The Math Behind the Game
A Dev in the Dark Academy Coding Camp for Ages 9–13
Most kids' coding camps teach syntax in isolation — type this, click that, watch it run. The Math Behind the Game does it differently: over three days, students build a real, playable platformer in Code.org's Game Lab, and every math concept they need shows up exactly when the game needs it.
Cartesian coordinates aren't a worksheet — they're how you tell the game where your character stands. Gravity isn't a physics diagram — it's a variable you tune until the jump feels right. Inequalities aren't abstract symbols — they're the rule that decides whether the boss battle is won or lost. By the end, each student has a finished level they built and can show off, plus a working sense of why the math behind it matters.