
Lightbot: A simple programming game - abraham_s
http://lightbot.com/hocflash.html
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Orangeair
I find this interesting for how it demonstrates recursion as a means of
looping. Most simple code tutorials like this just follow the procedural
style, and make you throw a set of instructions inside of a loop block.

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wolf550e
A long time ago I wrote a simplistic "genetic algorithm" and JIT for solving
these puzzles as an exercise. The code is not good, but it did work.

[https://github.com/zeevt/lightbot_solver](https://github.com/zeevt/lightbot_solver)

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kolev
It's not that simple. My 6-year-old son is having hard time - even with the
Junior version on Android. Sometimes I do have issue with the regular version
as well - it's much easier to write code than use the constructs.

~~~
kolev
A game for bigger kids is Hacked [0].

[0] [http://www.hackedapp.com/](http://www.hackedapp.com/)

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mjmahone17
This game has a similar code mechanic to CargoBot:
[https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cargo-
bot/id519690804?mt=8](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cargo-
bot/id519690804?mt=8)

CargoBot has given me hours of having to really think about how to structure
my "code" to get the recursive calls just right. I haven't gotten deep into
Lightbot yet, but it should be a fun puzzle if later levels have similar types
of recursive challenges.

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NaNaN
There is an old one from the same team:
[http://armorgames.com/play/2205/light-
bot](http://armorgames.com/play/2205/light-bot)

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anomie
[http://pleasingfungus.com/Manufactoria/](http://pleasingfungus.com/Manufactoria/)
is another great game along the same lines

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ygra
I love Manufactoria, precisely because it's a game about programming _but_
manages to avoid the Lightbot style where you just put commands in a fixed
sequence. Lightbot abstracts procedural programming into a game, but so did
graph3.tpu back in the day for me. Manufactoria makes a game about programming
by forcing even programmers to think different.

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oflordal
Try [http://www.robozzle.com](http://www.robozzle.com) for a game in similar
vein with a bit more depth.

~~~
pbhjpbhj
Requires silverlight ...!

~~~
tasuki
There's a JavaScript version:
[http://www.robozzle.com/js/index.aspx](http://www.robozzle.com/js/index.aspx)

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slowmovintarget
Haven't seen it mentioned in the comments yet, but here's another that's a bit
more hardcore:
[http://robocode.sourceforge.net/](http://robocode.sourceforge.net/)

You code the AI for your tank then let it loose in an arena with other tanks.
You have to handle path-finding, scanning, range-finding, target
identification, hit/miss analysis.

Some of the winning bots are amazingly competent with their scan-and-move
algorithms. You code in Java or some flavor of .Net.

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gasping
This was really good but there were a few levels that left a bit to be
desired. Some of them were basically "find a way to mash this code into these
functions without exceeding the instruction cap" while others encouraged quite
elegant programming. The last one of the final stage was probably the best
example, I thought it was quite elegant.

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Tideflat
As a hint: When you run out of space in a function, then just tack the still
needed blocks to the end of every call of that function. It is a bad real-life
programming pattern but works in this language.

(This language seems non-turning complete without conditionals.)

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abraham_s
I have been looking for a game to suggest to my 8 year old nephew. This looks
simple enough for him to start on. But I am guessing he might need some help
when recursion comes into picture. Thanks to others who have posted other
suggestions.

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artgon
This is a really clever way to help people get an idea of what programming is
all about.

Great work!

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akkartik
Right after the first level the question in my mind was, "hmm, I wonder what
the tile for conditionals looks like." That question was never answered.
Anybody have any ideas on how to answer it?

~~~
dyarosla
Creator here. Conditionals are introduced in some of the premium versions. You
can see how they work in the video at the top of lightbot.com- once the
paintbrush is introduced to color the robot conditionals allow for running
commands based on lightbot's color.

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glesica
Was anyone able to actually play the game? It took me to an introduction, the
last slide of which was "I'm finished with my hour of code" and I couldn't go
any further.

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borkabrak
That got me at first, too. If you'll notice, the slides are 'chapters' that
you can click on to try the challenges therein contained.

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tensorproduct
I played this game some years ago before I learned anything about programming.
Coming back to it with some understanding of recursion makes it a lot easier
(though still tough in places).

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isxek
Also a great game with the same theme from 2011: Pragmatica

[http://www.wearehive.com/games/pragmatica/](http://www.wearehive.com/games/pragmatica/)

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madlag
My daughter has been playing it since she was 7, it's really cool to teach the
basics of programming, and more generally to improve accuracy of spatial and
time reasoning.

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userbinator
Definitely much easier than this one:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot_Odyssey](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot_Odyssey)

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sanoli
I'm waiting for the years to pass and the time will come when I will have time
to delve into Robot Odissey and try to finish it.

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otikik
Auto playing music on load -> instant tab close.

