Gamified Coding Platform: An Interactive EdTech Concept

Abstract

Programming concepts are often challenging for beginners because they are abstract and difficult to visualize using traditional teaching methods. This paper presents a gamified coding learning platform that introduces programming fundamentals through interactive gameplay and visual feedback. The platform features a game called “King vs Monster,” which explains the for loop concept by allowing learners to write loop syntax in an input console. Each loop iteration is visually represented through animations where a King attacks an Error Monster, while personalized output messages display step-by-step execution details. User-submitted code is executed securely in isolated environments to ensure safety and reliability. By combining hands-on coding with visualization and gamification, the platform enhances learner engagement, improves conceptual understanding, and builds confidence in beginner-level programming.

Introduction

Many beginners struggle to learn programming because abstract concepts such as loops are difficult to understand through traditional, theory-based teaching methods that lack real-time execution visualization. This often results in confusion, low engagement, and reduced confidence among learners. To address this problem, the project introduces a gamified coding learning platform that combines hands-on coding with interactive games and visual feedback.

The platform teaches programming concepts by allowing learners to write code and observe its execution through animations. A featured game, “King vs Monster,” explains the for loop by representing each loop iteration as an attack by a King on an Error Monster, with step-by-step visual and textual output. This storytelling and visualization approach simplifies loop execution and improves conceptual clarity for beginners.

The literature review highlights that gamification significantly increases learner motivation, engagement, and retention in programming education, though many existing platforms lack strong execution visualization or comprehensive validation. These gaps motivate the proposed system’s focus on real-time visual feedback combined with gameplay.

The system is implemented using a React frontend, a Java backend with REST APIs, and DynamoDB for data storage. User code is executed securely in Docker containers to prevent security risks, and the execution output is transformed into animations on the frontend. Ethical data handling practices are followed.

Results indicate that the platform effectively enhances learner understanding and engagement by making abstract programming concepts more intuitive through interactive gameplay and real-time visualization, offering a more accessible and enjoyable learning experience for beginners.

Conclusion

This paper introduces a gamified learning platform that helps beginners understand programming concepts through interactive visuals and gameplay. The “King vs Monster” game explains for-loop execution by showing each iteration as a simple visual action, making abstract logic easier to follow. By combining hands-on coding, real-time feedback, and secure execution, the platform increases learner engagement and improves conceptual understanding. The approach is effective for introductory programming and can be expanded to cover more concepts in future versions.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Annaji Khuthe, Priyanka Gharad, Aditya Ritpurkar, Parimita Madne, Bhushan Gondane, Tejas Umate, Anisha Gurumukhi, Meghan Parate. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.