
Ask HN: Any good examples of learning through games/puzzles, for adults? - justaguyhere
Puzzles, games etc with the intention of teaching of some concept or topic. In any format (board games, digital games etc).<p>Any examples?
======
a-martyn
Steve Reich’s Clapping Music aims to teach people how to perform a piece of
contemporary music from the ground up:
[http://clappingmusicapp.com/](http://clappingmusicapp.com/)

[full disclosure] I developed this. We collaborated with London Sinfonietta
Orchestra to get the pedagogy right.

We aimed to make a game that is both engaging and addictive, whilst also
teaching real musical skill (in contrast to say Guitar Hero :o). The pedagogy
and game mechanics did clash into each other during development, we did a lot
of user testing to find a balance. Raph Koster's Theory of Fun for Game Design
was invaluable, as were lectures and posts by Daniel Cook.

It's a hard game, especially for people with no musical background, but
nonetheless we had strong engagement.

Players who topped the leaderboard after a few months were invited to perform
at a live event. They were pretty good, but then I didn't see them perform
before they played the game.

~~~
xcubic
Is there any chance for an android version?

~~~
jedimastert
Right? Or even an online version where you tap the space bar or something

~~~
xcubic
Good idea too!

------
Tcepsa
I liked Human Resource Machine for brushing up on Assembly language concepts

Microcorruption is a fun resource for learning about reverse engineering,
assembly language, and cybersecurity (the concept is that you're going through
the assembly code of dev kits of different versions of software-controlled
locks to find vulnerabilities that can then be exploited to get into
warehouses full of MacGuffins). I've gotten through about half of the stages
so far--they get really tough, but it is extremely satisfying to successfully
complete one!

I also really enjoyed the couple of Zachtronics games I've played (I've done
the first 5 stages or so of Konstructor: Engineer of the People and I managed
to get through all the main modules in TIS-100)

Lightbot is a cute app for initial programming concepts through puzzles
(program a robot to walk around a grid and light up various squares)

~~~
jcl
Along the same lines, Silicon Zeroes covers a lot of low-level computer
science and hardware engineering concepts. I wouldn't be surprised if some
enterprising instructor has used it for labs.

[https://store.steampowered.com/app/684270/Silicon_Zeroes/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/684270/Silicon_Zeroes/)

------
ashton314
[https://exercism.io](https://exercism.io)

Learn virtually any programming language by completing series of puzzles.
Tests are all written for you. They just made a huge overhaul of their UX, and
it’s really nice looking. I’m using it to try to learn Rust and Elixir at the
moment.

~~~
NeonVice
Exercism is a great resource. Their tests are thorough and reading other
users' code submissions has helped me immensely.

Their new look is a lot less devilish. :)

------
10-6
Coding/Math:

[https://coderbyte.com](https://coderbyte.com)

[https://hackerrank.com](https://hackerrank.com)

[https://leetcode.com](https://leetcode.com)

[https://codeforces.com](https://codeforces.com)

[https://projecteuler.net](https://projecteuler.net) (more mathy)

[https://www.topcoder.com/challenges](https://www.topcoder.com/challenges)

[https://adventofcode.com](https://adventofcode.com)

[https://halite.io](https://halite.io) (machine learning + game)

[https://www.enki.com](https://www.enki.com) (coding challenges on mobile)

~~~
appleiigs
Are there any on the list here that are best for learning algorithms in a
manner similar to a course curriculum and has explanations? I'm asking from a
self-taught web dev (django) perspective where I have holes in my knowledge.
Some algo books I have so far seem too mathy. While not afraid of math, I
understand it better when coding them out myself.

I wish projecteuler would provide more hints/explanations. Adventofcode
problems are fun but are random (not like a curriculum). Other websites are
competitive programming focused which I'm not sure is comp-sci enough (correct
me if I'm wrong).

~~~
nso95
Not on the list, but you might find
[http://interviewbit.com](http://interviewbit.com) more structured

~~~
bunny9
Yeah, +1 for InterviewBit. Courses here are a way more structured and
gamified.

------
everyone
So all Zachtronics games. Also Kerbal space program. Fantastic game, you'll
learn about celestial mechanics, the basics of designing rockets (and if you
keep playing, stuff like the Oberth effect and how to do a nice interplanetary
Hohmann transfer )

------
guusmaan
[https://ncase.me](https://ncase.me)

Nicky Case has a knack for explaining complex systems in simple ways through
games

~~~
jkeat
I think about the network theory one almost every day, can't recommend it
highly enough: [https://ncase.me/crowds/](https://ncase.me/crowds/)

~~~
citation_please
Wow! That was amazing. I'd love to see that applied to Reddit / Subreddit /
User networks.

------
pininja
Factorio is a fantastic game for learning systems engineering, and thinking in
abstractions. It’s a crafting game similar to Minecraft, and a building game
like roller coaster tycoon (but factories instead of theme parks). It’s also
very very fun!

This game challenges the player to create more and more complex automated
systems.

If you liked Technic Mods for Minecraft, you’ll love Factorio.

[https://factorio.com/](https://factorio.com/)

~~~
52-6F-62
Oh god I've sunk some time into that game! Definitely recommend it, but set a
timer!

~~~
ball_of_lint
Seconded. Factorio is the sort of game you can lose a few days to without
realizing. Very fun, but also very consuming.

------
JenBarb
I like Duolingo for language learning:
[https://www.duolingo.com/](https://www.duolingo.com/)

I don't think its enough to actually learn language on its own, so it's best
used mixed with a more formal method of language learning. It's fun and
addictive enough that I actually keep using it, so that makes it good to me.

~~~
pbhjpbhj
I've been doing Duo (French) for a couple of months, but a I'm not sure I've
learnt anything, it just feels like I've reinforced past learning.

I started Chinese, and it just seems so much of a mish-mash - it's like they
just randomise testing and eventually you glean enough from the test questions
to answer.

With French the closest I've come to learning, that I can point to, is from
users answers to comments from other user. And the good and bad are mixed,
there's no clarity.

~~~
jmcgough
Duo taught me japanese characters, but I had a hard time really improving my
french grammar from it. There's no substitution for in-person conversation.

------
wibr
I learned a lot about aviation as a kid/teenager playing the Microsoft Flight
Simulator. All the important instruments, flight control, radio navigation,
flight patterns etc. Good times on Meigs Field.

------
pandler
I was playing Flexbox Zombies for a little while and really enjoyed it.

> This is a Mastery Game. Each section unravels part of the plot, gives you
> mastery over a new flexbox concept, and presents zombie survival challenges
> that force you to solidify your new skills like your life depends on it.

[https://flexboxzombies.com](https://flexboxzombies.com) [free]

He also has a new one called "Grid Critters", which I'm unfamiliar with but it
looks like it's a similar thing but space themed and for CSS Grid instead of
Flexbox.

[https://www.gridcritters.com](https://www.gridcritters.com) [paid]

His blog is also really awesome too: [http://gedd.ski/](http://gedd.ski/)

------
hardwaresofton
I found flexboxfroggy ([http://flexboxfroggy.com](http://flexboxfroggy.com))
to be an excellent resource for learning flexbox when I came across it.

Just enough gamification, and enough straight concepts to allow me to build
confidence quickly and make it a bit easier to remember the knobs flexbox
offers.

~~~
superdeeda
I used to tutor at a coding class for high school kids and I never saw them
more engaged than they had been with flexbogfroggy!

------
iBelieve
Not really a full "game", but I found this picture-based Morse code trainer
from Experiments with Google a fun and easy way to learn Morse code:
[https://morse.withgoogle.com/learn/](https://morse.withgoogle.com/learn/)

[http://nandgame.com](http://nandgame.com) was posted on HN recently and I
found it to be fun and educational:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17508151](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17508151)

~~~
akavel
I once had an idea to make a Morse code learning game, where the message would
be emitted by a distant warship in a storm emitting flashes of light in your
direction :) to add some emotion to the task :) but never really tried to
execute on it yet.

------
durpleDrank
When I would meet non English speakers they always told me they learned
English by playing FINAL FANTASY on super nintendo. One day, after several
attempts at learning another language it dawned on me "Why don't I play Final
Fantasy in -INSERT LANGUAGE YOU WANT TO LEARN HERE". It works like a charm and
you'll find the "translation barrier" will be removed very quickly.

~~~
pbhjpbhj
I play too much CSGO and was hoping to leverage that to find a group of French
players, but I've not really managed yet, still only learning to swear in
Russian ... another suggestion is to watch a favourite program on Netflix in
your target language. Most adult stuff is too fast/complex for me as yet
though, so I'm looking for a kids show (Hello Duggy in French would be _super_
).

~~~
crtasm
Have you seen Muzzy? Animated story intercut with more standard (but still
fun) language learning segments. Idea is that you watch the whole thing in one
language and then in another.

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzzy_in_Gondoland](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzzy_in_Gondoland)

------
rkalfane
There's [https://vim-adventures.com/](https://vim-adventures.com/) although I
never really enjoyed it, it was a fun game for the first 15minutes.

~~~
S4M4R4T1N
I also opened this thread to recommend Vim Adventures. I tried teaching myself
vim with standard walkthroughs but it was too difficult to remember all of the
different key combinations.

Vim Adventures was so effective because it only lets you use the keys that it
teaches you, and slowly expands the key set over time. Well worth the $25 if
you want a guided introduction.

------
krallja
Zachtronics and Kerbal were already mentioned, but I accidentally learned to
recognize several types of plants from playing Skyrim. We visited the Red Rock
Canyon in Nevada at about the same time as I had reached mid game in Skyrim. I
saw a shrub and immediately knew it was a juniper. I don’t think I’d ever seen
a real one in my life before that.

------
mikro
In terms of learning hacking, there are CTF/wargames that teach through
puzzles.

Gracker: [https://www.smrrd.de/creating-a-hacking-game-
part-1-introduc...](https://www.smrrd.de/creating-a-hacking-game-
part-1-introduction.html)

Overthewire:
[http://overthewire.org/wargames/](http://overthewire.org/wargames/)

Exploit Exercises: [https://exploit-exercises.com/](https://exploit-
exercises.com/)

PicoCTF: [https://picoctf.com/](https://picoctf.com/)

P.S. I would love to work on making educational puzzles. If anyone is
similarly passionate about it, please message me.

------
conistonwater
Raymond Smullyan's books can teach a fair bit about logic, up to about Godel's
theorems and the halting problem (I remember _To Mock a Mockingbird_ fondly),
through carefully written sequences of puzzles that lead up to proofs of them.

If you try to go through his books encoding the puzzles and their solutions in
Coq, then you'll learn quite a lot about Coq and constructive mathematics
also.

~~~
edanm
An interesting idea! I've long wanted to go through more of his books, and
I've also long wanted to learn Coq, so that sounds like an interesting
combination.

Have you found it worthwhile to learn Coq?

~~~
conistonwater
I learnt it mostly for the sake of learning something new, I didn't really
think at the time whether it would be worthwhile. It's a very specific tool
developed by people in very specific fields of CS (type theory, compiler
verification, but I could be wrong about this), so I just never felt bad about
not having a use for it myself.

Encoding (a subset of) the puzzles as SAT problems for something like z3 would
be an alternative to Coq.

------
whitepoplar
_Mazes for Programmers_ [https://www.amazon.com/Mazes-Programmers-Twisty-
Little-Passa...](https://www.amazon.com/Mazes-Programmers-Twisty-Little-
Passages/dp/1680500554)

------
viraptor
There's Euclidea mobile app
([https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hil_hk.euc...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hil_hk.euclidea))
which starts with basic geometric constructions and then really pushes for new
approaches.

------
clemesha
A game of connecting different topics on Wikipedia:
[https://thewikigame.com](https://thewikigame.com)

The public game room has lots of general random topics, or you can create a
private group and make your own challenges with any topics you like.

This is a personal/passion project of mine (and has gotten fairly popular
these days). I'm actively working on improving the game, by adding category
specific games, different game modes, etc.

------
soniman
Introduction to Probability with Texas Hold'em Examples

Not a game but a book about a game, but learning the game helps you learn
probability, permutations and combinations.

------
abecedarius
[http://www.zachtronics.com/kohctpyktop-engineer-of-the-
peopl...](http://www.zachtronics.com/kohctpyktop-engineer-of-the-people/) is
moderately idealized CMOS logic design.

------
wodenokoto
I played Khan Academys "World of Math"-missions as if it was a game. It really
helped with my mental arithmetic and memorizing middle school equations, for
which I did understand the concept, but could never remember.

[https://www.khanacademy.org/mission/math](https://www.khanacademy.org/mission/math)
(need login)

------
mimagic
[https://zty.pe/](https://zty.pe/)

A very addictive game if you want to improve your typing.

------
triviatise
in the 70s on the PLATO system (predates the internet) there was a game called
bugs and drugs.

It was a graphical dungeon in orange/black 512x512 where you used medicines to
attack diseases. Medical students used it to learn pharmacology.

The PLATO network functionality predates much of the internet.

<<PLATO's most popular game, is one of the world's first MUDs and has over 1
million hours of use.[citation needed]. The games Doom and Quake can trace
part of their lineage back to PLATO programmer Silas Warner.>>

------
positivejam
[http://www.flexboxdefense.com/](http://www.flexboxdefense.com/)

Really appreciated this back when I was first introduced to CSS Flexbox.

------
13years
I have collected a few here. Mostly around topics of programming.

[https://github.com/dakaraphi/development-
resources/blob/mast...](https://github.com/dakaraphi/development-
resources/blob/master/README.md#game-based-learning)

------
durkie
[http://lyricstraining.com](http://lyricstraining.com) does language teaching
by having you watch/listen to music videos in that language on youtube and
filling in the lyrics. Super fun!

------
JunaidBhai
We at [http://draftss.com](http://draftss.com) has part of a process where we
test designers through a game in which we provide a finished design. Then we
change the brief's key element, Eg. premium, fun, serious, friendly,
affordable, complex. This game helps us in learning and teaching the
principles of visual design. It's currently used internally, but we are
planning to launch it for public and making the whole thing open source.

------
atesti
Play The Witness (the-witness.net). The game is full of puzzles which each
teach you a different concept. It's a great experience to play this game.
Avoid spoilers!

~~~
falsedan
You don't learn any transferable skills tho, all you do is get better at
solving _The Witness_ puzzles.

~~~
teshier-A
You may also become a better landscape designer.

~~~
falsedan
I think _Dear Esther_ taught me more about environmental design

~~~
archagon
Then be sure to try _Ethan Carter_!

------
louismerlin
"Get started making music" by Ableton is really good !

[https://learningmusic.ableton.com](https://learningmusic.ableton.com)

------
bastichelaar
Learn DevOps, Cloud and automation by solving challenges:
[https://instruqt.com](https://instruqt.com)

------
octygen
Leadership and decision-making through Banner Saga.

How to be social through New York Nights and Miami Nights (mobile games).

Anthropology/History through Civ... Obviously :)

------
bminor13
Factorio is one of the most stimulating games I've ever played. It forces one
to think about not only layout/design of a system but also the project
management aspects - which parts to build when, when to take on "technical
debt" by building a temporary "good enough" version, etc.

...this is if you don't look up hints/other people's designs, of course.

------
jcl
Here's a neat puzzle game that got posted several months ago, on the quantum
mechanics of photons:

[http://play.quantumgame.io/](http://play.quantumgame.io/)

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15905924](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15905924)

------
dougk16
Try any popular RPG, or otherwise dialog-heavy game with quests and
instructions and such, but switch the language package. For example I did this
with the Diablo games to help me learn Polish. A cool part is you pick up a
lot of archaic vocabulary that your average native speaker doesn't even know.
:)

~~~
f00_
I did this while i was actively trying to learn korean, playing Maplestory 2
and League of Legends on the kr servers

Minorly successful, fun atleast. I'd suggest it

------
jonbaer
Bloxels ... [http://home.bloxelsbuilder.com/](http://home.bloxelsbuilder.com/)

And if you are into geopolitics, history, wargaming, classical, etc, 0AD ...
[https://play0ad.com](https://play0ad.com)

------
roasm
We created Word Genius for iOS and Android:
[https://curious.com/wordgenius](https://curious.com/wordgenius)

It teaches facts about all kinds of subjects hidden in a crossword-like game.
Free to play, with IAP hints. 4.7 rating.

------
hemmert
Escape Team is great for learning about team collaboration:

[https://www.escape-team.com](https://www.escape-team.com)

It's a printable, app-supported escape game. There's also a mission editor for
creating custom missions.

------
akavel
"The Cryptopals Crypto Challenges" (a.k.a. Matasano Crypto Challenge)

[https://cryptopals.com/](https://cryptopals.com/)

 _" This is a different way to learn about crypto than taking a class or
reading a book. We give you problems to solve. They're derived from weaknesses
in real-world systems and modern cryptographic constructions. We give you
enough info to learn about the underlying crypto concepts yourself. When
you're finished, you'll not only have learned a good deal about how
cryptosystems are built, but you'll also understand how they're attacked."_

------
froindt
Circuit scramble is a fun game on Android for learning and visualizing logic
circuits. It's not directly relevant to anything I do, but I enjoyed playing
through it.

Factorio does a decent job teaching the intuition behind running a factory.

------
dpkrjb
I know a lot of other comments are for learning life skills but if you ever
wanted to learn Vim in a fun way!

[https://vim-adventures.com](https://vim-adventures.com)

------
ddurdik
Two of my favorites:

1\. Monopoly, with no "house rules" \- play it exactly as written in the game
manual. Monopoly was created as a teaching tool about the outcomes of
unregulated capitalism, and it is a very, very good teacher. At some point,
one or two players will accrue enough wealth to become the clear winners, and
all the other players will start a slow spiral into poverty. Over the years
people have added "house rules" in an attempt to make the game more friendly
and fun, which is completely missing the point. It's not intended to be
friendly or fun, it's intended to educate!

2\. The Parable of the Polygons:
[https://ncase.me/polygons/](https://ncase.me/polygons/). Arguably not much of
a game or a puzzle, but its use of interactive game-ish mechanics makes the
story much more impactful.

------
FranklinChen
The Incredible Proof Machine for learning various logics:
[http://incredible.pm/](http://incredible.pm/)

------
drhodes
Here's two. One to learn hexadecimal
[http://flippybitandtheattackofthehexadecimalsfrombase16.com/](http://flippybitandtheattackofthehexadecimalsfrombase16.com/)

hair-nah, to teach people not to touch black women's hair.
[http://hairnah.com/](http://hairnah.com/)

------
baby
To learn Chinese get wordswing. It's an interactive gamebook where you can
hover words you don't know. It's amazing.

------
snovv_crash
[http://robocode.sf.net](http://robocode.sf.net) /
[http://robowiki.net](http://robowiki.net)

Released by IBM in 2001 and still going strong. Learn about geometry, trig,
stats, ML, control theory, game theory and more to control robots in a 2D
tank-style game.

------
gotmayonase
Our company has recently released a boating safety course done through an
interactive story. Might be the kind of thing you're looking for:

[https://www.ilearntoboat.com/washington/](https://www.ilearntoboat.com/washington/)

------
cingram
[https://brilliant.org](https://brilliant.org)

------
merlincorey
Try Elevator Saga[1] for an in-browser javascript programming game that will
learn you some things about distributed queues, potentially.

[1] [https://play.elevatorsaga.com/](https://play.elevatorsaga.com/)

------
blablablerg
www.nandgame.com

it was a couple of days ago on HN, really loved it and learned something from
it.

------
baby
Honestly the kid section of bookstores is amazing to me. There are so many
hyper pedagogical book/games/labs to learn about anything. I don't know why we
don't shop there as adult

------
away21
[https://algebra.sympathyforthemachine.com/](https://algebra.sympathyforthemachine.com/)

Basic algebra, but from a more proof-oriented perspective.

------
ballenf
[https://david-peter.de/cube-composer/](https://david-peter.de/cube-composer/)

Functional programming concepts in a visual presentation.

------
100times
Meqanic: [http://meqanic.com](http://meqanic.com)

Game that attempts to teach intuition about quantum mechanics and particularly
quantum computer circuits.

------
falsedan
_Car Mechanic Simulator 2015_ taught me the names of the various car bits and
that clients never change (something is wrong, pls fix it by checking every
possible part)

------
duiker101
I have been using the wonderful seterra.com to improve my geography, it's the
first decent geography quiz that I've seen that has a lot of nice categories

------
techbio
With a slightly different approach to the question:

I've learned a lot from coding board/puzzle games into playable
programs/solvers: Boggle, Scrabble, Kakuro, etc.

------
lmx
[https://blitztactics.com](https://blitztactics.com)

Fast-paced chess puzzles for teaching chess tactics through pattern
recognition

------
someearth
In the past, there was
[http://robocode.sourceforge.net/](http://robocode.sourceforge.net/) for Java.

------
funkjunky
Https://yousician.com teaches you play musical instruments via a guitar-hero
like game interface. Also supports your own/community content

------
earenndil
Robot odyssey (google for binaries and play in dosbox). Intended for kids, but
definitely age-appropriate for adults, and hard as nails.

------
mrzl
[http://isotope.ch](http://isotope.ch) Not about CS, but about chemistry. And
in French.

------
mattgibson
The board game Monopoly was originally based on the Landlord's Game by
Elizabeth Magie, which was intended to show how property ownership ruins free
market capitalism. Land can't be created or moved, so is not a free market
(according to Adam Smith). People are forced to pay extortionate rents and
have no way to escape.

Not widely known at the time or now, so perhaps not a very successful example.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopoly_(game)#Early_history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopoly_\(game\)#Early_history)

------
ajuc
Kerbal Space Program. You will intuitively understand orbital mechanics after
a few days playing this game.

------
Angostura
I think the Swift Playgrounds are an excellent way for an adult to get a feel
for coding on iPad.

------
malditojavi
brilliant.org

~~~
Aardwolf
Those show up with a minute of sponsored distraction inside SO MANY youtube
videos (any video about math or puzzles from the last year) that I started to
dislike instead of like them

An example of too much advertising having adverse effect, at least on me :p

~~~
SketchySeaBeast
Do you have udemy telling you Python is a powerful programming language before
every YouTube video as well?

~~~
edanm
Brilliant is definitely more prevalent in the kinds of videos that I tend to
watch.

------
malloreon
Almost any game by Zachtronics.

In particular:

Opus Magnum

Shenzhen I/O

TIS-100

SpaceChem

------
Bjartr
I've had a great time with Rocksmith for learning guitar

------
1011_1101
Portal + Portal 2

115 comments without any mention, is this too obvious?

~~~
harry8
I loved these games. I can't remember learning from them. What have I
forgotten?

~~~
1011_1101
Basic physic concepts, like gravity, friction, velocity or optics. If you were
already familar with these concepts then training/experimenting would be a
better description than learning. Afaik there were even schools using this
game in classes.

------
8bitsrule
The Pioneer: Oregon Trail game.

------
nomoi
pythonchallenge.com

~~~
wamberg
I can't emphasize this site enough. The Python Challenge has a special place
in my heart. I was a bored C# .NET developer. In my downtime I would poke at a
challenge. I learned Python through this site; picking up the standard library
as the challenges progressed. From my experience with this site I was able to
land a Python webdev position.

pythonchallenge.com changed the course of my career and I'm grateful for it.

------
hondish
Conversa is a conversational and ideation tool using board game dynamics that
we've developed:
[http://lifeandeverything.net/](http://lifeandeverything.net/)

By scaffolding good conversations, it helps a group learn _from each other_ as
well as _how to converse_. Through our trials, I've been delighted to see how
well it works with families. I've learnt much about my children's thinking and
feelings.

A bit more info: We believe two things are needed to bring together differing
groups into fruitful dialogue. Firstly, a set of clear, explicit, and strict
rules that everyone submits to (regardless of existing power structures).
Secondly, a relaxed, playful and fun context. These two seem in tension, and
yet we integrate them all the time - with games.

Conversa is a tabletop game that helps a group talk about the big things in
life in a way that's real, safe, and fun. It's an ideation and conversational
scaffold that uses game dynamics to create the right amount of structure to
let conversations flourish. It was designed by award-winning game designer,
Tim Roediger, from an original concept by Martin Olmos.

Conversa is the anti-Facebook experience. Players meet in person, facing each
other rather than their screens. They share an intimate time where it's 'just
us', with no wider audience watching or judging. They respond to a prompt
creatively, from a limited set of image cards. They get to see each other
smile, hear each other chuckle, while tasting a shared drink. Each gets a turn
without being shouted down, although no one has to say more than they want to.
It's a real game, with a score and a winner. But there's a twist - the points
go to the player who opens opportunities for others to speak up. Rather than
insults, the outcome is conversation that builds relationships with listening,
learning, and laughing.

We've trialled it in organisational contexts and with children as young as
eight. We're looking at applications in design, team ideation, project
reviews, risk assessment, and more. Below are two examples: Project
Management:
[http://blog.lifeandeverything.net/post/147037633043/gaming-f...](http://blog.lifeandeverything.net/post/147037633043/gaming-
for-project-managers) Focus Groups:
[http://blog.lifeandeverything.net/post/147037631598/gaming-f...](http://blog.lifeandeverything.net/post/147037631598/gaming-
for-focus-groups)

We are exploring paths to market. We are also exploring ways for larger groups
(50-200) to use the game (e.g. company conferences, strategy development).

Disclosure: I'm in the two-person design team.

------
pixelperfect
LeetCode

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megaman22
Wanna learn history? Pick up some of the Paradox grand strategy games; Europa
Universalis, Victoria, Hearts of Iron, Crusader Kings. A side effect is that
you'll pick up a lot of geography by osmosis, which is in my experience, the
easiest way to learn that subject - you're looking at maps and borders and
terrain features constantly.

Wargaming is in general a good way to pick up information on historical
topics. Most developers that are in that niche put a lot of effort into doing
the research, and there is typically a lot of information baked into the in-
game documentation at your fingertips, not to mention being a springboard for
Wikipedia safaris.

~~~
Splines
> _A side effect is that you 'll pick up a lot of geography by osmosis, which
> is in my experience, the easiest way to learn that subject - you're looking
> at maps and borders and terrain features constantly._

My son loves Crusader Kings 2 (and EU3), and had such an easy time in his
history class because of this. He knew the geography of Europe down cold.

He's currently digging into Hearts of Iron IV.

To be honest these grand strategy games aren't really my thing but I should
give them a shot. Their systems just seem overwhelming to a new player.

