Kodu

Kodu is a visual programming language and integrated development environment created by Microsoft Research for designing and programming games and interactive simulations. It is designed to be accessible to beginners and used in education to teach fundamental computational thinking concepts without requiring traditional text-based coding.

In Kodu, users interact with a 3D game world and program objects using a rule-based system. Programming is done with icons and simple statements rather than typed code. Rules follow a basic structure such as “when [condition], do [action],” allowing users to define how agents behave, how enemies and allies interact, and how game goals are achieved. The environment supports basic artificial intelligence, navigation, and simple physics to create varied gameplay experiences.

Kodu originated from Microsoft Research and was released publicly in the late 2000s. It has been available in versions for Windows, with a later version released for the Xbox 360, expanding accessibility beyond the desktop. The Windows edition, known as Kodu Game Lab, is commonly used in classrooms and educational settings and includes tutorials, sample worlds, and a library of assets to help learners build and explore.

Education and reception: Kodu is frequently cited as an example of visual programming designed to lower barriers to entry for programming. It enables learners to experiment with sequencing, conditionals, loops, event-driven logic, and game design concepts in an interactive, game-like environment. While it emphasizes learning through creation and exploration, it remains a useful stepping stone toward more traditional programming paradigms and other visual languages.