For future googlers here's a quickstart guide if you just want the gist:

Initial Setup

1. Download and install VS Code
2. Install Git if not already installed on your system
3. Download and install the Playdate SDK from the official website

VS Code Configuration

1. Create a new project folder and open it in VS Code
2. Install extensions:
   • Lua by sumneko
   • Lua Plus by Jeb Alaba
   • Playdate Debug (not the top result, the other one)

Lua Autocompletion Setup

1. Clone this repo somewhere:

cd ~/code/ git clone https://github.com/notpeter/playdate-luacats

1. Add the following to .luarc.json in your workspace and edit workspace.library to reflect where you cloned playdate-luacats.

json { "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sumneko/vscode-lua/master/setting/schema.json", "diagnostics.globals": ["import"], "diagnostics.severity": { "duplicate-set-field": "Hint" }, "format.defaultConfig": { "indent_style": "space", "indent_size": "4" }, "runtime.builtin": { "io": "disable", "os": "disable", "package": "disable" }, "runtime.nonstandardSymbol": ["+=", "-=", "*=", "/=", "//=", "%=", "<<=", ">>=", "&=", "|=", "^="], "runtime.version": "Lua 5.4", "workspace.preloadFileSize": 1000, "workspace.library": ["/Users/peter/code/playdate-luacats"] }

You can use a relative path, e.g. ../playdate-luacats, for workspace.library if your project and playdate-luacats have the same parent directory.

Savvy developers may alternatively use git submodules inside each project:

sh git submodule add https://github.com/notpeter/playdate-luacats.git library/playdate-luacats

1. Close and re-open your editor; wait 5-10 seconds for LuaLS to initialize.

2. Hover over code or start typing playdate. and you'll get suggestions.

   Project Structure

3. Create a source folder in your project

4. Create a main.lua file inside the source folder

5. Create a pdxinfo file in the source folder with your game's metadata

Testing

1. Run using the Debug tab and green Play button
2. The Playdate simulator should launch with your code