image-runtime [status|start] the local image runtime
gamedev remote <subcommand> [args] remote access and your other devices
gamedev daemon <subcommand> the background service
gamedev --on <name|id-prefix> the terminal UI on another computer's chats
gamedev acp [--model <model>] Agent Client Protocol agent on stdin/stdout
gamedev --help | --versionOptions
| Option | Meaning |
|---|---|
<project-dir> | Project folder (same as --project); a relative path is resolved against the current directory |
--project, -p <path> | Project folder (default: the current directory) |
--cwd <path> | Alias for --project |
--model <model> | Model to use (default: the one your account is assigned) |
--resume, -r <id> | Resume a previous session |
--print <prompt> | Non-interactive: send the prompt, stream the reply to stdout, exit. - reads stdin |
--headless | Force non-interactive mode, prompt from stdin |
--on <name> | Open the terminal UI on another paired computer's chats |
--help, -h | Show help |
--version, -v | Print the version |
--project and --cwd take precedence over a positional folder.
Interactive mode
Run gamedev in a project folder. Type a request and press Enter. Useful keys:
/opens the slash command palette; arrow keys move, Tab completes the command name.- Esc while a reply is streaming interrupts it.
- Ctrl+C exits (press twice to confirm).
- Hold Space for about a third of a second in the input to talk (push-to-talk voice input).
Without a terminal (piped input) the CLI falls back to a simple line mode.
Headless mode and scripting
Headless runs print only the reply on stdout; what the CLI detected (for example "Unity project detected") goes to stderr.
gamedev --print "List every scene in this project"
echo "Summarise the open TODOs in Assets/Scripts" | gamedev --headless
gamedev --project ./MyGame --model <model-id> --print "Run the edit-mode tests"| Exit code | When |
|---|---|
0 | The reply finished |
1 | A query, network or agent error, or Ctrl+C after the run started |
2 | Not signed in, an empty prompt, or an unusable folder or flag |
130 | Ctrl+C before the run started; nothing was sent |
143 | SIGTERM; the CLI detaches and a prompt already sent keeps running in the background service |
gamedev pkg
Manage packages of the project in the current directory (or --cwd <path>). Level flags: --user (every project on this computer), --project (committed, the default), --local (this checkout only).
gamedev pkg list [--user] packages in effect (--user: the user level alone)
gamedev pkg add <input> [level] <publisher.name>[@range] | github:<owner>/<repo>[@tag|#ref] | npm:<name> | file:<path> | URL | owner/repo | folder
gamedev pkg remove <id> [level] delete the id's entry at that level
gamedev pkg exclude <id> [level] turn the package off at that level
gamedev pkg include <id> [level] undo exclude
gamedev pkg update [<id>] [--user] newest compatible version within the declared range, now
gamedev pkg auto-update on|off <id> this computer's auto-update preference for one package
gamedev pkg sync [--user] make locks and cache match the level files
gamedev pkg link <folder> [level] use a local folder instead of the published version (default --local)
gamedev pkg unlink <id> [level] stop using the local folder
gamedev pkg dev <folder> [level] link, and rebuild on every source change until Ctrl+C
gamedev pkg settings <id> [<key> [<value>]] read or write a package's settings (--unset clears a value)gamedev pkg settings exits with code 1 when a value is refused and 2 on a usage error. See Creating packages for link and dev.
gamedev image-runtime
gamedev image-runtime status [--json] show this computer's local image runtime coordinator
gamedev image-runtime start [--json] start it through the background serviceModels themselves are managed with /images inside the CLI (below).
gamedev remote
Remote access between your computers and devices signed in to the same account. /remote in the interactive CLI is the same command.
gamedev remote status this computer and your other devices
gamedev remote pair show a pairing code and QR, then approve the device that enters it
gamedev remote join <device> <code> pair with another computer
gamedev remote allow [<device>] allow remote control here, or let a device control chats
gamedev remote allow <device> --services let a device use this computer's shared models
gamedev remote block [<device>] [--services] turn remote control off, or take a device's access away
gamedev remote share [on|off] share this computer's models with your other computers
gamedev remote share pause|resume stop or resume accepting images from other computers
gamedev remote forget <device> unpin a computer you paired with
gamedev remote revoke <device> remove a device paired with this computer
gamedev remote rename <name> the name your other devices seeA device is a name or the start of its id. pair asks separately about viewing, control and shared models. Then gamedev --on <device> opens that computer's chats; /machine lists or switches computers and /machine this comes back.
gamedev daemon
The background service that the desktop app and the CLI share.
gamedev daemon status installed and running; the Kernel, account, remote access, logs
gamedev daemon install run it as a per-user OS service that starts at login and restarts if it stops
gamedev daemon uninstall remove the OS service
gamedev daemon start start the background service
gamedev daemon stop stop it
gamedev daemon restart stop, then start
gamedev daemon logs [kernel|service|remote|auth] [--lines N] [--follow]The OS service is a LaunchAgent on macOS, a systemd user unit on Linux and a Task Scheduler task at logon on Windows; it needs no admin rights.
gamedev acp
gamedev acp turns the CLI into an Agent Client Protocol agent for ACP clients such as T3 Code, Zed and JetBrains IDEs. The client starts it; protocol messages use stdout and diagnostics go to stderr. In the client, add a custom agent with the command gamedev and the argument acp. It uses this computer's sign-in, your account's models and the project's engine tools. The post AI Game Dev as an ACP agent in T3 Code walks through the setup.
Slash commands
Type these inside the interactive CLI. Many also work in the desktop chat.
Chat and session
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/help | List the available commands |
/clear | Start a fresh conversation |
/reset | Reset the current session |
/reopen | Reopen a lost chat from its saved history (nothing is resent) |
/saved | Recover saved messages, settings, images and file or Git changes |
/model | Pick the model (Tab: reasoning effort) |
/agent | List the agents; /agent use <id> switches, /agent refresh reloads the list |
/skills | List the skills available in this project |
/context | Toggle the context debug panel |
/exit | Exit (also /quit) |
Account, settings and updates
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/login [--switch] | Sign in; --switch changes this computer's account |
/logout | Sign out |
/config | Settings, including this session's Tools |
/permissions | Show or change when the AI asks before running tools |
/voice-language | Set the voice transcription language |
/update [now] | How to upgrade the CLI; now updates a waiting background service |
/remote, /machine | Remote access; list or switch computers |
Engine and project
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/install-plugin [path] | Install the MCP plugin into the current Unity, Godot or Unreal project |
/install-extension | Browse and install an engine extension |
/open | Open the editor for the current project |
/create-project | Create a new game project, for example /create-project unity MyGame (engine unity, godot or unreal, a name, an optional parent folder) |
/file | Create, rename, move, copy or delete project files |
/files [n] | List files mentioned in this chat; open one |
/search, /replace | Search the project; save, apply and recover Search Replace |
/git | Status, stage, commit, discard, pull, push, force-push and init |
Extensions, packages and models
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/packages | The same subcommands as gamedev pkg, plus views, tree <view id>, runs, cancel and reload |
/mcp | Manage the project's MCP servers: add, enable, remove, test |
/plugin | Manage Claude plugins and marketplaces: install, enable, update |
/images | Local image models, downloads and storage (/images help) |
/image [n] | List this session's images; open or remove one |
/models | Every way to run a media model, local and cloud; add image, video, audio or 3d (/models help) |
/cloud | This session's Cloud generation setting: ask, budget <percent> or off |
/blender, /supercollider, /kb | Commands of the Blender, Music and Knowledge Base packages |
Installed packages can add more slash commands; they appear in the / palette.
/images subcommands
/images this computer, the runtime, storage and every image model
/images download <model> [--yes] download a model (and the runtime when missing); asks first
/images cancel|resume <model|runtime> stop or continue a download
/images update <model> [--yes] download a model's update
/images delete <model> [--yes] delete a model's files from this computer
/images allow|block <model> [--user|--project] whether the agent may use it
/images default <model|auto> the default image model (auto = recommended for this computer)
/images stop [session|<job id>] stop image generation and free the GPU
/images free-space [--yes] delete model files no model uses any more
/images storage [<new folder>] show or move the model storage folder
/images redetect detect the GPU, memory and driver again
/images reinstall set the image runtime up againEnvironment variables
| Variable | Purpose |
|---|---|
AI_GAME_DEV_MODEL | Default model override |
AI_GAME_DEV_ASCII_GLYPHS | 1 forces ASCII meters in the /model picker for terminals that mis-measure emoji |
Configuration priority: command-line options, then environment variables, then ~/.ai-game-dev/config.json.
Related
- The engine plugins have their own CLIs:
unity-mcp-cli,unreal-mcp-cli,godot-cli. - Troubleshooting for errors and exit codes in practice.