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Guides to programming games
Hand-written by people who played the games: what programming games are, where to start, and which to play next.
- What are programming games?Programming games are games you win by writing code. The six kinds, where they came from, and how to pick one by what you want: learn, relax or compete.Updated 26 Oct 2026
- Games like TIS-100Loved TIS-100's tiny assembly nodes? These games scratch the same itch: Shenzhen I/O, Exapunks, SIC-1, Turing Complete and more, with how each one differs.Updated 26 Oct 2026
- Games like Human Resource MachineLiked Human Resource Machine? Programming puzzle games with the same friendly start: 7 Billion Humans, Blockly Games, The Farmer Was Replaced and more.Updated 26 Oct 2026
- Programming games for beginnersWhere to start with programming games if you've never coded, know a little, or want to learn one skill: picks in order, most of them free.Updated 26 Oct 2026
- Coding games for adultsCoding games made for adults and working developers, not kids: puzzle games, ten-minute breaks, bot arenas and games that sharpen skills you use at work.Updated 26 Oct 2026
- TIS-100 vs Shenzhen I/O vs ExapunksThree Zachtronics programming games compared: what you program, how hard each is, and which one to play first, with a side-by-side table.Updated 26 Oct 2026
- Screeps vs BitburnerTwo games where you play by writing JavaScript: Screeps, a persistent multiplayer strategy world, and Bitburner, a free single-player hacking idle game.Updated 26 Oct 2026