Kerbal Space Program. You will intuitively understand orbital mechanics after a few days playing this game.
Ask HN: Any good examples of learning through games/puzzles, for adults?
121–130 of 142 posts
Re: Ask HN: Any good examples of learning through games/puzzles, for adults?
#122The Pioneer: Oregon Trail game.
Re: Ask HN: Any good examples of learning through games/puzzles, for adults?
#123Portal + Portal 2 115 comments without any mention, is this too obvious?
I loved these games. I can't remember learning from them. What have I forgotten?
Re: Ask HN: Any good examples of learning through games/puzzles, for adults?
#124Portal + Portal 2 115 comments without any mention, is this too obvious?
I loved these games. I can't remember learning from them. What have I forgotten?
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.
Re: Ask HN: Any good examples of learning through games/puzzles, for adults?
#125Earlier quoted context omitted.
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. Adventof…
Not on the list, but you might find http://interviewbit.com more structured
Yeah, +1 for InterviewBit. Courses here are a way more structured and gamified.
Re: Ask HN: Any good examples of learning through games/puzzles, for adults?
#126"The Cryptopals Crypto Challenges" (a.k.a. Matasano Crypto Challenge)
"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."
Re: Ask HN: Any good examples of learning through games/puzzles, for adults?
#127[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: Any good examples of learning through games/puzzles, for adults?
#128When 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.
Can you explain further, why final fantasy?
The language is fairly simple, you have compelling plot and characters to drive interest. Why not?
Re: Ask HN: Any good examples of learning through games/puzzles, for adults?
#129I like Duolingo for language learning: 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.
Have you tried italki.com? Better than playing games to learn a language(never works) and better than killing yourself slowly through classroom learning.
Re: Ask HN: Any good examples of learning through games/puzzles, for adults?
#130pythonchallenge.com
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.