Turn Playtime into Code Mastery: 15 Games to Learn Programming

Many people think programming is dull, but learning through games can make it engaging.

1. Coding Games

Coding Games lets you play while solving coding challenges, supporting over 20 languages including PHP, C, and JavaScript. The interface is powerful and customizable, allowing you to choose editor styles such as Emacs, Vim, or Classic.

Website: www.codingame.com

2. CodeCombat (极客战记)

CodeCombat is a web‑based coding game that blends rich storylines with programming puzzles. It feels like a Warcraft‑style online game where you defeat monsters and solve riddles using languages such as Python, JavaScript, Lua, CoffeeScript, and Clojure.

Websites: cn.codecombat.com (global) and codecombat.163.com (China version).

3. Screeps

Screeps is a massive‑multiplayer online game designed for JavaScript programmers. You control units called “creeps” to gather resources, build territories, and compete against other players’ creeps.

Website: screeps.com

4. CheckiO

CheckiO is a browser‑based game where you solve puzzles using Python or JavaScript to progress.

Website: checkio.org

5. Vim Adventures

Vim Adventures teaches the Vim editor through a game‑based adventure.

Website: vim‑adventures.com

6. Cyber Dojo

Cyber‑Dojo provides a practice arena for many languages (JavaScript, Java, Python, PHP, Ruby, etc.) where programmers can solve exercises.

Website: www.cyber-dojo.org

Source code: github.com/JonJagger/cyber-dojo

7. Code Monkey

CodeMonkey is a whimsical web‑based coding game where you give commands to a monkey to collect bananas, covering over 300 levels and many programming concepts.

Website: www.playcodemonkey.com

8. Elevator Saga

Elevator Saga challenges you to program elevator logic in JavaScript to transport people within time limits.

Website: play.elevatorsaga.com

Code repository: github.com/magwo/elevatorsaga

9. Codewars

Codewars offers real coding challenges where you battle other programmers, supporting languages such as JavaScript, Python, C#, Java, and more.

Website: www.codewars.com

10. Ruby Quiz

Ruby Quiz provides weekly Ruby challenges, currently offering 156 quizzes.

Website: rubyquiz.com

11. Git‑Game

Git‑Game is a terminal‑based adventure that teaches Git commands by having you search for clues and solve puzzles.

Website: www.git-game.com

12. Hacker.org

Hacker.org hosts a series of puzzles and challenges that test hacking skills, including cryptography, encoding, and penetration techniques.

Website: https://www.hacker.org/

13. Code Hunt

Code Hunt, developed by Microsoft Research, is an HTML5 sci‑fi game where you fix code in Java or C# to learn algorithms, loops, and conditionals.

Website: www.codehunt.com

14. Fight Code

In Fight Code you write JavaScript to create a robot that battles other players’ bots.

Website: fightcode.io

15. Human Resource Machine

Human Resource Machine is a mobile puzzle game that teaches computer hardware concepts—memory, registers, I/O—by having you write simple programs to move mail and complete tasks.

Website: tomorrowcorporation.com

Other similar coding game websites

CodeChef : Solve real problems and join monthly contests.

Pex for fun : Microsoft’s game where programmers battle using code.

Rankk : A recreation of the Pyramid game with logic and math puzzles.

TopCoder : Competitive programming with cash prizes.

Google Code Jam : Archive of algorithm challenges from Google’s contest.

Python Challenge : Solve problems to level up using Python.

Lumosity : Brain‑training games designed by scientists.

Algorithm Geeks : Google group for algorithm discussion.

CodeKata : Fun coding problems.

LessThanDot : Forum for difficult programming challenges.

The Daily WTF : Community sharing quirky code snippets.

Peking University JudgeOnline : Online judge for ACIP/ICPC problems.

University of Valladolid Online Judge : Similar OJ platform.

Programming Praxis : Weekly programming problems blog.

Project Euler : Complex math problems for enthusiasts.

4Clojure : Learn Clojure through varied difficulty problems.

Prolog Problems : Practice logic programming.

Codingbat : Java and Python exercises of varying difficulty.

Sphere Online Judge : Wide range of coding problems.

Rosalind : Learn algorithms and bioinformatics by solving real problems.

LeetCode : Interview preparation platform with diverse questions.

Career Cup : Real interview questions for programmers.

Kodable : iPad coding game for children aged 5+.

Lightbot : Mobile game teaching programming logic by lighting bulbs.

Box Island : Award‑winning mobile adventure that introduces basic coding concepts.