Programming is an expressive language used to give ideas life, but it can be difficult sometimes to even know where to start with learning how to code.

However, some games are built upon the same ideas and concepts as programming languages that you can actually learn some basic coding principles from these games without even realising it. 

As well as this, some games are built around programming, such as RobotWar and the almighty LOGO. 

Here are some of our favourite games that teach you how to code without even trying to.

Minecraft

One of the most popular games in history is also a great introductory platform to teach about code in several ways.

Its simplicity makes it perfect to use for an introductory Minecraft modding course, but even with the standard vanilla game, there is a lot of room to teach coding principles in a dynamic and exciting way.

Minecraft, through the use of redstone, generators, pushers and other blocks can be used to create a wide variety of engineering feats but it can also be used to create giant computers which themselves can be programmed.

There has been a hunt for a simple programming language to catch people’s imagination, and redstone machinery might be close to that.

Factorio

If Minecraft stumbled upon the idea that programming and automation could make for fun gameplay, Factorio took that idea and completely ran with it.

Factorio is a game where you collect resources, build a base and defend yourself from creatures whilst you try and build a rocket to take you up to the stars, but it is far more than that.

It is a game that is about creating an efficient, effective and secure automatic system, which sound suspiciously like a “program”.

It is a great way of visualising programming situations and concepts, such as functions, instructions and even higher-order concepts in a way that is visual and easy to understand once you break them down.

And all of this in a game that appears to be about shooting aliens and building a factory.