The Zilch Manifesto ​

There's a reason so many software developers claim to be self-taught. Passive institutional education doesn't cut it when it comes to code. Tools which soften the rough edges of programming ultimately limit the creativity learners need to succeed. Coding is hard. The learning curve is steep and will stay steep. There are no shortcuts.

There is, however, a path forward.

Zilch embraces the complexity - the challenge - of code, prioritizing inspiration over instruction, maximizing motivation over doling out algorithms and open-ended problems over force-fed solutions. Given the opportunity to demonstrate ingenuity, people are capable of incredible things. So, Zilch does its best to get out of the way with a suite of well-known, well-loved games played by bots — bots you design and program.

Leveling up your coding skills may not be easy, but there's no reason it can't be fun.