Dopamine Dev
Gamify Your Coding Experience
Dopamine Dev turns your VS Code editor into a variable reward system, giving you instant, satisfying feedback for your productivity.
Think of it as a slot machine for your productivity: write code, save your file, and watch the status bar spin!
Why use Dopamine Dev?
- Instant Gratification: Get visual feedback and coins for every significant code change.
- Incentivize Quality: Earn multipliers for fixing errors and writing clean code.
- Track Productivity: Measure your Flow State, WPM (Words Per Minute), and Daily Earnings.
- Variable Rewards: The unpredictability of "Jackpots" keeps your brain engaged and makes coding feel less like a chore.
How It Works
1. The Core Loop
Just code as usual. Every time you save a file (Cmd+S / Ctrl+S), the extension analyzes your changes (using diff) and spins the slot machine in your status bar.
By default, sounds are disabled, but you can enable them in settings or add your own custom sounds!
By default, only quotes notifications are shown on Jackpot, they are the less distracting option. You can change this in settings to show images, messages, or URLs instead.
2. Earning Coins
Not all saves are created equal. The amount you earn depends on Magnitude, Speed, and Quality.
| Mechanic |
Trigger |
Reward |
| Base Reward |
Typing at least 20 characters |
1 Coin |
| Magnitude |
Medium Change (>5 lines / >100 chars) |
x2 Multiplier |
|
Large Change (>20 lines / >500 chars) |
x5 Multiplier |
|
Epic Change (>50 lines / >2000 chars) |
x10 Multiplier |
| Flow State |
Coding continuously for >15 mins |
+1 Coin (per 15m block) |
| Speed |
Typing Fast (>40 WPM / >80 WPM) |
+2 / +5 Coins |
| Clean Code |
Saving a file with NO errors |
x1.5 Multiplier |
| Bug Fixer |
Reducing the number of errors in a file |
x2.0 Multiplier |
3. Penalties (The "Anti-Bug" System)
To prevent you from just spamming broken code to earn coins, the system checks for errors:
- Introduced Bugs: If you save a file and add new errors, you get 0 Coins.
- Steady State Errors: If you save a file that still has errors (even if you didn't add new ones), your reward is halved (x0.5).
4. The Jackpot
Every spin has a random chance (default 10%) to trigger a JACKPOT.
- Effect: Instantly awards +10 Coins (multiplied by your current modifiers!).
- Visuals: Triggers a special sound effect and a visual reward (Quote, Image, or Message).
Analytics & Economy
Your coins aren't just numbers—they tell the story of your coding day.
The Wallet
- Persistent Balance: Your coins are saved locally.
- Daily Reset: To encourage a fresh start and daily habit building, your coin balance resets to 0 at midnight. Try to beat your high score!
The Dashboard
We provide a beautiful visual dashboard to track your stats.
- Run the command:
Show Dopamine Analytics
- Bar Chart: View your earnings (Green) vs. Spending (Red) over the last 7 days.
- History: Click the coin count in the status bar to see a quick log of your recent wins and spends.
Configuration
Customize the experience to fit your workflow in VS Code Settings (Cmd+, -> Search "Dopamine").
| Setting |
Description |
Default |
dopamineDev.winOdds |
Probability of hitting a Jackpot (0.0 - 1.0). |
0.1 (10%) |
dopamineDev.enableSound |
Enable satisfying "cha-ching" sounds on wins. |
false |
dopamineDev.bulkThreshold |
Large chunks of text (pastes) don't count as "typing". |
50 chars |
dopamineDev.rewards |
Customize what happens on a Jackpot. Available types: url, message, image, quote. |
Quotes |
dopamineDev.quoteDisplay |
Show quotes as a subtle notification or a full tab. |
notification |
dopamineDev.ignoreExtensions |
Files to ignore (e.g. JSON, LOG). |
['.json'] |
Custom Rewards Example
Want to open a funny GIF or get a specific message when you hit a Jackpot? Add this to your settings.json:
"dopamineDev.rewards": [
{
"type": "image",
"content": "kitten",
"label": "Cute Cat",
"weight": 2
},
{
"type": "message",
"content": "Drink some water!",
"label": "Hydration Check",
"weight": 1
},
{
"type": "url",
"content": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
"label": "Mystery Link",
"weight": 0.5
},
{
"type": "quote",
"content": "motivation",
"label": "Daily Boost",
"weight": 1.5
}
]
Commands
Access these via the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P):
Show Dopamine Analytics: Open the visual bar chart dashboard.Show Dopamine History: Open a quick dropdown of your recent transactions.Check Dopamine Balance: Show a simple notification with your current balance.Show Dopamine Transaction Log: Open the raw JSON log file (for data nerds).
Privacy & Data
- All data (coins, history, settings) is stored locally on your machine.
- No code or telemetry is sent to any external server.
Enjoy coding again.
Install Dopamine Dev and start your streak today!
