A modern BASIC for building 2D and 3D games — write .mb source, download pre-built binaries, and run. No Go, no C compiler, no build tools on your machine. Download from here: (https://github.com/CharmingBlaze/moonbasic/releases/tag/v1.2.27)
One download gives you moonrun (play games), moonbasic (check, compile to .mbc, language server), and optionally the moonBASIC IDE — a desktop editor with the full documentation built in. The engine bundles Raylib, Box2D, and Jolt — graphics, audio, 2D physics, 3D physics, networking, terrain, UI, particles, and more behind 4,200+ built-in commands across 40+ namespaces (WINDOW.*, ENTITY.*, PHYSICS3D.*, GUI.*, NET.*, …).
This repository is the official home for documentation, examples, and pre-compiled downloads for Windows, Linux, and macOS (Apple Silicon).
Latest release: github.com/CharmingBlaze/moonbasic/releases/latest
Direct links by platform: charmingblaze.github.io/moonbasic/
You do not need to install Go, GCC, Node.js, or Raylib separately.
| Your goal | Download |
|---|---|
| moonBASIC IDE (editor + compiler + runtime + docs — easiest) | IDE bundle — moonbasic-<tag>-ide-windows-amd64.zip, linux-amd64.tar.gz, or macos-arm64.tar.gz |
| Play / make games (terminal only) | Full runtime — moonbasic-<tag>-windows-amd64.zip, linux-amd64.tar.gz, or macos-arm64.tar.gz |
| Lint / compile / LSP only (no game window) | Compiler only — moonbasic-<tag>-compiler-… |
| VS Code / Cursor | Included in full-runtime zip + moonbasic-<tag>-vscode.vsix on Releases |
IDE bundle — moonbasic-ide, moonbasic, moonrun, README-IDE-RELEASE.txt, START-IDE. Documentation is inside the IDE.
Full runtime — moonbasic, moonrun, README-RELEASE.txt, VS Code .vsix, INSTALL-VSCODE.bat / INSTALL-VSCODE.sh.
All artifact names and platform notes: RELEASES.md
The fastest way to start — one folder, no extra setup.
- Download
moonbasic-<tag>-ide-…for your OS from Releases. - Extract anywhere permanent.
- Run START-IDE.bat (Windows) or
chmod +x START-IDE.sh moonbasic-ide moonbasic moonrun && ./START-IDE.sh(Linux/macOS). - Write or open a
.mbfile in the editor.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| F5 | Run game (moonrun) |
| Ctrl+Shift+C | Check syntax |
| Ctrl+Shift+B | Compile to .mbc |
| Alt+H | Help at cursor |
| Gear menu (title bar) | Themes, fonts, colors, settings |
The IDE auto-detects moonbasic and moonrun in the same folder. Open Documentation in the sidebar for BEGIN_HERE.md, guides, and the full command reference.
Engine source: moonbasic-compiler (moonbasic ide/).
If you downloaded the full runtime instead of the IDE:
moonrun --version # Windows: moonrun.exe --version
moonbasic new MyGame
cd MyGame
moonrun main.mbTry an example from this repo (clone or Download ZIP — examples ship here, not inside release zips):
moonrun examples/spin_cube/main.mb
moonrun examples/guides/game_loop.mbAfter extracting the full runtime:
Or double-click INSTALL-VSCODE.bat (Windows) / run ./INSTALL-VSCODE.sh.
That installs the extension and sets moonbasic.languageServerPath and moonbasic.moonrunPath automatically. Then open any .mb file — completions, hover help, Ctrl+F5 run, Ctrl+Shift+C check, Alt+H help at cursor.
Extension source: editors/vscode-moonbasic/ · Guide: docs/GETTING_STARTED.md
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Graphics & audio | Raylib |
| 2D physics | Box2D |
| 3D physics & KCC | Jolt |
| Multiplayer | ENet (where enabled) |
APP.OPEN(960, 540, "Hello moonBASIC")
WHILE NOT APP.SHOULDCLOSE()
RENDER.CLEAR(20, 24, 32)
RENDER.FRAME()
WEND
APP.CLOSE()
(APP.* aliases WINDOW.* — same engine, clearer tutorials.)
| Tool / command | What it does |
|---|---|
moonBASIC IDE (moonbasic-ide) |
Desktop editor — syntax, docs, check, compile, run, themes |
moonrun game.mb |
Compile (if needed) and run — primary terminal entry point |
moonbasic --check game.mb |
Parse and type-check without running |
moonbasic game.mb |
Compile to game.mbc bytecode |
moonbasic --lsp |
Language server (stdio) for other editors |
moonbasic new Name |
New project: main.mb, assets/, .vscode/ |
moonbasic install-vscode |
Install VS Code / Cursor extension + configure paths |
MIT — see LICENSE.
Engine source (contributors): github.com/CharmingBlaze/moonbasic-compiler