Is there a Minecraft-like game with Kodu-style logic?

Ban Bot

Senior member
Jun 1, 2010
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For those unfamiliar with Kodu, it is an Xbox 360 indie/PC education title where players can build mini-games and program their own logic and ai through a visual programming language. Project Spark is the spiritual successor.

I was wondering if there was a game that used a Kodu-style editor and a world-object crafter similar to Minecraft. My 10yo son really likes Scratch and wants to move on. His friends all do Minecraft but it seems to lack the focus on design. We have looked at Gamemaker Studio, Construct 2, etc. He is slowly learning Python but he really enjoys the design aspects and in Scratch he really absorbed the concepts of programming and has deployed them well on his own which has in turn helped him understand the more dry Python tutorials.

Why not Kodu? MS in their wisdom really locked down certain areas of control (e.g. you cannot even make a traditional fps controller input), cannot link levels, and a lot of limitations on what objects can do what and world building is pretty clunky.
 

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
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1) i dont know
2) your son is lucky to have a dad who teaches him coding language, i envy him
 

Ban Bot

Senior member
Jun 1, 2010
796
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Thanks :)

There reason I am not looking at Spark is multifold. The system/OS requirements don't work. And while very cool Spark seems more targeted and getting a finished design (assets and gameplay) completed as fast as possible whereas I want something that is focused on executing simple design concepts while having (and needing) to do a lot of low level logic instruction. At his age I don't have an issue with MIT's Scratch's puzzle-piece system (I actually really like it!) so abstraction isn't an issue. And what I like about scratch is he is required to think through every step. He cannot just say, "Bind controller to this format." Being able to "see" and touch every aspect of the process and creating the variables is my goal. Kodu was pretty close to this but a little clunky and too cookie cutter.

Gamemaker and Construct 2 are along the lines of what I am thinking--yet unfortunately both really are weak on scripting... I don't get why Python or the like isn't adopted as a default script language and "standard" plugin library/api--but I thought, "Hmmm I wonder if someone has matured the concept to Minecraft's very simple design system?" Plugging in a Kodu-style editor on top of a very open Minecraft like crafting sandbox could allow all sorts of neat prototyping and fun :)