As you have heard me say may times: "Computers are dumb; they only do exactly what they tell you to do. No more. No less."
Programming is the process of telling computers what to do. Today we're going to explore programming from the prospective of a game.
First, let me introduce Lightbot. Lightbot is a simple game where the player guides a robot from a starting position to "light up" blue squares on the ground. The game starts with simple commands and progresses into more complicated concepts such as procedures and loops which we will cover in this unit.
Next, we go to Spritebox. Spritebox ups the ante a little bit. The game is now a platformer with programming elements. It starts by showing you, the user how to work with the interface, and an introduction to some basic problem solving.
1. In your words, what is the "point" of educational games like Lightbot and Spritebox?
2. How would you define "problem solving" in your own words?
3. What is a loop?
4. What is a procedure?