Running your own game

This guide is for semi-single-player Bunnyland: you run a private server, open the web client, and explore your own world instead of joining a shared community server. Start with the demo world first; once that works, generate a custom world from the browser.

Start the demo world

From a bunnyland-server checkout, run one command:

uv run --extra server bunnyland serve --generator apartment-demo --ticks 0 \
  --api-host 127.0.0.1 --api-port 8765

That starts a deterministic offline demo world on your machine. It does not require an LLM key, and characters will wait instead of thinking on their own.

Open the web client:

https://bunnyland.dev/?server=http://127.0.0.1:8765

If you have the web repo checked out locally, opening bunnyland-web/index.html also works. Use the Server field if you need to enter http://127.0.0.1:8765 manually.

Try a short first session:

1. Open the world view and connect live.
2. Pick a character or room in the entities list.
3. Look at the character's current room, inventory, needs, and nearby exits.
4. Watch the event feed while the server ticks.

The demo is useful because it proves the server, API, web client, and basic game loop work before you spend time tuning a custom world. You do not need to claim a character for this first check.

Generate your own world

Once the demo is running, open the generator:

https://bunnyland.dev/world-generator.html?server=http://127.0.0.1:8765

For a first custom world, choose:

• generator: recursive;
• seed: a short setting prompt, like a flooded clockwork cathedral;
• max rooms: 6;
• reset: checked.

Click generate and watch the page stream the replacement world. When it finishes, return to the main web client with the same server URL and start exploring the new setting.

Use generating worlds when you want deeper admin details, API examples, or a larger room budget.

Keep a world

When you want the world to survive server restarts, stop the demo and restart with a save file:

uv run --extra server bunnyland serve --generator apartment-demo --ticks 0 \
  --api-host 127.0.0.1 --api-port 8765 \
  --save private-world.json --autosave-every 20

After you generate a custom world from the browser, check Save after generation so the replacement world is written to private-world.json.

Reload the saved world later:

uv run --extra server bunnyland serve --load private-world.json --ticks 0 \
  --api-host 127.0.0.1 --api-port 8765 \
  --save private-world.json --autosave-every 20

Add LLM characters later

LLM characters are optional. Add them only after the offline loop works:

uv run --extra server --extra llm bunnyland serve --llm \
  --generator recursive --seed "a haunted greenhouse after midnight" --ticks 0 \
  --api-host 127.0.0.1 --api-port 8765 \
  --save private-world.json --autosave-every 20

Set OLLAMA_CLOUD_API_KEY or OPENROUTER_API_KEY in your environment first. With --llm, world generation can use a stronger worldgen model while characters use a cheaper controller model. See running a server for provider options.