As developers, we spend an absurd amount of time inside the terminal.
We write code there. We run builds there. We manage servers there. We debug there. Some of us practically live there.
And yet, every time I wanted to practice typing, improve my speed, or simply warm up before a coding session, I had to leave the environment where I spend most of my day.
- Open a browser.
- Open a website.
- Wait for it to load.
Ignore the distractions, and twenty other tabs competing for attention.
It felt wrong.
So I decided to build the typing application I always wished existed - A typing test designed specifically for developers.
- One that runs entirely inside the terminal.
- One that feels fast.
- One that feels native.
- One that gets out of your way.
That project became Klycky.
The Problem With Most Typing Apps
Don't get me wrong. Modern typing websites are fantastic. They're polished, feature-rich, and incredibly popular for good reason.
But as someone who enjoys working with developer tools, I kept noticing a small friction point.
They live in the browser. And browsers are distraction machines.
You open a typing test -> You open another tab -> Twenty minutes disappear.
I wanted something different.
Something lightweight.
Something offline.
Something I could launch instantly with a single command.
Like :
npm install -g klycky
klycky
No accounts.
No internet connection.
No browser.
Just typing.
The Unexpected Challenge
Building a terminal application sounds simple until you actually try to make one feel polished.
Most terminal applications redraw the screen frequently. When that happens, users often experience flickering, tearing, or visual instability.
For a typing application, that's a problem. Typing requires rhythm. Flow. Responsiveness.
The interface needs to disappear and let the user focus.
So I spent a surprising amount of time working on rendering performance. Klycky uses a region-based rendering approach where different parts of the screen update independently.
Static elements are rendered once. Dynamic elements update only when necessary.
The result is a smooth experience with virtually no visible flickering. Something that feels closer to a modern desktop application than a traditional terminal tool.
What I Wanted Klycky To Feel Like
I wasn't trying to create the most feature-packed typing application. I was trying to create the one I personally wanted to use every day.
That meant focusing on a few principles:
- Fast startup
- Zero distractions
- Beautiful terminal aesthetics
- Fully offline operation
- Developer-friendly workflows
- Instant keyboard-driven control
Over time, that evolved into features like:
- Multiple typing modes
- Live WPM and accuracy tracking
- Session history
- Personal best records
- Command palette support
- Customizable themes
- Focus and zen modes
One of my favorite additions was theming.
Developers care a lot about how their environment feels.
So Klycky includes themes inspired by communities many developers already love:
- Catppuccin Mocha — Warm pastel colors on dark background
- Catppuccin Frappé — Muted pastels on a mid-tone base
- Tokyo Night — Cool blue and purple tones
- Nord — Arctic-inspired color palette
- Gruvbox Dark — Retro warm color scheme
- Monokai Pro — Classic vibrant syntax colors
- GitHub Dark — Clean, modern dark theme
- Dracula — Bold purples and vivid greens
- Serika Dark — Monkeytype-inspired dark gold accent
- Serika Light — Monkeytype-inspired light variant
- Solarized Dark — Ethan Schoonover's precision palette
- Rosé Pine — Soho vibes with muted rose tones
- Carbon — IBM Carbon design system colors
- Olive — Earthy greens and natural tones
- Bouquet — Soft florals and lavender hues
- Café — Warm coffee and cream palette
- Cyberspace — Neon greens and cyberpunk glow
Screenshots of some of the themes attached below :
And several more planned for the future.
Open Source From Day One
Klycky is completely open source.
Not because open source is trendy.
Because developer tools become better when the people who use them can shape them.
In fact, some of my favorite improvements have come directly from users opening issues, suggesting themes, requesting features, and sharing feedback.
Seeing someone discover a project you built, install it, use it, and then take the time to contribute ideas is one of the most rewarding parts of building software.
What I Learned Building It
This project taught me something interesting.
The hardest part of software isn't always writing code. Sometimes it's identifying a tiny annoyance that everyone accepts and deciding it's worth fixing.
Leaving the terminal to practice typing isn't a huge problem. Nobody's losing sleep over it.
But thousands of useful tools exist because someone noticed a small friction point and thought:
"There has to be a better way."
Klycky is my attempt at making one small part of the developer experience a little better.
Try It
If you're curious, you can install it directly from npm:
npm install -g klycky
klycky
Or run it without installing:
npx klycky
I'd genuinely love feedback from developers who spend most of their time in the terminal.
What features would make a typing application indispensable for your workflow? What would you want to see next?
I'm building Klycky in the open, and every suggestion helps shape where it goes from here.
Happy typing. ⌨️
Find Me Across the Web
-💬 DEV.to: @devdebpriyo
-🧠 Hashnode: @deb-builds
-🐦 X: @deb_isadev
-💻 GitHub: @DevDebpriyo
-🔗 LinkedIn: Debpriyo Ghosal
-🌐 Portfolio: debpriyo.is-a.dev
-🧭 All links: Links