Colobot

Colobot is a real-time strategy game where the player programs robots (the "Colobots") using a C++-like programming language called CBOT to explore and colonize planets. The game was originally developed by EPSITE and released in 2001. Its central gameplay loop involves designing efficient and effective robot programs to perform tasks such as resource gathering, construction, and defending against hostile alien lifeforms.

The primary goal in Colobot is to find and secure habitable planets for humanity, which has been forced to leave Earth due to environmental disasters. Players progress through the game by completing a series of missions on different planets, each presenting unique challenges and requiring creative problem-solving through robot programming.

A key element of Colobot is the CBOT programming language. While inspired by C++, it simplifies many of its aspects to make it more accessible to beginners. Players use CBOT to define robot behaviors, specifying actions like movement, interaction with objects, and responses to sensor data. The game provides a built-in development environment that allows users to write, compile, and debug their robot programs.

Colobot is notable for its focus on educational aspects. It introduces players to basic programming concepts such as loops, conditional statements, functions, and data structures in a game-like environment. This makes it a valuable tool for teaching and learning programming, especially for younger audiences.

The game has a dedicated community that has created numerous user-generated missions and modifications. Furthermore, the source code of Colobot has been released under an open-source license, leading to the development of open-source versions and forks of the game, such as Colobot Gold, which offer improved features, bug fixes, and compatibility with modern operating systems. The open-source nature of the game allows for ongoing development and ensures its longevity.