The first comprehensive VS Code extension built specifically for Love2D (LÖVE) game developers. 18 free features + 14 Pro features covering IntelliSense, language features, hot reload, profiling, and more.
Stop juggling separate tools for launching, debugging, and coding your Love2D game. Get a complete development environment — purpose-built for LÖVE.
English | 日本語
Love2D development in VS Code has been held together with tape. The two existing extensions are either Windows-only, outdated, or barely functional on Mac/Linux. This extension gives you a proper development environment:
- Launch anywhere — Windows, Mac, Linux, Flatpak, Snap — auto-detected
- Write faster — IntelliSense, Go to Definition, Find References, Inlay Hints, and 26 snippets
- Debug with one click — launch.json generation for Local Lua Debugger, just press F5
- Iterate instantly — hot reload pushes changes to the running game without restarting (Pro)
- Inspect at runtime — Live REPL, Game State Inspector, and Lua Profiler (Pro)
- Ship on time — game jam mode with countdown timer and .love file builder (Pro)
Free Features (18)
Core
| Feature |
Description |
| Cross-Platform Launch |
Run your game on Windows, Mac, Linux, Flatpak, and Snap. love executable auto-detected. Alt+L / Cmd+L shortcut. |
| Love2D API IntelliSense |
Full API completion via lua-language-server. One-click setup adds Love2D type definitions to your workspace. |
| One-Click Debugger Setup |
Generates launch.json for Local Lua Debugger. F5 to debug with breakpoints and variable inspection. |
| Project Templates |
Scaffold new projects: Minimal, Game Jam, or State Machine. Includes main.lua, conf.lua, folder structure, and .vscode/extensions.json. |
| 26 Code Snippets |
loveLoad, loveUpdate, loveDraw, loveGameloop, loveClass (Classic), loveAabb, loveState, loveTimer, and more. |
| Console Output |
love process stdout/stderr piped to a VS Code Output Channel. Works on all platforms — no --console flag needed. |
| Status Bar |
Love2D version display, game run state (Running/Stopped), one-click launch/stop. |
| Sidebar Quick Actions |
Activity bar panel with buttons for launch, stop, IntelliSense setup, debugger setup, and new project. |
| Third-Party Type Definitions |
Bundled type definitions for Lume, Classic, STI, and Windfield. |
| Hover Documentation |
Love2D API documentation on hover, powered by lua-language-server. |
| Full i18n |
English and Japanese localization. |
Language Features
| Feature |
Description |
| Go to Definition |
Ctrl+Click on require("module") to jump to the file. Also resolves local function definitions. |
| Find All References |
Right-click any symbol to find all references across the workspace. |
| Document Symbols |
Ctrl+Shift+O to browse functions, modules, and variables in the current file. Also powers the Outline view. |
| Inlay Hints |
Inline parameter names for Love2D API calls — rectangle(mode:, x:, y:, width:, height:). |
| Enhanced Diagnostics |
Detects unused require() statements and grays them out with a hint diagnostic. |
| Code Actions |
Quick Fix to remove unused requires. "Generate function" action for undefined function calls. |
| Color Picker |
Inline color swatches for love.graphics.setColor() and {r, g, b, a} table literals. Click to open the VS Code color picker. |
Pro Features (14) — $12 one-time
Activate with a Gumroad license key. No subscription. Works offline.
Runtime & Debugging
| Feature |
Description |
| Hot Reload |
Save a Lua file and the bridge merges changes into the running game. Existing references stay valid. Configurable debounce. |
| Live REPL |
Execute Lua code in the running game from a VS Code Webview panel. Command history with arrow keys. |
| Game State Inspector |
Browse global variables and tables in a sidebar tree view. Auto-refresh. Click to inspect nested tables. |
| Lua Profiler |
Start/stop profiling with debug.sethook. Results displayed as a sortable table with self-time heatmap. |
| Feature |
Description |
| Screenshot Preview |
Webview panel showing periodic screenshots from the running game. Configurable interval. |
| Performance Monitor |
Live FPS, frame time, Lua memory, draw calls, and texture memory in a dedicated webview panel. |
| Asset Browser |
Sidebar tree view of project images, sounds, fonts, and shaders. Click to preview. Detects unused assets. |
| Dependency Graph |
Interactive Mermaid.js visualization of require() dependencies. Click nodes to open files. Circular dependency detection. |
| Shader Live Edit |
Save a .glsl file and the shader is compiled and applied to the running game instantly. |
| Sprite/Quad Helper |
Open a spritesheet image, drag to select regions, and generate love.graphics.newQuad() code. |
Productivity
| Feature |
Description |
| Structured Console |
Enhanced console with timestamped, color-coded log levels (INFO/WARN/ERROR/DEBUG) and table tree display. |
| Asset Reference Checker |
Scans love.graphics.newImage(), love.audio.newSource(), etc. and flags missing file paths as VS Code diagnostics. |
| Game Jam Mode |
Countdown timer in the status bar, one-click .love file builder, submission checklist. |
| Library Manager |
Add Lume, Classic, STI, HUMP, Windfield, Anim8, or Bump to your project with one click. Downloads from GitHub. |
Bridge Architecture
Pro features communicate with the running game over a TCP socket. The bridge module (bridge.lua) uses Love2D's built-in LuaSocket — no external dependencies. It starts automatically when you launch the game through the extension.
Getting Started
- Install from the VS Code Marketplace
- Open a folder containing
main.lua
- The extension activates automatically
Quick Start Commands
| Command |
Shortcut |
Description |
Love2D: Run Game |
Alt+L / Cmd+L |
Launch the game |
Love2D: Setup IntelliSense |
— |
Configure lua-language-server + type definitions |
Love2D: Setup Debugger |
— |
Generate launch.json for F5 debugging |
Love2D: New Project |
— |
Scaffold a new project from a template |
Love2D: Activate Pro License |
— |
Enter your Gumroad license key |
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
love2d-tools.lovePath |
"" |
Path to love executable (empty = auto-detect) |
love2d-tools.loveVersion |
"11.5" |
Love2D version for template generation |
love2d-tools.hotReload.debounce |
300 |
Hot reload debounce interval (ms) |
love2d-tools.bridge.port |
0 |
Bridge TCP port (0 = auto) |
love2d-tools.screenshot.interval |
500 |
Screenshot capture interval (ms) |
love2d-tools.inlayHints.enabled |
true |
Enable/disable Love2D API inlay hints |
Requirements
- VS Code 1.85.0+
- Love2D (LÖVE) 11.4 or 11.5
Recommended:
Pro License
Purchase a one-time license on Gumroad for $12+.
- One-time purchase, no subscription
- Works offline after activation
- 14 Pro features unlocked immediately
Support
License
Commercial license — see LICENSE.md for details.
Free-tier features are available at no cost for personal and commercial projects.
Pro features require a one-time $12 license key.
Author
abyo-software (Youichi Uda) — abyo.net
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