// the take
PlayAlways is a macOS menubar utility that creates iOS/macOS Xcode playgrounds in one click, plus an Xcode Source Editor extension to spin up a playground from selected code. It's aimed at Swift developers who prototype snippets often and are tired of File > New > Playground.
The default-save-path plus option-key-to-override pattern is a nice bit of UX thinking for a tool this small. The Xcode extension integration (via Source Editor Extension APIs) means you can go from a code selection to a runnable playground without leaving the editor. Scope is tight and single-purpose, which is exactly right for a menubar utility.
Last commit is from February 2021 — over five years with no updates means it predates several major Xcode and macOS releases, and Source Editor Extensions plus playground project formats have shifted enough in that time that it may simply not launch or the extension may not register on current Xcode. No tests, no CI badge, no indication the app is notarized for current Gatekeeper requirements, so first-run execution could be blocked outright. It's also a solution to a problem that's shrunk: SwiftUI previews and Swift Playgrounds (the iPad/Mac app) have largely displaced the classic Xcode playground workflow this tool automates.
We read the README, the directory tree and a key source file in October 2026. Nobody pays to be listed. How we judge →