Running Matches

Run local matches with the CLI and view replays in the visualiser.

Run a local match

cambc run <bot_a> <bot_b> [map]

This runs the full game engine locally with no time limits — ideal for rapid iteration. The engine outputs a replay.replay26 file.

Bot paths can be a directory containing main.py, a .py file, or a bot name from your bots_dir (set in cambc.toml). The optional map argument is a .map26 file — if omitted, the first map in your maps_dir is used.

cambc run starter starter                        # bot vs itself
cambc run my_bot opponent --seed 42              # deterministic seed
cambc run my_bot opponent maps/custom.map26      # custom map
cambc run my_bot opponent --replay out.replay26  # custom replay path

View a replay

cambc watch replay.replay26

Opens the visualiser in your browser. Supports play/pause, round scrubbing, speed control, and keyboard navigation.

Run + watch in one command

cambc run --watch starter starter

View a platform match

cambc watch --match <match_id>
cambc watch --match <match_id> --game 3

Remote test runs

Remote commands require authentication — run cambc login first if you haven’t already.

Test your bots on the same hardware that runs ladder matches, with full time limit enforcement:

cambc test-run <bot_a> <bot_b> [map]

This uploads both bots and runs a match on AWS Graviton3 instances with the 2ms CPU time limit enforced. Use this to catch performance issues before submitting.

Bot paths for test-run must be a directory containing main.py or a .zip file (unlike cambc run, arbitrary .py files are not accepted).

cambc test-run my_bot opponent
cambc test-run my_bot opponent maps/custom.map26

Remote test runs are rate-limited: max 10 test/unrated matches per 5 minutes. Unrated matches also have a 5-minute cooldown per specific matchup.

You can also challenge another team to an unrated match using both teams’ latest submissions:

cambc unrated <opponent_team_id>

Debugging

• stdout via print("msg") is captured and saved to the replay — view it per-unit in the visualiser
• stderr prints to your console in real time
• Use c.draw_indicator_line() and c.draw_indicator_dot() to draw debug overlays on the map

Next steps

Submit your bot

Upload your bot to compete on the ladder.

CLI reference

Full reference for all CLI commands.