Winspire: Algorithms

Winspire is an algorithm development game with a programming. We created a game that will help students and adults develop algorithmic thinking, as well as master basic programming skills.

The player will have to control the Win robot using a programming language and go through levels with it, where various obstacles, enemy robots, and various locations await him. There are 14 levels in the game, divided into 3 locations: "Factory", "Garden" and "Snow Maze".

The location "Factory" is educational, and the joystick will be available to the user as an assistant. Throughout the journey here, the player will also be assisted by a step-by-step tutorial in the form of dialogue with Win. Also, just above the control panel, a hint button will always be available, by clicking on which, training to the current level will be shown again.

In the "Garden" location, training continues, but in more difficult levels with an enlarged map, continuing under the terminal. To view the entire map, there is a button for closing/opening the terminal.

The last levels are located in the “Snow Maze” location, where the map becomes even larger, going to the right side, along which you can move with “swipes”.

The main tool is the terminal, where the player will write commands in a programming language, the syntax of which is completely based on English. In addition to basic robot movement commands, there are also attack commands to help deal with hostile robots, and "if" and "while" constructs. The “if” construction executes the commands within it only 1 time and only when the condition is satisfied, and the “while” construction is a loop, which means that the commands will be executed until the condition is satisfied. At the same time, an infinite number of conditions can be entered simultaneously inside the structures. To do this, use the special symbol "&", after which you can write the following condition and so you can many times.

In order to make it easier for the player to perceive the code, all commands and structures are painted in the appropriate color. In addition, commands located inside a construct or constructs are automatically indented accordingly.

There is a debugger to detect and fix errors in the code. In addition to displaying the error itself and the line of code with it, all steps in the program are also shown. For convenience, the terminal also displays a line of code with an error.

As you progress through the levels, the player will meet microchips on the map, collecting which can be used to study tools or customize the robot. At the moment, there are 2 improvements in the "Improvements" panel: the attack command and the "while" construction, which will be useful for completing levels, and when exactly - Win will tell the player at the appropriate level. To customize the robot, there are 9 parts in total, 3 parts for the head, torso and legs.