Minimal test runner that covers most of your needs

1_runner.js

const util = require('util');

const result = title => err => {
  if (err instanceof Error) {
    console.log(`✖ ${title}`);
    console.error(err.actual || err);
  } else {
    console.log(`✔ ${title}`);
  }
};

module.exports = (title, fn) => {
  const end = result(title);
  try {
    const maybePromise = fn();
    if (util.types.isPromise(maybePromise)) {
      maybePromise.then(end).catch(end);
    } else {
      end();
    }
  } catch (err) {
    end(err);
  }
};

2_test.js

const assert = require('assert');
const test = require('./runner');

test('should be simple', () => {
  assert(1 === 1);
});

test('should handle promises', async () => {
  await assert.rejects(() => Promise.reject());
});

test('should handle async stuff', async () => {
  await assert.doesNotReject(() => Promise.resolve());
});

test('should be simple', () => {
  assert(1 === 2);
});

test('should handle promises', async () => {
  await assert.rejects(() => Promise.resolve());
});

test('should handle async stuff', async () => {
  await assert.doesNotReject(() => Promise.reject(new Error('failed!')));
});

3_output.txt

$ node test.js
✔ should be simple
✖ should be simple
AssertionError [ERR_ASSERTION]: The expression evaluated to a falsy value:

  assert(1 === 2)

    at /Users/lars/Projects/@release-it/plugin-starterkit/test.js:17:3
    at module.exports (/Users/lars/Projects/@release-it/plugin-starterkit/runner.js:15:26)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/Users/lars/Projects/@release-it/plugin-starterkit/test.js:16:1)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:759:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:770:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:628:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:555:12)
    at Function.Module.runMain (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:824:10)
    at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:11 {
  generatedMessage: true,
  code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
  actual: false,
  expected: true,
  operator: '=='
}
✔ should handle promises
✔ should handle async stuff
✖ should handle promises
AssertionError [ERR_ASSERTION]: Missing expected rejection.
    at processTicksAndRejections (internal/process/task_queues.js:89:5)
    at async /Users/lars/Projects/@release-it/plugin-starterkit/test.js:21:3 {
  generatedMessage: false,
  code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
  actual: undefined,
  expected: undefined,
  operator: 'rejects'
}
✖ should handle async stuff
Error: failed!
    at /Users/lars/Projects/@release-it/plugin-starterkit/test.js:25:51
    at waitForActual (assert.js:620:21)
    at Function.doesNotReject (assert.js:729:39)
    at /Users/lars/Projects/@release-it/plugin-starterkit/test.js:25:16
    at module.exports (/Users/lars/Projects/@release-it/plugin-starterkit/runner.js:15:26)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/Users/lars/Projects/@release-it/plugin-starterkit/test.js:24:1)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:759:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:770:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:628:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:555:12)