MoonBASIC bundles a full game stack in one download

MoonBASIC pitches a simple idea: download a package, write .mb source files, and run them locally without installing Go, GCC, Node.js, Raylib, or other build tools. The project’s latest release is v1.2.27, with prebuilt downloads for Windows, Linux, and macOS (Apple Silicon).

One download can include moonrun for playing games, moonbasic for checking code, compiling to .mbc, and running the language server, plus an optional moonBASIC IDE desktop editor with built-in documentation. According to the repository, the engine bundles Raylib, Box2D, and Jolt, covering graphics, audio, 2D physics, 3D physics, networking, terrain, UI, and particles through 4,200+ built-in commands across 40+ namespaces including WINDOW., ENTITY., PHYSICS3D., GUI., and NET.*.

What the downloads include

The project offers three main options:

• IDE bundle: editor, compiler, runtime, and docs
• Full runtime: moonbasic, moonrun, release notes, a VS Code .vsix, and install scripts
• Compiler only: linting, compile, and LSP support without a game window

The repository recommends the moonBASIC IDE as the fastest way to start. After extracting the archive, users can launch START-IDE.bat on Windows or make the shell scripts executable on Linux and macOS. Inside the editor, F5 runs a game, Ctrl+Shift+C checks syntax, Ctrl+Shift+B compiles to .mbc, and Alt+H opens contextual help.

For terminal-based use, the quick start is straightforward: create a project with moonbasic new MyGame, move into the directory, and run moonrun main.mb. Examples are hosted in the repository rather than bundled into release ZIPs.

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VS Code support and documentation

MoonBASIC also includes a one-command setup for VS Code and Cursor through moonbasic install-vscode, or via the included platform-specific install scripts. The project says that process installs the extension and automatically sets moonbasic.languageServerPath and moonbasic.moonrunPath.

Documentation is spread across BEGIN_HERE.md, GETTING_STARTED.md, GUIDES.md, COMMANDS.md, a full API reference under docs/reference/, and a searchable offline command browser at web/command-browser.html. The project is released under the MIT license, while the engine source for contributors lives in github.com/CharmingBlaze/moonbasic-compiler.