I Got 15K People to Practice SQL by Turning Them Into Detectives

This story was originally published on HackerNoon at: https://hackernoon.com/i-got-15k-people-to-practice-sql-by-turning-them-into-detectives. See how SQL Case Files became a top choice for anyone searching for free SQL games or challenging SQL puzzles. Check more stories related to programming at: https://hackernoon.com/c/programming. You can also check exclusive content about #sql, #learn-sql, #gamifying-sql, #sql-practice, #sql-case-files, #practice-sql, #sql-puzzles, #challenging-sql-puzzles, and more. This story was written by: @hackstarky. Learn more about this writer by checking @hackstarky's about page, and for more stories, please visit hackernoon.com. SQL practice is boring because you're querying meaningless data in a vacuum. I built SQL Case Files - a detective game where you solve crimes by writing real SQL queries. Your phone vibrates when you close a case. No badges, no streaks, just investigations that feel physical. 15K monthly users in 4 weeks. This is how I made it work technically: SQLite WASM for local execution, result-set validation instead of SQL text matching, mobile-first UX with sticky schemas and bottom-sheet drawers, and a rate-limited AI assistant (20 calls/day because I'm paying for it). The constraint accidentally made people better at SQL. Free to play, no signup, runs entirely in your browser.