Coding becomes interesting once one understands the mechanics and intricacies of using computer skills to solve world problems. However, mastering these programming skills is not an easy endeavor. For that reason, games to learn coding come in handy as the most effective tools for guiding one along this tedious journey to becoming an expert programmer. Setting aside time to engage in these games and challenges would be a step in the right direction. As you learn coding game in an entertaining setting, you get more passion for both gaming and coding itself. Besides serving as fun breaks, they will enable you to learn faster while retaining information due to the firsthand experience that gaming provides.
Games facilitate beginners in assimilating novel information and evaluating their progress. The shift toward coding games can be attributable to their capacity to activate both the left and right hemispheres of the brain, a crucial factor in the resolution of any problem. Like any human skill, such as cooking or driving, programming or coding is about identifying what works and eliminating what does not work. Through playing programming games, you can gain great insights into the lives of coders and determine what you need to do to become adept in this field. All the games that teach you to code make the whole process of learning easier and add more fun. Although many of these different games exist in the market today, the only similarity among all of them is their emphasis on sharpening the player’s critical and creative thinking skills to facilitate application to varied circumstances. Indeed, playing games is not only a leisure activity for young kids; as an adult, you can benefit immensely from the knowledge and adventure that this experience provides.
For those of you who are new to coding and are wondering, “How will I do my programming assignment? Are there games that help you learn programming?” The following is an overview of relevant games that teach coding.
4 Interesting coding games for beginners
1. CodinGame
When it comes to beginners coding games, this one should definitely come first. CodinGame is an online platform that offers you an opportunity to not only sharpen your problem-solving skills but also learn coding basics through an interactive turn-based game. As a player, you can practice using over 25 different coding programming languages before being allowed to participate in coding competitions. Upon creating an account, you can commence gaming as a beginner before being introduced to conventional coding concepts that will enable you to tackle mini-challenges.
2. Flexbox Defense
Flexbox defense is also one of the coding games for beginners. Designed as a tower defense adventure in which you must position the towers appropriately to lock out enemies, it can help you augment your cascading style sheets (CSS) skills. The challenges in this game provide the player with definitions of the CSS Flexbox properties. Upon writing your code, you can press the Start Wave button to determine if your efforts at stopping your enemies were fruitful.
3. CodeCombat
Being one of the most popular games to help learn coding, CodeCombat is a programming game appropriate for both adults and children. You can learn about coding basics like conditionals, variables, functions, and loops. Besides, you can select the most appropriate programming language to begin your practice before advancing through other levels. Since these higher levels are only accessible with the premium account, the game offers an upgrade option for those interested.
4. Ruby Warrior
Ruby Warrior allows you to learn to program utilizing style graphics from the 1980s. Fundamentally, it is a browser-based game that places your main character before a series of complex obstacles designed to evaluate and improve your coding skills. The game is free for users. By logging in via your Facebook account, you can track your progress for the next gaming session.
Best coding games for everyone
- Codewars
Codewars is one of the best coding games in the market. Although it is more of a gamified way of practicing programming and solving algorithmic problems than a coding game, it allows you to peruse solutions provided by others and consequently learn from them. As you complete puzzles, the game awards you points based on your solutions’ efficiency. Doubtless, it is one of the best strategies for learning novel coding languages and their associated idioms.
- Human resource machine
In this game, you assume the role of an office worker who combines various instructions to complete assigned tasks. For that reason, it facilitates coding skill development through visual programming and puzzle-solving. Moreover, the game emphasizes concepts like memory management and logical flow by presenting them in a formal way that is easy to comprehend. In general, it offers a great way of exercising programming skills for both children and adults.
- SQL murder mystery
The game is excellent for both experienced developers and beginners. It augments your problem-solving and SQL skills by allowing you to uncover the killer in the presented murder mystery. Since the game utilizes SQLite, you will need to first familiarize yourself with the database infrastructure before playing. Experienced coders can engage in the game straightaway, whereas beginners must be oriented to SQL first.
- Elevator saga
In this JavaScript game, you move through several challenges in which you try transporting people in elevators utilizing the most effective approach possible within the stipulated time. Upon modifying the code, you can evaluate the effectiveness of your solution by pushing the start button in the top right-hand corner. As the program executes, you can peruse the stats to determine whether or not you passed the challenge.
Other games to learn programming
Robocode
Though one of the most complex programming games for beginners, robocode is quite effective for teaching coding. The game requires you to code robot tanks and pit them against one another. The underlying challenge is for you to write the artificial intelligence program that will ensure the success of your robots utilizing real languages like Scala and Java. Although it was launched at the turn of the 21st century, it is subject to regular updates for your ultimate learning cum gaming experience.
Scratch
Scratch is a block-based coding language that lets you learn about programming basics, such as conditionals, variables, and events, by creating personal animations and games. You can select from a litany of backgrounds, sounds, and sprites to develop your creations while comprehending key coding skills. Notably, computer science instructors at Harvard utilize scratch to familiarize their students with the fundamentals of the course.
Screeps
As one of the games that teach coding, Screeps enables you to use JavaScript to strategically code the conduct of in-game entities and consequently establish your empire. With the base game, you get a private server plus a month’s access to the official server, after which you begin to pay for monthly subscriptions. If your interest is in learning the nuances of game programming, this is the game for you.
Untrusted
This adventure game enables you to test your problem-solving skills using JavaScript. It involves you helping one Dr. Eval solve coding challenges through a series of levels. For those new to JavaScript, the game might be a little complex. However, the challenges presented are pretty manageable if you are familiar with the Java programming language.
Tips to Pick the Best Games to Learn Programming
When looking for the most games to master programming, ensure to follow some tips on picking the best options out there:
- Start with the simple ones. It’s better to begin with relatively straightforward mechanics and logic.
- Use game development frameworks. With game development frameworks or/and engines like Godot and Unreal Engine, one can have a well-structured environment with built-in tools for a more intuitive learning of programming.
- Choose tutorials. It’s better to focus on games that have comprehensive tutorials. Thus, you’ll get a better idea of design patterns, codebase, etc.
- Go for games that interest you. Nothing works better than the games that you’re genuinely interested in. You’ll stay motivated to learn more.
- Progress gradually. When feeling confident enough, proceed to more complex games. For instance, if you start with 2D games, you’ll soon be able to try 3D ones.
