Frequently Asked Questions

General

Q: Do I need to know Python to play? A: No, but you will learn it! The early levels function as a tutorial for basic programming concepts.

Q: Is this educational software? A: It's a game first. But yes, the skills you use (loops, conditionals, debugging) are 100% real Python.

Technical

Q: Can I use external Python libraries? A: For security reasons, the game runs in a sandboxed environment. Only the standard library and the backcast game modules are available.

Q: Where are save files stored? A: Saves are stored in your Steam Cloud folder. Local backups are in Documents/Backcast/saves.

Q: The game crashed when I wrote an infinite loop! A: The marimo kernel attempts to interrupt long-running cells, but sometimes an infinite loop can hang the UI. Press Ctrl + C or restart the level if this happens.

Steam

Q: Does the game support Steam Deck? A: Yes! The text size is adjustable, and we support on-screen keyboard input, though a physical keyboard is recommended for the best coding experience.

Q: Are there achievements? A: Yes, over 30 achievements, including hidden ones for solving puzzles with O(1) complexity.