Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Squally
A Video Game to Teach Hacking [early-access on Steam]
Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Squally launched in 2018; newer entries below may have overtaken it.
- 1SA
After many months of development, we are releasing Squally as early-access on Steam! This game teaches low-level computer science; topics such as data types, data structures, bin/dec/hex, and x86 assembly are gradually introduced through puzzles and gameplay. https://store.steampowered.com/app/770200/Squally/ It's still very early in development, we currently have only released a card mini-game that teaches binary operations: https://i.gyazo.com/0a33bbac5bbb5421f7eb120edd3ff6bb.gif
2018 · its alternatives →
- 2

- 3

I built SQL Noir, an interactive detective game that challenges you to solve mysteries using real SQL queries. It’s fully open source, designed to give you a practical and immersive way to learn SQL while engaging with a narrative-driven mystery.
2025 · sqlnoir.com · its alternatives →
- 4

Hello, HN - I wanted to share this puzzle game I made during my vacation. I'm rather fond of the pipes puzzle where your goal is to restore a scrambled network of connections by rotating tiles. It's usually played on a grid of squares and this all started when I decided to make a programmatic solver for that kind of puzzle. Then I realized that with some minor changes the solver could generate new puzzle instances. I thought about what kind of puzzle to make and someone suggested a hexagonal grid. Adapting the generator wasn't too hard but then I had to create a way to play this variant. So…
2022 · hexapipes.vercel.app · its alternatives →
- 5

🍃 Learn to code by making games in a JavaScript web-based game editor. - hackclub/sprig
2022 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 6
Hacktivate▲139A capture-the-flag game teaching real cybersecurity skills
2025 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →
- 7

Learn programming in python by giving yourself superpowers in a minecraft world! - teachthenet/TeachCraft-Challenges
2016 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 8
Codin Game▲149Learn and improve your coding skills, while playing games.
2015 · codingame.com · its alternatives →
- 9

- 10

I built this educational game to help people identify and understand dark patterns in digital products. It features 10 interactive scenarios based on real-world examples. The game includes: • Interactive pattern recognition scenarios • Explanations of psychological principles • Simulated real-world examples with guided feedback Built with Next.js, TypeScript, and Tailwind. I'd especially appreciate feedback on the educational approach and scenario design.
2025 · games.productartistry.com · its alternatives →
- 11

- 12TL
2017 · teachcraft.net · its alternatives →
- 13

An intuitive and beginner friendly 2D game framework for C++ - Madour/NasNas
2020 · github.com · its alternatives →
- 14

- 15

This is a game I wish I had as a kid learning programming. The concept of it is fairly similar to other coding games like Screeps, but instead of a complex world with intricate mechanics, Yare is a lot more minimal and approachable with quick 1v1 <3 min matches. It's purely a passion project with no monetization aspirations. And it's open source: https://github.com/riesvile/yare The first version 'launched' several years ago and I got some good feedback here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27365961 that I iterated on. The latest overhaul is a result…
2021 · yare.io · its alternatives →
- 16

- 17

- 18
GitGuessr▲98I built this game as a playful way to train code reading skills. You're dropped into a random location in a real GitHub repo where some lines code are hidden. The goal is to pick up clues from the surrounding code and fill in the missing lines as quickly as possible. It currently has curated game content for Python, TypeScript, JavaScript (by most metrics the top 3 languages on GitHub). I had the idea when it dawned on me that reviewing and understanding code spat out by an LLM is a key skill for the AI era. (I sincerely hope you're critically reviewing what your favorite LLM is serving…
Feb 2026 · gitguessr.com · its alternatives →
- 19

An educational puzzle game. Solve a series of tasks where you build increasingly powerful components. Starts with the simplest logical components and ends up with a programmable computer.
2018 · nandgame.com · its alternatives →
- 20SGSquare Game▲60
2019 · smitop.com · its alternatives →
- 21
SecuSpark▲78Turn boring cert exams into a MMORPG with boss fights
Apr 2026 · secuspark.com · its alternatives →
- 22

A puzzle game inspired by functional programming.
2015 · david-peter.de · its alternatives →
- 23

- 24

Hey HN, I hacked together this fun project that lets you play any article on the front page of Hacker News as an interactive text game. You can create a game about anything by going to infinityarcade.com/ You can also use a URL, which is what this page uses. The whole thing is open source: https://github.com/themaximal1st/InfinityArcade
2023 · infinityarcade.com · its alternatives →
Also compare
- Squally – A Game to Teach Low Level Computer Science alternatives
- JSRobot alternatives
- SQL Noir – Learn SQL by solving crimes alternatives
- Pipes puzzle (a.k.a. Net) on a hexagonal grid alternatives
- Sprig, open-source game console and engine, by teenagers for teenagers alternatives
- Hacktivate alternatives
Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →