It seems that every day there are more job offers for programmers: today it is a common thing to know the basics of Python. However, learning to program is still not such a simple task, and you want to start it somehow easier – for example, in the format of a video game. These basic skills won’t let you create your own online casino with live dealers but allow you to understand how everything works in general. Here are ten titles, based on learning to write code in a game form: real syntax and peculiarities will still have to be improved, but the proposed options can train your algorithmic skills.
7 Billion Humans
It is necessary to give commands to office workers, in fact, control a sort of computer based on the people. Puzzles start out fairly simple, but gradually escalate to a really puzzling one. Laced with witty and weird inserts about office life and the humor that accompanies most of the levels. As a bonus, the game lets you learn about multithreaded processes.
Comet 64
The player goes to 1984 and starts writing programs on a machine similar to the Commodore 64. The local language is similar to Assembler, but is a simplified version of it. The total number of puzzles exceeds 50, with additional puzzles based on other principles as a bonus. For those who miss the challenge, there is an online scoreboard, and you can compete in several categories.
Human Resource Machine
Another game from the creators of 7 Billion Humans. The users will have to program the office workers, but the key difference is the fact that instead of a lot of employees it will be one person. Accordingly, we are not talking about multi-threading, but have to learn more concise code and use fewer operations. At later levels, though, you still can’t accomplish the task in less than a hundred operations. And, just like the other studio game on the list, there’s plenty of humor and strange clips full of sarcasm about working in an office.
MHRD
Perhaps the toughest game on the list. Users will have to take on the role of an engineer who prescribes the logic of the various components of the future PC. After studying the included documentation, players will get their hands on several potential big tasks ranging from creating adders to a full-fledged processor. Each design can be tested to see if it works, and previously created modules can be reused in the development of larger devices.
Shenzhen I/O
The user will take on the role of an engineer working for a Chinese company. In the process, it will not only have to write code, but also to deal with the creation of microchips, correctly placing components on the boards. The local manual is more than three dozen pages long, and the game itself, in addition to the main tasks, has various mini-games and the ability to independently develop applications for various devices that have been created before. As a bonus, there is a story about getting a job with a team in another country, which is not easy to root for.
