Ask HN: Are there any websites for SQL puzzle games?

[novoreorx]

As a Python programmer, I often use Django or SQLAlchemy ORM and as a consequence, my proficiency in raw SQL remains at a basic level. However, I am keen on improving my raw SQL skills, given it's sometimes superior to ORM, and because I find SQL and relational algebra surprisingly fun to think about.

Does anyone know of websites that provide SQL puzzle games that allow users to solve problems by writing SQL and validating them? I believe this would be an engaging way to enhance my SQL skills. Your suggestions are appreciated!

[jiehong]

Maybe less fun than others, but actually not so bad: leetcode [0]

Otherwise, in the same vein as the SQL murder mystery, you can try the Hanukkah of Data [1].

[0]: https://leetcode.com/problem-list/leetcode-curated-sql-70/

[1]: https://hanukkah.bluebird.sh

[saulpw]

Creator of Hanukkah of Data here! We're working on another data puzzle game that we'll be announcing shortly, to be released in a couple of months. I think games like this are a great way to exercise SQL and other data skills.

[anjakefala]

If you subscribe to the newletter here: https://hanukkah.bluebird.sh/about/ =) You'll here about our next datagame.

[shouldnt_be]

I often use https://pgexercises.com/ to refresh my knowledge

[NortySpock]

Others have given you excellent suggestions; I will simply offer an addition -- a side quest, if you will:

Remember that the local single-user databases SQLite and DuckDB exist, and that you can use them to wrangle data without even having to set up a separate server. You just create a database file on your machine and go from there.

[mrtimo]

You don't even need a database file if you use Malloy, just a .parquet file or .csv file will work. Think of a .parquet file as a python dataframe saved as a file. DuckDB combined with Malloy are a powerful combo. If you like writing SQL queries for fun, you should like writing Malloy queries even more (at least I do). If you are looking to compare timeframes, Malloy does this well: https://docs.malloydata.dev/documentation/patterns/yoy

[sfn42]

There's also nothing stopping you from running postgres, sql server, MySQL etc locally.

[arono]

I’ve had fun going through SQL Murder Mystery (https://mystery.knightlab.com/)

I even use it for hiring exercises.

[fbdab103]

While it was not challenging SQL, it does require paying attention to the prompt, writing the queries, and following the clues. I could easily see myself blowing it in an interviewing situation with someone staring me down. In the zero pressure environment at home, I almost tripped on the fact that the license plate clue said it "included XYZ" while I initially queried `like 'XYZ%'`

[newprint]

www.sql-ex.ru + the book on that site are by far the best SQL exercises I have seen. PS. I know you asking about just RAW SQL, but I highly suggest you get into understanding how particular DBMS works in depth, what plans it builds, what concurrency mechanisms it uses. Writing raw SQL will get you only so far, making those queries actually production ready is completely different ballgame and for that, you don't need to be super proficient in SQL.

[wanderingmind]

The connection times out to the website. Any links of same exercises and book available more generally?

[Leftium]

SQL Police Department – Learn SQL while solving crimes:

- https://hw.leftium.com/#/item/23066776

Lost at SQL: The SQL learning game:

- https://hw.leftium.com/#/item/35665142

There are even more games in the comments.

[leifhka]

Not quite puzzles, but since someone else mentioned Schemaverse, I have made a similar but Elite inspired SQL-game called Datastar [1]. It features a simulated economy with traders and miners, and the goal is to make as much money as possible. Everything is done via SQL (or other PostgreSQL features), and the player need to make and manage a database of information about the planets and their economies.

I teach uni. couses on databases and made the game for my student to give them a more self-driven way to learn SQL.

[1] https://gitlab.com/leifhka/datastar

[awesomeMilou]

I'm trying this out right now, since I'm writing a database exam on thursday. Is there a way to provide feedback?

I feel like the game has a lot of potential but some stuff feels kinda painful.

Like figuring out all constants for example.

[liamN]

Maybe this is more begginner than youre looking for, but I saw this one ("Lost at SQL") here on HN last year. https://lost-at-sql.therobinlord.com/

[geshan]

Not a game but a great way to learn SQL is https://sqlbolt.com

[joshagilend]

+1 I like this one a lot.

[speedgoose]

A few of them exist. I played a bit on the SQL section of HackerRank in the past: https://www.hackerrank.com/domains/sql

[novoreorx]

That is an excellent source. I'll explore it a bit.

[gabrielsroka]

Might be somewhat helpful https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming/s...

[evilotto]

There used to be a multiplayer space game called Schemaverse that was played by writing sql, but it seems to have gone away.

https://schemaverse.com/

[calgoo]

Found this on GitHub: https://github.com/Abstrct/Schemaverse

[BazookaMusic]

https://detective.kusto.io/

It's not SQL directly (it's the Kusto query language) which is more geared towards reading data and analytics.

I'm suggesting it however because the queries in it are also basically relational algebra (aka much of the knowledge is transferable to SQL - minus some special features like anomaly analysis), they give decently sized datasets with billions of rows and the challenges themselves were fun.

[PascLeRasc]

Select Star SQL is pretty interesting, but short - https://selectstarsql.com/beazley.html

[roland35]

This SQL murder mystery is fun and helpful! https://mystery.knightlab.com/

[uncharted9]

Thanks everyone who have commented all these sites. I wanted to brush up SQL for interviews and these will help a lot.

[laowantong]

At beginner level, there is SQL Island https://sql-island.informatik.uni-kl.de, with versions in German, English and French.

[wcallahan]

Where is the English language version? Would love to use with my son!

[horsellama]

https://code.golf/rankings/holes/all/sql/bytes

[yurpree43]

Codesignal has a fun Database “Arcade” https://app.codesignal.com/arcade/db

[Cheezmeister]

Thanks for asking. Had a similar issue--no avenue to practice queries intentionally, outside of solving a real-world problem with all the confounding factors that entails.

Nice options ITT.