Each week, theEpic Games Storegives away free games and alongsideDead by Daylight, the other free game is different from the norm, but that doesn’t mean players shouldn’t give it a shot, especially if they enjoy indie and puzzles games. After all, it’s free to try out for the week, and it’s garnered Very Positive reviews on Steam.
The free game’s full titlewhile True: learn()might look familiar to those who know code, and this is because that’s exactly what the game is, in a nutshell at least. Many recommend the game for kids as well because it combines problem-solving and entertainment, meaning it could be an excellent (free) gift for the holidays. It’ll be available to check out for free through theEpic Games Storefrom now until December 9, and afterward, it can be purchased for $12.99.
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while True: learn ()’s Gameplay
The story ofwhile True: learn ()follows a software programmer struggling to figure out why his code isn’t working and correct it, but when he leaves the room, his cat ends up solving it for him. This prompts him to create software to help him understand his cat. However, players don’t need to know any code to get started with this indie game.
Like many puzzle games such asMaquetteandThe Witness,while True’s puzzles are intuitive and their solutions and concepts will be slowly introduced over time so as not to overwhelm players. Puzzles are set up with inputs on the left and desired outputs on the right, and the goal is to get the nodes (indicated by colors or shapes with numbers on the left side of the screen) to their correct locations. Overall, the puzzles don’t increase in difficulty exponentially, so it can be a pretty quick playthrough as well, which is why it’s great that it’s afree Epic Games Store game.
Progressing throughwhile True: learn ()’s story correlates with the development of the programmer’s project and his milestones, such as optimization of the code, achieving text recognition, and accuracy training. However, don’t mistake this game for the chance to learn coding orsoftware developmentby any means, as all of its concepts are rudimentary and presented in a simplistic manner for the sake of gameplay. Still, there are some challenges to be found withinwhile True’s gameplay loop, the added element of gold, silver, and bronze medals can heighten this even further for those who wish for something a bit more difficult. Additionally, coding for startups adds more room for creativity when deciding on and placing nodes to solve clients' problems, whereas the normal gameplay loop doesn’t really require players to know or understand what the client’s issue is before jumping into the programming puzzles.
Thoughwhile True: learn ()doesn’t actually teach major mechanics of programming, the game is designed for those who want to know and understand more about how machine learning and technologies work as an introductory program into coding that is especially good for children. Many claimed software developers have gone onto its review section onSteamto recommend the game, saying that it captures the essence of how machine learning flows by using circuitry imagery. So especially for those interested in learning about these topics,while True: learn ()is a great place to start while it’s free for the next week on theEpic Games Store.
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