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AI · December 15, 2025

I built an open-source alternative to the "brainrot IDE" that YC funded

VSCode extension with games (Snake, Plinko, slots), HN/LessWrong reader, and Pomodoro timer for AI coding wait times. Fake currency only. Marketplace: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=TouchGra... Built in a week with Claude Code after seeing Chad IDE get ratio'd for integrating real gambling. Happy to answer questions or get roasted on the code.

I built an open-source alternative to the "brainrot IDE" that YC funded launched on December 15, 2025 with 6 votes, #1,714 of 11,628 launches that month and more than 75% of that year's launches.

Visit github.com ↗Alternativestop 15% of December 2025

What it does

🌿 The open-source brainrot IDE. Play games while AI writes your code. No real gambling, no invite codes, no VC funding. - CMLKevin/Touch-Grass-IDE

The open-source brainrot IDE. Play games while AI writes your code. "Why alt-tab to doom scroll when you can doom scroll in your IDE?" We've all been there. You prompt Claude, Cursor, or Copilot, and now you're staring at a terminal for 30 seconds to 5 minutes waiting for AI to write your code. It's too short to start a new task, but just long enough to destroy your focus by checking Twitter. Touch Grass IDE solves this by bringing productive procrastination directly into VSCode. No context switching. No browser tabs. No guilt (okay, maybe a little). Unlike Chad IDE, we don't connect to real gambling platforms. Your wallet is safe. Your fake Grass Coins? Not so much. Panel appears when AI…from github.com

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