Summary

The website article discusses a selection of interactive games designed to teach programming concepts and languages, catering to both beginners and experienced developers.

Abstract

The article "Fun Games That Will Teach You How To Program" introduces a variety of educational games aimed at making the process of learning programming more engaging and enjoyable. It emphasizes that playing games can be an effective way to grasp new programming concepts, not just for children but for adults as well. The games featured range from beginner-friendly to those suitable for intermediate and advanced programmers, covering languages such as Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Ruby, Java, and Swift. Highlighted games include CodinGame, Code Combat, TwilioQuest, Ruby Warrior, CodeGym, and Swift Playgrounds, each with its unique approach to teaching coding skills. The article also shares the author's personal experience with learning to program through game development and suggests additional resources for further learning.

Opinions

The author believes that playing games is a fun and effective method for absorbing new information in programming.
They suggest that writing your own game is an excellent way to improve programming skills, but it requires prior knowledge of important concepts.
The author expresses a preference for learning through competition and enjoys games like CodinGame that feature scores, levels, and leaderboards.
They recommend CodinGame for more experienced developers looking to refine their skills, noting its wide range of programming languages and hot topics.
The article conveys that Code Combat and TwilioQuest are ideal for beginners, including children, due to their engaging storylines and detailed explanations.
Ruby Warrior is suggested for those interested in learning Ruby on Rails, with additional recommendations for further learning resources like Thinkful and The Odin Project.
The author finds Java to be less beginner-friendly but acknowledges that CodeGym makes learning the language more engaging through story-driven challenges.
Swift Playgrounds is praised for being consistently up-to-date, given its development by Apple, and for its appealing graphics and storyline.
The author expresses a desire for readers to share additional fun programming games and recommends an AI service for those interested in further exploring programming and AI.

Fun Games That Will Teach You How To Program

Many programmers got into programming because of games…

Playing games is a great way to absorb new information and not only for kids but for adults too. A better way to become a better programmer is probably only to write your own game but before you are ready to do that, you need to pick up some important concepts first. Here is where these games come into play!

Back in the day, I went the same route. I was playing games, trying various online learning platforms, reading programming books...and then the school started. I had absolutely no time for games but we did have a project to write our own game using C. I suffered a lot… but eventually, this masterpiece was born:

My masterpiece: a game where you need to find a raccoon in a maze in order to win :)

I’m glad that you don’t have to suffer as much and even learn C in the first place. These beginner-friendly games will teach you important concepts and popular programming languages in a much more approachable and fun way!

CodinGame

Perfect for: intermediate and advanced programmers

Let’s start with a game perfect for intermediate and advance programmers. It’s not just a simple puzzle that explains what a variable is. CodinGame was made for more or less experienced developers who want to get better at what they do. The game is focused on algorithms and other important programming concepts. Even though it’s still just a game, it features 25+ programming languages and all the hot programming topics.

My favorite part is that it’s possible to play with friends. I might be too competitive but scores, new levels, and leaderboards always excite me.

Code Combat

Perfect for: beginners, both kids and adults, who want to learn Python, JavaScript, HTML, or CSS

If you are not ready for CodinGame yet, try this medieval RPG instead. It’s basically a set of coding lessons that teaches you the simple programming concepts — what a variable is, how a function work, etc. Both kids and adults will enjoy its simple design, engaging story, and detailed explanations.

TwilioQuest

Perfect for: beginners, both kids and adults, who want to learn Python or JavaScript

Similar to Code Combat, TwilioQuest is a beginner-friendly programming game. Developed by a tech giant Twilio, this free, PC role-playing game with retro graphics features fun programming missions for all ages.

Ruby Warrior

Perfect for: beginners, both kids and adults, who want to learn Ruby on Rails

Ruby is not as popular as, say, JavaScript, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn't start learning it. It’s still widely used! But finding good resources to learn Ruby is getting harder…so if you are determined to learn Ruby, you should definitely check out this 2D side-scroller. Also, I would recommend this tutorial and, of course, The Odin Project.

CodeGym

Perfect for: beginners who want to learn Java

CodeGym is more of a course than a game, but it's still very engaging. They have a lot of story-driven programming challenges to choose from that can be done in their IntelliJ IDE (Integrated Development Environment). I always thought that Java is not a very beginner-friendly language. If I ever need to learn it, I will definitely start by playing a game rather than reading a book or starting a course.

Swift Playgrounds

Perfect for: beginners, both kids and adults, who want to get started with Swift

Oh, learning Swift can be such a pain. As a new language, it evolves rapidly and it can be hard to follow sometimes. The benefit of Swift Playgrounds is that it was developed directly by Apple so, in theory, it should be always up-to-date. I also love the beautiful graphics of this app, the cute characters, and the fun storyline.

The game itself is pretty basic so if you are looking for more advanced Swift resources, I would definitely recommend this course by App Brewery. I’m just not sure how up-to-date is it.

Do you know more fun programming games? If so, please share with us in the comments below! I would love to play something new this weekend 🙂