diff --git a/tests/Makefile b/tests/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6226db3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# recursively build all example projects in the subdirectories
+
+projects := $(filter-out _%, $(dir $(wildcard */Makefile)))
+
+all: $(projects:%=%-build)
+clean: $(projects:%=%-clean)
+install: $(projects:%=%-install)
+projects:
+	@echo $(projects)
+
+%-build: %/Makefile
+	$(MAKE) -C $(<D)
+%-clean: %/Makefile
+	$(MAKE) -C $(<D) clean
+%-install: %/Makefile
+	$(MAKE) -C $(<D) install