[Lecture Games] Python programming game

Abstract

Pythia is a programming game that allows the player to change pieces of theirenvironment through use of the programming language Python. The idea is that thegame could be used as a part of teaching simple programming to first year universitystudents. The game should be fun enough for the students to keep playing, teachenough for it to earn a place as a teaching tool, and it should be usable by allstudents. It should also be possible for a teacher to create their own content for thegame.Pythia was implemented by extending the Python-interpreter Jython and building a game around it. The game was rendered using a simple hardware accelerationlibrary. A simple story was invented and there was some research on learning andprogramming in games.A set of levels was made, matching the story and introducing puzzles related tosimple programming. These levels were used in testing to collect data on usability,entertainment, and learning. There were also tests of the performance of the gameon several systems, and an evaluation was made on creating content for the game.The game has potential for being used to teach programming to first yearstudents, as testers found it to be both fun and educational. We do not know if itwould be possible to use it, as it does not currently run on thin clients. If studentscan run it, we feel that it should be possible for teachers to create puzzles thatemulate the teaching goal.