Every day developers sit down in front of computers to learn something new. Many turn to the web to read documents, others buy books and read while playing with code in an editor and yet others take classes at local schools or go to code camps. There are as many ways to learn languages, development environments and new systems as there are developers. CodeFights Inc., a company dedicated to teaching developer skills, built a platform that takes training and makes it like gaming by providing coding challenges to developers looking to learn new things and sharpen current skills.

Today, CodeFights announced Code Arcade: the next step in making CodeFights into a gamified platform. Code Arcade takes developers into a game world where developers become players who must progress through imaginative maps by showing skill through overcoming challenges with computer science skill and knowledge.

Maps in Code Arcade are represented by a set of places with names such as “Corner of 0s and 1s” and “List Forest Edge.” Each map location is split up into a number of tasks that developers need to pass to gain score (represented by a number of stars). As of the initial launch, these tasks are algorithmic and the player must write code to solve the listed problem. This is already the basis of how CodeFights works but organized into a systematic ladder of advancing skill with a game-like reward system along the way.

According to CodeFights CEO Tigran Sloyan, the platform already has an extensive badging system (similar to how Xbox Live and Steam reward gamers with “achivements”).

“CodeFights has an extensive badging system for completing different modes in the game,” Sloyan explained. The current badges available can be seen on the CodeFights website. “With the launch of Code Arcade, we will add new badges specific to that mode (e.g. a badge for completing the whole map, a badge for unlocking 10 locations in a single day etc).”

Developer progress through a “location” is measured through unlocking “stars” (mentioned above) and each location a developer can earn 1, 2 or 3 stars depending on how much of the problem has been solved. In most cases, if every challenge at a specific location is correctly solved three stars will be awarded. Progressing through the map often requires at least two stars at a previous location; thus developers only progress once sufficient skill for a precursor concept is shown in order to advance onto more complex challenges.

The gamification (and gaming) dedication CodeFights puts into its product isn’t just skin deep. A single glance at the company’s “About” page shows the staff headshots as comic book characters, drawn up with dynamic poses and superhero guises.

“Games are most engaging when they keep you on the border of challenging yet doable tasks at all times,” said Sloyan said about the use of gamification as part of training. “Learning follows a similar pattern. You learn well when you are pushed to an unfamiliar area that is still understandable, but a little out of your comfort zone. We have tried to keep the difficulty progression of tasks and locations balanced enough for you to have fun while learning and improving your coding skills.”

Screenshot of Code Arcade courtesy of CodeFights, Inc.

Code Arcade will expand from development into other areas of computer science

CodeFights intends to expand the coverage of Code Arcade to many facets of computer science in the coming months. Currently Code Arcade covers core programming principles from basic to advanced. As the end of 2016 approaches Code Arcade will be getting more specialized locations that involve web and mobile development, databases, machine learning, architecture and design and DevOps.

As with CodeFights challenges, these locations will initially feature algorithmic problems solved through text and code answers.

For example, a DevOps challenge could go as follows: “Given a Linux environment with file system access, you have 10 files that contain data in a specific format, implement a bash script that can process these files, parse them, and output the desired data in some pre-specified format.”

Sloyan told SiliconANGLE that the DevOps locations expansion is planned to launch by the end of 2016.

More than just training through gaming: CodeFights is a recruiting platform

As developers progress through CodeFights challenges and soon through the Code Arcade their skill and capability is recorded and ranked against other developers on the platform and (as seen above) turned into a sort of portfolio including badges and ranks. As a result, developers have a way to show off their skills to prospective employers and employers have a way to trawl potential developers.

The system behind Code Arcade automatically evaluates and ranks the work of developers training its playground and provides an analysis for prospective employers seeking particular skill sets in employees. The proposal is to produce an attractive platform for developers to train new knowledge and sharpen current skills on the front-end and provide matchmaking for companies seeking particular skill sets on the back end.

To do this, CodeFights works with around 50 companies, including Uber, Dropbox, Quora, Asana, and Evernote.

Featured image credit: Picography via Pixabay