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A game where you're an OS and have to manage processes, memory and I/O events

This is a game where you are the operating system of a computer. As such, you have to manage processes, memory and I/O events. Make sure not to leave processes idling for too long, or the user will get really impatient and reboot you!

You can play the game here: https://plbrault.github.io/youre-the-os

Also available on itch.io.

In-game screenshot

  • Python 3.14
    • The project is not guaranteed to work with other versions.
    • If needed, use pyenv to install the required version without impacting your system globally.
  • pipenv
  • An empty .venv directory at the root of the project

The main branch can be unstable. For a stable version, checkout a release tag.

Install dependencies:

Run as a desktop app:

Run web version:

Run sandbox mode

The sandbox mode allows you to skip the menu and immediately run a custom stage. It is provided for development purposes.

First, you need to create a sandbox configuration file. An example is provided in src/sandbox/sample.py. It is recommended to store your configuration file in that same src/sandbox directory. Files added to that directory will be ignored by Git.

Next, run the following command, replacing sandbox.sample by the Python module path from src to your own configuration file (for instance, if your file is src/sandbox/myConfig.py, the module path will be sandbox.myConfig):

pipenv run sandbox sandbox.sample

Run with an automated script:

(Original implementation by @Wiguwbe)

WARNING: Running automation scripts (including the provided example) may cause rapidly changing colors on the screen.

pipenv run auto <script.py> [args]
# to get all the available options
pipenv run auto --help

See automation/skeleton.py for information on how to write your script.

Build web version without running:

Create web.zip archive for itch.io:

Run linter:

Run unit tests:

Pull requests that address open issues labeled bug or help wanted are welcome.

If you use AI, please ensure your agent follows all instructions in AGENTS.md.

If you have an idea for an improvement to this game, please share it in the Discussions tab.

Copyright © 2023-present Pier-Luc Brault pier-luc@brault.me

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program. If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/.