About

Elara is a game that teaches you how to code. It is named after one of the moons of Jupiter where the game takes place.

It is still a work-in-progress. The current “public beta” version includes 25 levels, teaches many core programming concepts, and features a complete story from start-to-end! However, some minor things like dialog, music, sound effects, and certain animations may feel incomplete. We’re also working on adding additional levels. Elara is constantly being improved, and your feedback can help us make the game as good as it can be 😀

Elara is and always will be free and open source! The source code is available on GitHub.

FAQs

Who is Elara for?

Elara is targeted toward middle school and high school students who do not have any previous coding experience. But fret not! If you are a little older or already have some coding experience, there’s still plenty to enjoy. The game includes optional challenges to really test your knowledge and make you think outside the box.

Is it really free?

Yes! Elara is completely free and we plan to keep it that way.

It’s also open source, which means you can always download the source code and play it locally without relying on our servers. You can also inspect the source code, tweak/remix it, or include pieces of it in your own game. (Just make sure to read and follow the corresponding licenses.)

Does the game save my progress?

Yes, your progress will be saved automatically. However, if you switch to a different computer or a different browser, your progress will be reset. See Do I need an account to play? for more information.

Do I need an account to play?

No. You can play Elara right away without creating an account!

Future versions of the game may include account creation and sign-in options if you want to save your progress across different computers. If included, these will be completely optional and you can still play without an account if you choose to do so.

Do I need to install the game?

Nope. Elara runs directly in your browser, so there’s no need to install anything.

What language does Elara teach?

Elara uses a language called Rhai, which is easy to learn and somewhat similar to JavaScript.

That said, when you are first learning how to code, the key concepts are arguably more important than the specific language you use. The concepts you learn while playing Elara are universal and apply to any programming language.

What concepts does Elara teach?

The game covers everything you need to know get started with coding. This includes functions, strings, loops, variables, if statements, and more!

How can I give feedback?

Feedback is super important to help us improve the game 😀

While playing Elara, you can click the “Feedback” button near the top of the screen at any time. Alternatively, you can follow this link to leave feedback now.

How can I support development?

If you want to say thanks and help support future development, we are currently accepting donations on GitHub.