Robot Route: a robot coding game you solve in your head

Robot Route is a robot coding game where you don't write the program, you run it. A row of command cards tells a little robot to go forward or turn, and you tap the square where it will end up. Then it drives the route for real, so you see at once whether your mental run matched.

Play now

Free · No download · Runs in your browser

Robot Route level 1: a robot facing up on a 4x4 floor, a program of three Forward cards and a key explaining the commands

How to play

Find the robot on the floor and check which way its arrow points.
Read the program cards from first to last: Forward 1 moves one square the way it faces, Turn left and Turn right turn it on the spot.
Tap the square where the robot will stop; from level 3 you also pick which way it faces at the end.
Watch it drive the route. Three right answers move you up a level, and a wrong one costs one of your three lives.

What it exercises

Tracing a program step by step is the core skill of early programming logic, and in this coding puzzle it is the whole game.

Spatial reasoning
Left and right are the robot's left and right, not yours, so you have to rotate your point of view whenever it faces down or sideways.
Sequential logic
Loop cards repeat a short block two or three times, so you run the same commands again from wherever the robot ended up.
Memory
On the last two levels the cards vanish after a few seconds and you run the whole program from memory.

Tips

Point a finger at the robot and move it one card at a time. It feels slow, but it beats a lost life.
When the robot faces down the screen, its left is your right. Turning your phone in your head helps more than you expect.
A loop marked x2 means its inner cards run twice in a row, not that the whole program runs twice.
Crates arrive at level 5: a forward into a crate is a bump, and the robot stays where it is.
Quick correct answers earn a time bonus, but accuracy matters more because lives do not come back.
Arrow keys and Enter work too if you play on a computer.

Frequently asked questions

What is a robot coding game?

It is a puzzle where a robot follows a list of simple commands. Some games ask you to build the list; Robot Route gives you the list and asks you to predict where the robot finishes, which trains the same step-by-step thinking.

Is this a robot programming game for kids or for adults?

Both. Level 1 is a couple of forward cards on a 4x4 floor that a child can follow. Later levels add facing, loops, crates and hidden cards on a 6x6 floor, which keeps adults busy.

Can I play the robot coding game online for free?

Yes. It runs in any browser on a phone, tablet or computer, at no cost and without ads.

How many levels are there?

Eight. You need three right answers to climb each level, and clearing level 8 wins the run. You have three lives for the whole run.

Do I need to know how to code?

No. There are only three commands plus a repeat card, and the introduction screen explains each of them before you start.

Ready for a round?

It opens instantly in your browser. No sign-up needed to start.