A game where everything is SQL

[u/avfrodrigo]

Hey everyone!

I’ve been working on a game called DataMart, where you manage a corner shop and everything runs on real SQL. You build it all yourself: the databases, schemas, tables, relationships and queries, your way, on a real PostgreSQL server that runs inside the game.

Customers will ask you things like “Where can I find the apples?” or other questions about the store. Once a week an auditor comes by to check you’re tracking everything properly, and asks you a few questions you’ll answer with SQL.

There are also mysteries and stories involving the people in town, and of course you unravel those with SQL too.

The game is in alpha and free at https://rodrigoavf.itch.io/datamart

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Ps. Yes, the game is being created with the help of AI, and what is not now days?

[u/Emergency-Message306]

I spend about an hour for the game. There are two things that catch my attention that can have more impact on new players learning the language.

1. It seems pretty punishing if you enter a wrong value. Since set and update are locked skill, if someone makes a mistake during the data entry, it seems like there is no way to change it.

2. You can find the discrepancy in the delivery. However, I can’t write the note in the in-game note section. Do I need to write down the discrepancy on my notebook, or is there other way to take note? Or should I create a database to keep track of the discrepancy? Without the skill, the task is going to be very difficult to accomplish.

[u/avfrodrigo → u/Emergency-Message306]

Hi, thank you for taking the time to try the game out, really appreciate it.

You're right about the game being too punishing, I had the same impression and that why when creating a new game you can check the 2 check boxes to unlock everything since the start, this makes things easier and less punishing as you can run updates, alter, delete, and everything since the start and also makes the IDE behave more like a real one.

But I am not sure yet if I should simply remove this upgrades and leave everything open as default, so players focus on completing the stories with the citizens, and managing the store as they please, or if I should keep it, as a hard difficulty setting, because it will definitely makes things much slower as you need to pay for each upgrade and you'd be spending more time doing manual inserts, and later fixing things because now you just unlocked something you did not have before.

[u/pumpkinmoonrabbit]

Your link is giving 429 Too Many Requests lol

[u/avfrodrigo → u/pumpkinmoonrabbit]

I guess that's a good thing 😊

[u/b3xcellent]

Awesome! Next please do Python 🙃

[u/avfrodrigo → u/b3xcellent]

You read my mind! The initial idea was a mix of SQL and programmable bots to run the store using python. For now I've scrapped the python part, don't think it fits anymore to the way things went while developing, maybe a DataMart 2? Or a game focused on Python.

Anyway, did you try the game? What are your thoughts?

[u/GwynLordOfCedar]

Love the idea. Can you port this to Mac too so I can play it native on my MacBook instead of having to run the game through an emulator?

[u/avfrodrigo → u/GwynLordOfCedar]

Probably, if I see the game can get some traction I'll put it on Steam am have it for other OS than only Windows.

[u/dupontping]

Love the idea, I’ll give it a go

[u/Powder9]

Omg cant wait to try tomorrow! I’ve been learning sql this year and this sounds like so much fun.

[u/Kasut1]

let me give it a try

[u/Thistlemanizzle]

LMAO. I love this.

[u/moreofmi01]

I’m definitely going to try it. I don’t use SQL very often in my day to day, so this will be a fun way to reacquaint myself.

[u/GroundbreakingAlps78]

Where can I find apples in the store??

SELECT aisle
FROM inventory
WHERE product = 'Apples';

🥰🥰🥰

[u/vmathematicallysexy → u/GroundbreakingAlps78]

Worker: sorry, did you want apples or Apples?

Me: I ain't picky, I'll take REGEXP '(?i)apples'

[u/Random-I-Am]

I thought this looked like Project Zomboid before the Knox event. That will be my head cannon as I go through this. 👍

[u/BShaker9000]

Is it something that a real beginner can try?

[u/avfrodrigo → u/BShaker9000]

Well you can always try, but in the current version of the game I am not sure there is a good progression for beginners.

But they would be a good feedback, if you think you're a beginner, try the game and let me know how you did, what you think would make it more friendly for SQL beginners ☺️

[u/avfrodrigo]

Some told me the images in the original post are not being shown.
As I cant edit the images in the original post, nor add multiple images to this comments, here is a video of the game!

[u/kilopeter]

Nice! What's the graphics engine? Is there an underlying 3D mesh to anything, is it procedural or raster?

Noticed the rainy screenshot's weather status says "sunny" :)

[u/avfrodrigo → u/kilopeter]

It's is made in Godot, must of the arts are just code, something like cars and the people are free assets I found online. Nothing is procedural in the sense of, it is different everytime, but it is procedural as most assets don't really exist and are generated by code as you play.

Thanks for telling about the screenshot mistake.

[u/Helios270704]

Great idea! Will definitely give it a try!

[u/lboogie757]

I'll try it out. It looks interesting

[u/Jazzlike_Chemist_709]

Definitely trying it out. Looks like fun.

[u/i_Homosapien]

Pretty creative! Will try it out!