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Ancient Brain
Code. Play. Teach. Learn. Research. Demo.

Getting started

Here is a guide to getting started running Worlds and coding on Ancient Brain.

We have a text Introduction to the site.
And we have the following video introduction.
This video does not assume you have ever coded.

See also:

You can "run" any World by clicking on it. No install needed.
Try running some of the Editor's Choice Worlds.

There are currently 13,450 Worlds on this site.
Here are a few random choice Worlds to try (reload for more):
Stack (singleplayer)
174 runs ♦ 1 like
By DistroByte  
Created: 6 Dec 2022
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
Looney Tunes Cha...
1455 runs ♦ 2 likes
By Sean Sinnott  
Created: 16 Nov 2016
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
Complete Infinit...
540 runs ♦ 0 likes
By Enhanced  
Created: 9 Aug 2018
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
This program was made by Nathan Bonnard. In this world, you can generate an infinite world ! Bu...
3D for Kids World
76 runs ♦ 0 likes
By Starter user  
Created: 18 Apr 2021
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
Porting a Three.js World (almost) unchanged from "3D Game Programming for Kids"
OK you are ready to code. You can code in Python and TypeScript, but at the moment we have tutorials to get you started coding on the site in the JavaScript (JS) language. We use a JavaScript graphics "library" to help us code the 2D and 3D graphics.

We use two main graphics libraries: "P5" and "Three.js".

As a result we have two "starter tutorials", one for each library. So pick one. Don't worry, you can look at the other one later. If you do not know which to pick, pick P5.

If you want to know more about the two libraries

  • The P5 library has pluses and minuses:
    • It is easier to get into if you are a beginner coder.
    • It has features that may annoy non-beginners (global namespace taken up, timing loop controlled for you).
    • It is harder to do advanced graphics.
    • There are a number of P5 teaching courses on this site.

  • The Three.js library has pluses and minuses:
    • It is more intimidating for a beginner coder.
    • It is well suited to non-beginners.
    • It is designed for advanced graphics. Almost all the advanced graphics Worlds on this site are Three.js.
    • There is currently no Three.js teaching course here.

Having picked your graphics library, do the starter tutorial.

Using P5:

Or using Three.js:

When coding, the Docs menu has all the help and reference that you need:

One Cube World (P5)
2941 runs ♦ 6 likes
By Starter user  
Created: 10 Nov 2018
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
Simple starter World (P5 version). No camera control. So cube rotates to show 3D.
One Cube World (...
1307 runs ♦ 2 likes
By Starter user  
Created: 11 Apr 2018
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
Simple starter World (Three.js version). Built-in camera control.
  • Once you have seen how to code on Ancient Brain, the easiest way to progress is to start modifying existing Worlds.
  • Pick one of the Starter Worlds. "Clone" it, and edit your copy.
  • The easiest parts of the code to change are in the "tweaker's box" at the top.
Blank Three.js World
2056 runs ♦ 2 likes
By Starter user  
Created: 20 Nov 2016
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
A simple starter World. An Array of spheres. Painted with textures. Random motion.
MineCraft
1260 runs ♦ 2 likes
By Starter user  
Created: 27 Nov 2016
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
Use keyboard to draw blocks like in MineCraft. Use arrow keys and PgUp, PgDn to draw. Can save w...
Complex World
8539 runs ♦ 5 likes
By Starter user  
Created: 1 Oct 2016
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
World with a Mind-controlled agent, actively-pursuing enemy, random maze, skybox, music.
Simple World
1902 runs ♦ 2 likes
By Starter user  
Created: 1 Oct 2016
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
Simple World with a Mind-controlled agent, randomly-moving enemy, paint blocks with texture.
There are a number of coding courses and exercises on this site that you can do:
  • Introduction to Programming. This is a proper Introduction to Programming course, with videos, using JavaScript and P5. This does not assume you have ever written a program.

  • Introduction to Programming: Part Two.

  • Alternative JavaScript course for kids. This is an alternative introduction to programming, with kid-friendly language. This does not assume you have ever written a program.

  • WebGL course. This is a course in JavaScript 3D graphics ("WebGL") programming, using P5.

  • AI exercises. This does not have a full set of notes explaining AI theory. You will need to get that somewhere else. Rather this is a series of online AI programming exercises, with problems for students to solve. All code is in JavaScript using P5.
As well as courses, there are accounts with certain collections of Worlds:

P5 Editor porting project  
Port to Ancient Brain of P5 Editor built-in sketches. Source: editor.p5js.org/p5/sketches. Port ...

threejs.org porting project  
Project to port threejs.org examples. All credit to: https://github.com/mrdoob/three.js/tree/mas...

"Coding Train" project  
Project to port JS Worlds from The Coding Train to Ancient Brain.

"3D Game Programming for K...  
Proposed project to port code from the book "3D Game Programming for Kids" by Chris Strom. Await...

Discover three.js  
Project to port code from "Discover three.js" book and site by Lewy Blue. Done with permission o...
As you keep learning, here are some examples of what you can build on this site. Build something beautiful!
Rythm of the night
310 runs ♦ 0 likes
By Enhanced  
Created: 2 Aug 2018
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
A rythm game where you have to use the right inputs at the right time to progress from one level...
2D sprite animation
173 runs ♦ 0 likes
By Mark Humphrys  
Created: 11 Nov 2018
Modified: 11 Sep 2024
2D sprite animation on a surface. Change show3d to true to see it on 3d box faces.
Sheepdog3(Submis...
698 runs ♦ 3 likes
By Neil Geoghegan  
Created: 8 Dec 2016
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
Tutorial 7.8
113 runs ♦ 1 like
By "Coding Train" p...  
Created: 5 Sep 2018
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
Objects and Images. On Ancient Brain you can upload your own images. Try it!
GA (Finnegans Wake)
1228 runs ♦ 0 likes
By "Coding Train" p...  
Created: 2 May 2019
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
Genetic Algorithm to write the first line of Finnegans Wake.
Space Odyssey
459 runs ♦ 0 likes
By Yiming Fu  
Created: 2 Dec 2022
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
Clone of "Websockets boxes" by Starter user
Purple Fruit Monster
213 runs ♦ 1 like
By Starter user  
Created: 1 Sep 2018
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
Example of porting physics World unchanged to AB using plain physics API. From "3D Game Programm...
Sun
136 runs ♦ 0 likes
By Enhanced  
Created: 15 Aug 2018
Modified: 17 Sep 2023
Here is a prototype of a sun object that you can copy to your world !
The background is a program, showing the JavaScript graphics used on this site.
The globes light up when you log in.
 
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Call for partners!
Ancient Brain is looking for a partner to co-write a JavaScript or Python coding book for schools, to be used worldwide. This would be a course for students in learning to code from scratch. The book and course will be integrated into the Ancient Brain site. This is an opportunity for someone looking to develop a course and textbook to partner with a site to promote it. Read more.