New Books in Game Studies Elliot Lichtman, "The Computer Always Wins: A Playful Introduction to Algorithms through Puzzles and Strategy Games" (MIT Press, 2025)
Jun 22, 2025
Elliot Lichtman, a Yale junior and author of 'The Computer Always Wins', combines computer science with fun through games. He explains how puzzles like tic-tac-toe and Wordle can teach algorithms in an engaging way. The discussion delves into AI strategies in chess, highlighting AlphaZero’s unique methods that challenge traditional views. Elliot also stresses the importance of gamifying learning to help kids grasp complex concepts, and how understanding algorithms can revolutionize fields like medicine.
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Beginnings of Teaching Coding
- Elliot Lichtman started teaching coding during the pandemic via Zoom to his high school friends and local math circles.
- He developed materials focused on games to engage excited students wanting algorithmic approaches, leading to over 300 students participating.
Start With Simple Algorithms
- Focus on algorithms because they can be understood with just basic coding or even pen and paper.
- Use Python for teaching since it's readable and requires coding everything from scratch for true understanding.
Minimize Remaining Possibilities
- To solve Wordle-like games, guess the option that minimizes the weighted average number of remaining possibilities.
- Start with simpler guessing games like "guess a number" to understand binary search before applying strategies to Wordle.