
Regex Game
Regular Expressions (Regex) are a powerful text pattern-matching tool used for searching, replacing, and validating strings. The game wraps Regex into text-based puzzle, allowing players to gradually master regular expressions as they progress through levels.
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Media
6 itemsAbout the Game
Core Gameplay
Regular Expressions - an essential skill for programmers - become your puzzle-solving tool.
Starting with basic number matching, each level introduces new Regex rules with gradually increasing complexity.
30+ Meticulously Designed Levels covering fundamental Regex concepts through:
Accessible Design: 95% of the levels require no coding experience to pass perfectly. Players who can program can use their abilities to reduce the difficulty of the red level.
Brain Teasers: Regex-themed mini-games between chapters to consolidate skills. The subtle pace of the challenge helps to alleviate the frustration of a failed challenge.
Wooden Fish: Tapping the wooden fish increases the accuracy rate
Regular Spelling of Words: Move characters to spell words
Regular Ninja: Eliminate words that match a given regular expression
Password Hint: Write a password that meets all the requirements for regular expressions
Regex VS String
First Challenge Example
Real-world Scenario: Identify email addresses in text:

Regex Tips:
\d matches digits
+ indicates "one or more" of preceding element
~ o(* ̄▽ ̄*)o That's right! Solution:

"Congratulations! You've cleared the toughest level in Chapter 2!"
(Quick Flip Book)
Web Crawling Simulation
Chapter 4 Challenge: Extract HTML links from tags:
<a id="policy_DeleteAccount" href="/WizenedDream/DeleteAccount.html"></a>
So smart! Advanced Solution:
<a[^>]*?href\s*=\s*[\"\']?(?<URL>[^\"\']+)[\"\']?[^>]*?>
( ˘•ω•˘ ) What? Not yet?
Keep playing! The early levels will systematically build your skills to conquer advanced challenges.
(Players who can solve this problem should have studied regular expressions. The first 3 chapters are mainly for beginners, so please skip the level on your own according to your ability.)
Difficulty System
Green

Time: 1-2 min
Goal: Learn individual Regex symbols
Blue

Time: 3-5 min
Goal: Combine 3 symbols or fewer
Purple

Time: 5-20 min
Goal: Solve real-world problems
Red

Time: 30+ min
Goal: Tackle complex pattern analysis
Chapters 1-3: Green
/Blue
levels
Chapter 4+: Purple
/Red challenges
AI assistance recommended for stuck moments.
~~Red levels: Where "simple" means 2 hours of glorious debugging~~