Kenji Game Engine MCP server

Kenji Engine is an AI-native game engine that enables developers to build games using natural language, generate pixel art assets with AI, and deploy with a single command. It combines a robust ECS architecture with built-in AI capabilities through its integrated MCP server to streamline the game development process.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Bun - JavaScript runtime and package manager
• Kuuzuki - AI assistant for enhanced development experience

Setting Up Kenji Engine

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository-url> kenji-ge
   cd kenji-ge
   

2. Install dependencies:

   bun install
   

3. Build all packages:

   bun run build
   

4. Install CLI tools globally:

   Option A: Automated setup (recommended):

   # Run the setup script
   ./scripts/setup-global.sh
   

   Option B: Manual setup - main command only:

   # From the root directory
   bun run build:packages
   bun link
   

   Option C: Manual setup - individual tools:

   # Build packages first
   bun run build:packages
   
   # Install the TUI editor
   cd packages/tui-editor && bun link && cd ../..
   
   # Install the basic CLI
   cd packages/cli && bun link && cd ../..
   

Usage

Interactive Menu

After linking, you can use the interactive menu from anywhere:

kenji-ge

This will show a menu with options to:

• Create New Project
• Open TUI Editor
• Build Project
• Deploy Project
• Show Help

Available Commands

Once you've run bun link, you'll have these commands available globally:

Main Command:

• kenji-ge - Interactive menu (recommended)

TUI Editor Commands:

• kenji-editor - TUI editor with interactive menu
• kenji-editor create - Create new project
• kenji-editor start - Launch TUI editor
• kenji-editor build - Build project
• kenji-editor deploy - Deploy to itch.io

Creating Your First Game

1. Create a new Pong game:

   kenji-ge
   

   Then select "Create New Project" from the menu

2. Start development:

   cd your-game-name
   kenji-editor start
   

3. Open in browser: Open index.html in your browser to see your game!

AI-Assisted Development with Kuuzuki

1. Start Kenji's MCP server and connect Kuuzuki:

   kenji-mcp-server
   

2. Use natural language commands:

   • "Generate pixel art sprites for paddles and ball"
   • "Make the ball move faster when it hits a paddle"
   • "Add particle effects when the ball hits something"
   • "Create a power-up system"
   • "Deploy the game to itch.io"

Game Templates

Empty Template

Basic game setup with engine initialization.

Pong Template

Classic Pong game with:

• Two paddles
• Ball with physics
• Generated pixel art assets

Breakout Template (Coming Soon)

Breakout game with:

• Paddle and ball
• Destructible bricks
• Power-ups

Key Features

Core Game Engine

• Entity Component System (ECS) architecture
• Built-in components (Transform2D, Velocity2D, Sprite2D, Collider2D)
• Canvas2D renderer for pixel-perfect 2D rendering
• Input management for keyboard and mouse
• Audio system with Web Audio API integration

AI Capabilities

• Built-in MCP Server for direct integration with Kuuzuki AI assistant
• Natural language coding ("Make the ball faster", "Add particle effects")
• AI asset generation for sprites, sounds, and animations
• Intelligent code generation for game systems and logic
• Automated deployment to itch.io

Development Tools

• CLI tool for project management
• Bun runtime for faster builds
• TypeScript for strict typing
• Hot reloading for fast development iteration

Support & Community

• Documentation
• Discord Community
• Issue Tracker
• Live Demo - Play Pong built with Kenji!

How to install this MCP server

For Claude Code

To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add-json "kenji-engine" '{"command":"npx","args":["-y","kenji-engine","mcp"]}'

See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.

For Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "kenji-engine": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "kenji-engine",
                "mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

For Claude Desktop

To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:

1. Find your configuration file:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this to your configuration file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "kenji-engine": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "kenji-engine",
                "mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect