Free terminal game · macOS / Linux / Windows · v3.36
Play as a VC writing checks—or as a founder building the company. Sixty turns. One shot at the exit that makes the letterhead.
Open source · runs in your terminal · no account required
Two paths
Same five-year clock. Opposite pressures. Shared progression across fifty levels.
VC Mode
Start with a $1M–$2.5M fund. Bet across 45 startups, defend ownership with pro-rata, and unlock an Opportunity Fund when a breakout hits 3×.
Founder Mode
Pick one of 10 starting companies (SaaS, DeepTech, GovTech, and more). Hire the team, raise Seed through Series C, ship the roadmap, and negotiate the exit before the board forces your hand.
Install
macOS and Linux via Homebrew. Binaries for every major platform. Source if you want to hack.
Homebrew
brew install james-see/tap/unicorn
Then run unicorn in your terminal.
Binaries
From source (Go 1.24+): go install github.com/jamesacampbell/unicorn@latest
Live scores
Top runs worldwide. Filter by mode, difficulty, and ranking metric.
Loading global leaderboard...
How it plays
Short loops. Hard choices. Achievements and permanent upgrades carry across runs.
Pick difficulty, scan the market, place bets, then press on when the round is done.
Pick a company to build, hire the team, win customers — then fundraising and exit math.