diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a8cd5e6c8..127ab55c5 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
     "packages/components/*",
     "packages/misc/*",
     "packages/frameworks/*",
-    "examples/*"
+    "examples/*",
+    "templates/*"
   ],
   "scripts": {
     "start": "npx turbo watch build",
diff --git a/packages/actor-core-cli/src/utils/platforms.ts b/packages/actor-core-cli/src/utils/platforms.ts
index c793ffbd2..3c521c029 100644
--- a/packages/actor-core-cli/src/utils/platforms.ts
+++ b/packages/actor-core-cli/src/utils/platforms.ts
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ const PLATFORMS = {
 				...pkgJson,
 				scripts: {
 					...pkgJson.scripts,
-					deploy: "actor-core deploy rivet actors/app.ts",
+					deploy: "npx @actor-core/cli deploy rivet actors/app.ts",
 				},
 				devDependencies: {
 					"@actor-core/cli": version,
@@ -256,9 +256,12 @@ serve(app);
 		},
 	},
 	noop: {
-		modify: ({ files }) => {
-			// Do nothing
-			return { files };
+		modify: ({ files, pkgJson }) => {
+			files["package.json"] = stringifyJson(pkgJson);
+
+			return {
+				files,
+			};
 		},
 	},
 } satisfies Record<string, PlatformConfig>;
diff --git a/packages/actor-core/src/actor/instance.ts b/packages/actor-core/src/actor/instance.ts
index 13fc55e6d..c9acf68d9 100644
--- a/packages/actor-core/src/actor/instance.ts
+++ b/packages/actor-core/src/actor/instance.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import type { PersistedConn } from "./connection";
 import type { Logger } from "@/common//log";
-import { type ActorTags, isJsonSerializable } from "@/common//utils";
+import { type ActorTags, isJsonSerializable, stringifyError } from "@/common//utils";
 import onChange from "on-change";
 import type { ActorConfig } from "./config";
 import { Conn, type ConnId } from "./connection";
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ export class ActorInstance<S, CP, CS, V> {
 						this.#config.onStateChange(this.actorContext, this.#persistRaw.s);
 					} catch (error) {
 						logger().error("error in `_onStateChange`", {
-							error: `${error}`,
+							error: stringifyError(error),
 						});
 					}
 				}
@@ -473,13 +473,13 @@ export class ActorInstance<S, CP, CS, V> {
 					// Handle promise but don't await it to prevent blocking
 					result.catch((error) => {
 						logger().error("error in `onDisconnect`", {
-							error: `${error}`,
+							error: stringifyError(error),
 						});
 					});
 				}
 			} catch (error) {
 				logger().error("error in `onDisconnect`", {
-					error: `${error}`,
+					error: stringifyError(error),
 				});
 			}
 		}
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ export class ActorInstance<S, CP, CS, V> {
 				}
 			} catch (error) {
 				logger().error("error in `onConnect`", {
-					error: `${error}`,
+					error: stringifyError(error),
 				});
 				conn?.disconnect("`onConnect` failed");
 			}
@@ -768,7 +768,7 @@ export class ActorInstance<S, CP, CS, V> {
 					}
 				} catch (error) {
 					logger().error("error in `onBeforeRpcResponse`", {
-						error: `${error}`,
+						error: stringifyError(error),
 					});
 				}
 			}
@@ -908,7 +908,7 @@ export class ActorInstance<S, CP, CS, V> {
 			})
 			.catch((error) => {
 				logger().error("background promise failed", {
-					error: `${error}`,
+					error: stringifyError(error),
 				});
 			});
 		this.#backgroundPromises.push(nonfailablePromise);
diff --git a/packages/actor-core/src/actor/router.ts b/packages/actor-core/src/actor/router.ts
index ccb252c53..3e2c655b8 100644
--- a/packages/actor-core/src/actor/router.ts
+++ b/packages/actor-core/src/actor/router.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { type SSEStreamingApi, streamSSE } from "hono/streaming";
 import { cors } from "hono/cors";
 import { assertUnreachable } from "./utils";
 import { handleRouteError, handleRouteNotFound } from "@/common/router";
-import { deconstructError } from "@/common/utils";
+import { deconstructError, stringifyError } from "@/common/utils";
 import type { DriverConfig } from "@/driver-helpers/config";
 import type { AppConfig } from "@/app/config";
 import {
@@ -186,7 +186,9 @@ export function createActorRouter(
 
 								// Actors don't need to know about this, since it's abstracted
 								// away
-								logger().warn("websocket error", { error: `${error}` });
+								logger().warn("websocket error", {
+									error: stringifyError(error),
+								});
 							} catch (error) {
 								deconstructError(error, logger(), { wsEvent: "error" });
 							}
@@ -238,7 +240,7 @@ export function createActorRouter(
 			async (error) => {
 				// Actors don't need to know about this, since it's abstracted
 				// away
-				logger().warn("sse error", { error: `${error}` });
+				logger().warn("sse error", { error: stringifyError(error) });
 			},
 		);
 	});
@@ -407,7 +409,7 @@ function getRequestConnParams(
 		return typeof paramsStr === "string" ? JSON.parse(paramsStr) : undefined;
 	} catch (error) {
 		logger().warn("malformed connection parameters", {
-			error: `${error}`,
+			error: stringifyError(error),
 		});
 		throw new errors.MalformedConnParams(error);
 	}
diff --git a/packages/actor-core/src/actor/schedule.ts b/packages/actor-core/src/actor/schedule.ts
index 4796b30d4..4b2f6f639 100644
--- a/packages/actor-core/src/actor/schedule.ts
+++ b/packages/actor-core/src/actor/schedule.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { AnyActorInstance } from "./instance";
 import type { ActorDriver } from "./driver";
 import { KEYS } from "./keys";
 import { logger } from "./log";
+import { stringifyError } from "@/common/utils";
 
 interface ScheduleState {
 	// Sorted by timestamp asc
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@ export class Schedule {
 			} catch (err) {
 				logger().error("failed to run scheduled event", {
 					fn: event.fn,
-					error: `${err}`,
+					error: stringifyError(err),
 				});
 
 				// Write internal error
@@ -159,7 +160,7 @@ export class Schedule {
 					this.#actor.id,
 					KEYS.SCHEDULE.alarmError(event.fn),
 					{
-						error: `${err}`,
+						error: stringifyError(err),
 						timestamp: now,
 					},
 				);
diff --git a/packages/actor-core/src/client/handle.ts b/packages/actor-core/src/client/handle.ts
index cb5cb8232..e863d10e0 100644
--- a/packages/actor-core/src/client/handle.ts
+++ b/packages/actor-core/src/client/handle.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import type { Encoding } from "@/actor/protocol/serde";
 import type * as wsToClient from "@/actor/protocol/message/to-client";
 import type * as wsToServer from "@/actor/protocol/message/to-server";
 import { MAX_CONN_PARAMS_SIZE } from "@/common/network";
-import { assertUnreachable } from "@/common/utils";
+import { assertUnreachable, stringifyError } from "@/common/utils";
 import * as cbor from "cbor-x";
 import * as errors from "./errors";
 import { logger } from "./log";
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ enc
 			onFailedAttempt: (error) => {
 				logger().warn("failed to reconnect", {
 					attempt: error.attemptNumber,
-					error: `${error}`,
+					error: stringifyError(error),
 				});
 			},
 
diff --git a/packages/actor-core/src/common/utils.ts b/packages/actor-core/src/common/utils.ts
index 8530f67d6..3678ba3e1 100644
--- a/packages/actor-core/src/common/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/actor-core/src/common/utils.ts
@@ -158,3 +158,23 @@ export function deconstructError(
 
 	return { statusCode, code, message, metadata };
 }
+
+export function stringifyError(error: unknown): string {
+	if (error instanceof Error) {
+		if (process.env._ACTOR_CORE_ERROR_STACK === "1") {
+			return `${error.name}: ${error.message}${error.stack ? `\n${error.stack}` : ""}`;
+		} else {
+			return `${error.name}: ${error.message}`;
+		}
+	} else if (typeof error === "string") {
+		return error;
+	} else if (typeof error === "object" && error !== null) {
+		try {
+			return `${JSON.stringify(error)}`;
+		} catch {
+			return "[cannot stringify error]";
+		}
+	} else {
+		return `Unknown error: ${String(error)}`;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index f6916473e..fd0e94c98 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ __metadata:
   version: 8
   cacheKey: 10c0
 
-"@actor-core/bun@workspace:packages/platforms/bun":
+"@actor-core/bun@workspace:*, @actor-core/bun@workspace:packages/platforms/bun":
   version: 0.0.0-use.local
   resolution: "@actor-core/bun@workspace:packages/platforms/bun"
   dependencies:
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: unknown
   linkType: soft
 
-"@actor-core/cloudflare-workers@workspace:packages/platforms/cloudflare-workers":
+"@actor-core/cloudflare-workers@workspace:*, @actor-core/cloudflare-workers@workspace:packages/platforms/cloudflare-workers":
   version: 0.0.0-use.local
   resolution: "@actor-core/cloudflare-workers@workspace:packages/platforms/cloudflare-workers"
   dependencies:
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: unknown
   linkType: soft
 
-"@actor-core/nodejs@workspace:^, @actor-core/nodejs@workspace:packages/platforms/nodejs":
+"@actor-core/nodejs@workspace:*, @actor-core/nodejs@workspace:^, @actor-core/nodejs@workspace:packages/platforms/nodejs":
   version: 0.0.0-use.local
   resolution: "@actor-core/nodejs@workspace:packages/platforms/nodejs"
   dependencies:
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: unknown
   linkType: soft
 
-"@actor-core/rivet@workspace:packages/platforms/rivet":
+"@actor-core/rivet@workspace:*, @actor-core/rivet@workspace:packages/platforms/rivet":
   version: 0.0.0-use.local
   resolution: "@actor-core/rivet@workspace:packages/platforms/rivet"
   dependencies:
@@ -2581,7 +2581,7 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
-"@types/bun@npm:^1.2.2":
+"@types/bun@npm:^1.2.2, @types/bun@npm:^1.2.4":
   version: 1.2.8
   resolution: "@types/bun@npm:1.2.8"
   dependencies:
@@ -2599,7 +2599,7 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
-"@types/deno@npm:^2.0.0":
+"@types/deno@npm:^2.0.0, @types/deno@npm:^2.2.0":
   version: 2.2.0
   resolution: "@types/deno@npm:2.2.0"
   checksum: 10c0/cb45bbffe66a3008224a509c6bcb338921cc68b9045363f77ba5d84650d879b8fd4c810db24369a93fbce4a8e2855808bb141c0447feb47d911a7512ba374bde
@@ -3608,6 +3608,89 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"chat-room-bun@workspace:templates/chat-room-bun":
+  version: 0.0.0-use.local
+  resolution: "chat-room-bun@workspace:templates/chat-room-bun"
+  dependencies:
+    "@actor-core/bun": "workspace:*"
+    "@actor-core/cli": "workspace:*"
+    "@types/bun": "npm:^1.2.4"
+    "@types/node": "npm:^22.13.9"
+    "@types/prompts": "npm:^2"
+    actor-core: "workspace:*"
+    prompts: "npm:^2.4.2"
+    tsx: "npm:^3.12.7"
+    typescript: "npm:^5.5.2"
+    vitest: "npm:^3.0.9"
+  languageName: unknown
+  linkType: soft
+
+"chat-room-cloudflare-workers@workspace:templates/chat-room-cloudflare-workers":
+  version: 0.0.0-use.local
+  resolution: "chat-room-cloudflare-workers@workspace:templates/chat-room-cloudflare-workers"
+  dependencies:
+    "@actor-core/cli": "workspace:*"
+    "@actor-core/cloudflare-workers": "workspace:*"
+    "@cloudflare/workers-types": "npm:^4.20250129.0"
+    "@types/node": "npm:^22.13.9"
+    "@types/prompts": "npm:^2"
+    actor-core: "workspace:*"
+    prompts: "npm:^2.4.2"
+    tsx: "npm:^3.12.7"
+    typescript: "npm:^5.5.2"
+    vitest: "npm:^3.0.9"
+    wrangler: "npm:^3.101.0"
+  languageName: unknown
+  linkType: soft
+
+"chat-room-nodejs@workspace:templates/chat-room-nodejs":
+  version: 0.0.0-use.local
+  resolution: "chat-room-nodejs@workspace:templates/chat-room-nodejs"
+  dependencies:
+    "@actor-core/cli": "workspace:*"
+    "@actor-core/nodejs": "workspace:*"
+    "@types/node": "npm:^22.13.9"
+    "@types/prompts": "npm:^2"
+    actor-core: "workspace:*"
+    prompts: "npm:^2.4.2"
+    tsx: "npm:^3.12.7"
+    typescript: "npm:^5.5.2"
+    vitest: "npm:^3.0.9"
+  languageName: unknown
+  linkType: soft
+
+"chat-room-noop@workspace:templates/chat-room-noop":
+  version: 0.0.0-use.local
+  resolution: "chat-room-noop@workspace:templates/chat-room-noop"
+  dependencies:
+    "@actor-core/cli": "workspace:*"
+    "@types/node": "npm:^22.13.9"
+    "@types/prompts": "npm:^2"
+    actor-core: "workspace:*"
+    prompts: "npm:^2.4.2"
+    tsx: "npm:^3.12.7"
+    typescript: "npm:^5.5.2"
+    vitest: "npm:^3.0.9"
+  languageName: unknown
+  linkType: soft
+
+"chat-room-rivet@workspace:templates/chat-room-rivet":
+  version: 0.0.0-use.local
+  resolution: "chat-room-rivet@workspace:templates/chat-room-rivet"
+  dependencies:
+    "@actor-core/cli": "workspace:*"
+    "@actor-core/rivet": "workspace:*"
+    "@types/deno": "npm:^2.2.0"
+    "@types/node": "npm:^22.13.9"
+    "@types/prompts": "npm:^2"
+    actor-core: "workspace:*"
+    prompts: "npm:^2.4.2"
+    tsx: "npm:^3.12.7"
+    typescript: "npm:^5.5.2"
+    vitest: "npm:^3.0.9"
+  languageName: unknown
+  linkType: soft
+
 "chat-room@workspace:examples/chat-room":
   version: 0.0.0-use.local
   resolution: "chat-room@workspace:examples/chat-room"
@@ -3881,6 +3964,79 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"counter-bun@workspace:templates/counter-bun":
+  version: 0.0.0-use.local
+  resolution: "counter-bun@workspace:templates/counter-bun"
+  dependencies:
+    "@actor-core/bun": "workspace:*"
+    "@actor-core/cli": "workspace:*"
+    "@types/bun": "npm:^1.2.4"
+    "@types/node": "npm:^22.13.9"
+    actor-core: "workspace:*"
+    tsx: "npm:^3.12.7"
+    typescript: "npm:^5.7.3"
+    vitest: "npm:^3.0.9"
+  languageName: unknown
+  linkType: soft
+
+"counter-cloudflare-workers@workspace:templates/counter-cloudflare-workers":
+  version: 0.0.0-use.local
+  resolution: "counter-cloudflare-workers@workspace:templates/counter-cloudflare-workers"
+  dependencies:
+    "@actor-core/cli": "workspace:*"
+    "@actor-core/cloudflare-workers": "workspace:*"
+    "@cloudflare/workers-types": "npm:^4.20250129.0"
+    "@types/node": "npm:^22.13.9"
+    actor-core: "workspace:*"
+    tsx: "npm:^3.12.7"
+    typescript: "npm:^5.7.3"
+    vitest: "npm:^3.0.9"
+    wrangler: "npm:^3.101.0"
+  languageName: unknown
+  linkType: soft
+
+"counter-nodejs@workspace:templates/counter-nodejs":
+  version: 0.0.0-use.local
+  resolution: "counter-nodejs@workspace:templates/counter-nodejs"
+  dependencies:
+    "@actor-core/cli": "workspace:*"
+    "@actor-core/nodejs": "workspace:*"
+    "@types/node": "npm:^22.13.9"
+    actor-core: "workspace:*"
+    tsx: "npm:^3.12.7"
+    typescript: "npm:^5.7.3"
+    vitest: "npm:^3.0.9"
+  languageName: unknown
+  linkType: soft
+
+"counter-noop@workspace:templates/counter-noop":
+  version: 0.0.0-use.local
+  resolution: "counter-noop@workspace:templates/counter-noop"
+  dependencies:
+    "@actor-core/cli": "workspace:*"
+    "@types/node": "npm:^22.13.9"
+    actor-core: "workspace:*"
+    tsx: "npm:^3.12.7"
+    typescript: "npm:^5.7.3"
+    vitest: "npm:^3.0.9"
+  languageName: unknown
+  linkType: soft
+
+"counter-rivet@workspace:templates/counter-rivet":
+  version: 0.0.0-use.local
+  resolution: "counter-rivet@workspace:templates/counter-rivet"
+  dependencies:
+    "@actor-core/cli": "workspace:*"
+    "@actor-core/rivet": "workspace:*"
+    "@types/deno": "npm:^2.2.0"
+    "@types/node": "npm:^22.13.9"
+    actor-core: "workspace:*"
+    tsx: "npm:^3.12.7"
+    typescript: "npm:^5.7.3"
+    vitest: "npm:^3.0.9"
+  languageName: unknown
+  linkType: soft
+
 "counter@workspace:examples/counter":
   version: 0.0.0-use.local
   resolution: "counter@workspace:examples/counter"