Hi everyone,
Here’s a list of board or card games that are based, more or less, on
computer programming, along with a description. The games range from
obscure to humorous.
Note that I have not played any of these myself, but some of them look
like they might be interesting as teaching tools. A few look like they
might actually be fun. 
I’m still waiting for “Ruby: The Board Game”. Hey, if Fortran can have
its own game… (see below).
Enjoy!
Discover the fundamentals of computer programming by playing a board
game! c-jump helps children to learn basics of programming languages,
such as C, C++ and Java.
The game teaches basic commands of a programming language, such as “if”,
“else”, “switch”, and introduces variable “x” concept.
Skiers and snowboarders line up at the start location and race along the
ski trails. Spaces on the board show statements of programming language.
First player to move all skiers past the finish line is the winner.
Players calculate number of steps in the move, including addition,
subtraction, division, and multiplication of small numbers. The game
helps to develop understanding of a complete computer program, formed by
logical sequences of commands.
- Extreme Programming Playing Cards -
Extreme Programming Playing Cards | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
The game contains a deck of 100 cards. There are Problem, Solution, and
Value cards. Oh, and a Joker card, of course. The intention of these
cards is to help people to understand the methodology behind Extreme
Programming and improve the way they practice XP.
- Programmer’s Nightmare - Programmer's Nightmare | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
In this game, players take turns laying out program instructions with
“ownership bits” on the cards they play, creating a long line of
interrelating program instructions that become more complicated as the
program builds. Finally, a player will play a RUN card and set the
program running. Who will survive the convolutions of the program?
That’s anyone’s guess; each player decides if and how their own program
instructions will function!
- Problems and Programmers -
Problems and Programmers | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
Problems and Programmers is an educational software engineering card
game. Featuring over 120 unique cards, it is intended to simulate the
software development process from conception to completion. The game’s
players compete to finish their projects while avoiding the potential
pitfalls of software engineering. These players will quickly learn that
the strategies that will let them win the game are the same that will
help them in the real world.
- WFF 'N Proof - WFF 'N PROOF | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
As well as building WFFs (Well Formed Formulas), players must also try
to reach a goal by using rules of inference.
For example: If the goal is ‘p’, a player could use the ‘Ko’ (or
Conjunction Out) rule and use ‘Kpq’ as a premise. In other terms, if the
following sentence is true: “The first games of WFF 'N PROOF are easy
and the last games of WFF 'n PROOF are hard.” Then it can be inferred
that the following sentence is true: “The first games of WFF 'N PROOF
are easy.”
- Boolean Rithmomachia - Boolean Rithmomachia | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
This game was inspired by the medieval game Rithmomachy. But whereas in
traditional Rithmomachy the pieces are labeled with natural numbers and
captures are based on arithmetic progressions and geometric ratios, in
Boolean Rithmomachy the pieces have binary nybbles 0000, 0001, …, 1111
and captures are based on the logical operations AND, OR, XOR, NOT.
For good measure, the board has also been updated from two dimensions to
three.
- bOOleO - bOOLeO | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
bOOleO is a card game which combines strategy card play with the
concepts of Boolean logic. Players must race to resolve an initial
binary number to a single specific bit. This is accomplished through the
use of logical gates.
- Virus Fight - Virus Fight | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
This is a perfect information abstract game with a light theme of
computer programming. Each player builds a small program that then
modifies itself and the other programs on the board, trying to isolate
the instruction marker of the other players so that it’s the only
running program in the memory.
- Management Material IT Edition -
Management Material: Information Technology Edition | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
Management Material is a card game with a corporate theme where the
players try to win by avoiding being promoted to management. This is
done by playing Excuse cards to avoid the Project cards and passing the
Project to the next player. Other players may also play Recognition
cards on you, which make it more difficult to get out of the project
with an Excuse. Ultimately, some player will end up completing the
Project, and that player adds the card to their completed projects,
pushing them closer to the 30 points necessary to be identified as
Management Material and losing the game. The last player that avoids
being promoted to management wins the game. Event cards provide an
additional randomizing element.
- Fortran - Fortran | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
The elements of how a computer program works are learned as players move
through the program, entering values on three different “counters,” and
transferring results to their own “printers”.
- Hacker - Hacker | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
This is the computer crime card game inspired by the 1990 Secret Service
raid on Steve Jackson Games. Play is similar to Illuminati except
players play cards as part of the ever-expanding “Net” in the center of
the table instead of having individual card stacks. Players use indials
to break into systems and gain root access. Upgrade your hacking tools,
deal with other hackers for access, phreak others onto your system, etc.
is all part of the game. Avoid ICE and law enforcement raids to gain the
greatest number of root access sites and win the game.
- Bugs & Looops - Bugs & Looops | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
Players program a simple Turing Machine, also known as a State Machine.
One cube, called the pointer is positioned opposite a line of 7 other
cubes, called the tape. For each state that the pointer/tape is in, a
player writes an instruction changing the state, and moving the pointer.
Points are scored for the number of times the pointer moves, unless the
pointer moves past the end of the tape (a bug) or gets trapped in an
endless cycle of instructions (a loop).
- Processing - Processing | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
You just finished your program, right on time. Now you only need to
process it through the computer and print your report; it’s going to be
a major breakthrough for mankind.
As you go by the hall, you see that strange fellow that works at the
other end of the laboratory, and, of course, you never liked him. As you
walk you realise he is going to the same computer room as you. He also
realises this and, running, you both enter the computer room.
You argue, the lab rat responses, “I was here first!” Just as the
dispute was going backwards in evolution, the technician says the
stupidest thing: “Why don’t we share the computer?”
You agree, but you know that the computer only has 4 slots for 8
computing boards; you intend to be smarter than him and have your
program processed as soon as possible.
Regards,
Dan
