A game that allows players to experience the process of software development is a great way to introduce programming and coding concepts such as loops and conditional statements. Games that accomplish this include Zachtronics’ Shenzhen I/O, which puts players in the shoes of disaffected engineers who work for an uninteresting chip maker and must design computer chips by hand. The circuits they’re asked to design are more complex, starting with making the lights flash in a particular pattern.
The game’s interface is very similar to that found in browsers, and it also teaches scripting. Another excellent example is Screeps, which is a game that combines JavaScript programming and massively multiplayer online games to build self-sustaining colonies. Both games are excellent in teaching fundamental concepts and slowly introducing new players.
