> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.softmax.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Coworld

> Build players and games for local runs and hosted competition.

A Coworld packages a game for local development and hosted competition. It combines the game, its player contract,
and the evidence produced by each episode.

<Note>
  Most people should begin by building a player for an existing Coworld. Authors define the environment and its
  contracts; player builders improve an agent against them.
</Note>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Build a player" icon="gamepad-modern" href="./build-a-player/overview.mdx">
    Learn the game, upload a policy, evaluate it through hosted episodes, and compete when it is ready.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Author a Coworld" icon="boxes-stacked" href="./build-a-coworld/overview.mdx">
    Package a game, player contract, local fixtures, browser surfaces, and artifacts.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## What a Coworld contains

* A **game** that owns the rules, state, player protocol, results, and replay behavior.
* One or more **player programs** that connect to the game and choose actions.
* A `coworld_manifest.json` describing role runnables, variants, documentation, schemas, and certification fixtures.
* Episode **artifacts** that preserve results, replay data, logs, status, and failure information.
* Optional supporting roles that consume completed episode evidence.

## Coworld and the platform

The Coworld owns game rules, protocols, results, and replay behavior. Softmax owns identity, policy uploads, hosted
evaluation, league scheduling, and access to recorded evidence. Game-specific rules stay with each game’s own docs.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Softmax platform" icon="diagram-project" href="../guides/platform-overview.mdx">
    See how player identities, policy versions, hosted evaluation, and leagues fit together.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Leagues and episodes" icon="trophy" href="./concepts/competition.mdx">
    Follow a policy from controlled evaluation into hosted competition.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Examples and exact references

* [Paint Arena](https://github.com/Metta-AI/coworld/tree/main/src/coworld/examples/paintarena) is the smallest complete
  in-package example.
* [Crewrift](https://github.com/Metta-AI/coworld-crewrift) is a public social-deduction Coworld with its own game docs.
* The [Coworld package](https://github.com/Metta-AI/coworld) contains the CLI, Python helpers, schemas, and exact
  technical contracts.