Code Monkey Game Review

Code Monkey Game Background

Code Monkey is an introductory educational program that guides young STEM students through the essentials of programming logic. Players must drag and drop coded instructions in the proper order to help the monkey reach the banana. Frequently, players must rely on more complex commands to reach their desired destination faster.

This game was developed by MarketJS. Its name is derived from the slang term used to describe (usually novice) programmers not involved the design process of a new program.

How to Play Code Monkey

To select, left click with your mouse or tap on the touchscreen with your fingers. On the welcome screen, select Play to open the level selection screen. On the level selection screen, select an unlocked level to begin.

Basic Gameplay Advice

Basic Rules

Your goal is to help the monkey reach the banana by coding the correct sequence of commands. Commands consist of directions (north, south, east, and west) and actions (jump and repeat):

• Direction commands tell the monkey to move a single space in the direction specified. On their own, they occupy a single command slot, but can be subsumed into a repeat slot.
• Jump commands order the monkey to jump over spaces obstructed by hedges. The monkey moves two to move multiple spaces in a single command slot. You must set the number of spaces you need to jump when using this command.
• Repeats are nestled commands that allow you to run an identical set of commands a specific number of times. These commands allow the monkey to move multiple spaces using a single command slot. You must set the number of times the code will repeat.

Drag and drop the commands from the menu shown on the upper left side of the screen, then place them in the desired order in the code. If you make a mistake, you can either move the code block around or delete it. Repeat the process until you’ve finished the code.

Once you’re finished, select the play and pause button to run the code. This will make the monkey move in the pattern you’ve directed. The monkey must collect the banana at the end of the code sequence to finish the level. You also have the option of picking up coins along the way. These appear from Level 9 onward.

Levels & Star Ratings

The game has 32 levels, which are unlocked sequentially. You can replay any of the levels you’ve previously beaten. We recommend replaying levels to earn higher star ratings on them.

Each level you play has a star rating that measures the efficiency of your code. Your code’s efficiency is tied to the number of commands it has. The most efficient codes use no more than the recommended number commands shown at the top center of the screen. To achieve the highest star rating, your code must collect all the coins in the level within the number of commands provided. The highest star rating you can receive is 3 stars.

Advanced Playing Tips & Strategy

In later levels, we recommend collecting coins before picking up the banana.

Trial and error is a big part of the game. Don’t be hesitant to replay the level as many times as needed to find what you need to fix. If you’re having a difficult time collecting all the coins in a level, consider finishing it without completing it first. You can always come back to it later when you’re a lot let

To finish the level in fewer blocks, use the repeat and jump junctions. These will help you reach areas faster in some situations. You can put several commands within a repeat loop.

Educational Aspects

This game introduces players the chain of logic followed by most programming languages.

Player Age Recommendations

This game is suited for players school-aged and above. We recommend this for players who like logic games.