Builder · coding games for fun

Self-taught coder making programming fun: build robots, write their brains, play capture the flag and last one standing. Coding games beats another tutorial.

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

I've wanted to build this since I was a kid learning to code: a game where your code is the weapon. Build a robot, write its brain in any of 9 languages, and fight for the top of the ladder. Follow along.

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@doubleXL444 have you decided to continue?

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@kamiludeenao it was c++: getting used to keeping the dereferencing straight in my head. that was a while go.

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

the same bot plays totally differently across game modes. capture the flag rewards the one that commits and runs. last one standing rewards the one that waits and punishes. infiltrate rewards neither.

picking which mode to code for is the real design decision.

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@Bc_trr those will be satisfying finish lines to cross.

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@yashkaushik_0_0 forward-deployed?

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@FutureOnChain0 if you're ever looking for little project ideas around robot-behaviour, let me know.

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@shondsouza1 leetcode trains pattern recognition inside a closed box. a login page hands you a session that expires, a form that double-submits, and nobody grading it. different muscles, and only one gets stronger from reps.

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

Half of programming is choosing what not to build. Put a hard weight budget and a small CPU in front of someone and that stops being abstract: a heavier chassis means less room for sensors, so every part costs you somewhere else. That tradeoff is where the thinking happens.

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@akeynix preaching to this converted self-teacher. not only is the devil in the details, but so is the learning. ... and mastery. with you, my friend.

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@WOkparaji74619 @MarvellousDev the next project could be hiding in the last one. suggest putting your football detector on live video instead of clips and a fresh pile of problems shows up on its own.

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@Demolisher59126 worth it. 2 reasons:
1. AI writes the code, but someone still has to read it, spot the bad assumption, and know why the fix works. that part is what python actually teaches you.
2. problem solving is a valuable skill. coding is an inexpensive and fun way to learn it.

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@gusholderhaber how often does this need to be done?

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@66e0s hilarious if true

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@chandanverma54 @grok watching is comfortable because nothing can break. the weekend of broken code stings for a reason: reading your own errors is the part no lecture can hand you

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

Most coding games pick your language for you, and it's usually Python or JavaScript. Fine if that's what you're studying. If you're deep into C++ or Lua, practicing in a language the game chose is homework, not practice. Your stack should be the one that fights.

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@izzyCodes_ pick the first project so it needs concurrency, a tiny scraper or a port scanner. the syntax makes sense right up until channels show up, and that's where the real learning starts

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@jamisafari i'm always a big fan of going on your own and creating something bigger than ever.

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@LJL005 ask it to explain the bug before it fixes anything, then rewrite the fix yourself from that explanation. slower the first week, but your debugging stops being outsourced

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

You can recite loops and conditionals and still freeze when the blank file opens. The wall isn't syntax, it's that nothing you've written has ever done anything visible.

Give your code something to move, break, and fix. That's the sandbox beginners actually need.

[Builder · coding games for fun @jazzhammerOfX]

@IamYashKapoor the selection anxiety is the real cost. i stopped asking what's worth building and started asking what annoyed me this week. a chore beats an idea every time, because it has a finish line