{"id":127160,"date":"2023-11-28T10:01:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-28T15:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/?p=127160"},"modified":"2023-12-31T17:48:31","modified_gmt":"2023-12-31T22:48:31","slug":"repod-s6e9-advent-of-code-25-days-of-programming-puzzles-with-creator-eric-wastl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/2023\/11\/28\/repod-s6e9-advent-of-code-25-days-of-programming-puzzles-with-creator-eric-wastl\/","title":{"rendered":"REPOD S6E9 Advent of Code: 25 Days of Programming Puzzles with Creator Eric Wastl"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe title=\"S6E9 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Advent of Code\" allowtransparency=\"true\" height=\"150\" width=\"100%\" style=\"border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;\" scrolling=\"no\" data-name=\"pb-iframe-player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podbean.com\/player-v2\/?i=ac669-1504c7d-pb&#038;from=pb6admin&#038;share=1&#038;download=1&#038;rtl=0&#038;fonts=Tahoma&#038;skin=1b1b1b&#038;font-color=auto&#038;logo_link=episode_page&#038;btn-skin=60a0c8\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6wi2z2tDhWQ?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#8220;It&#8217;s also sort of a gateway drug to becoming a programmer.&#8221;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In REPOD season 6, episode 9, we have a rare interview with Eric Wastl, who is not only the creative mind behind <em>Advent of Code<\/em>, but he is also married to our very own <a href=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/contributors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kate Wastl<\/a> who writes for Room Escape Artist and is the producer for <a href=\"https:\/\/realityescapecon.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">RECON 24<\/a> in Los Angeles this August. <em>Advent of Code<\/em> is a series of unique programming puzzles that launches on December 1st every year and continues until Christmas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eric initially created <em>Advent of Code<\/em> as a means of helping people improve their programming skills. He has certainly accomplished this goal. Over a million people have tackled his programming puzzles in the span of 8 years, with a quarter of a million last year alone. In this episode, Eric takes us behind the scenes, telling us about how meticulously he writes his puzzles to ensure only one correct answer. He also constructs them to be inclusive, so that participants of all skill levels can solve <em>Advent of Code<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"558\" data-attachment-id=\"127413\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/repod-s6e9-advent-of-code-hero-image-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/REPOD-S6E9-Advent-of-Code-hero-image-3.png\" data-orig-size=\"1062,579\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"REPOD S6E9 Advent of Code hero image 3\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/REPOD-S6E9-Advent-of-Code-hero-image-3-1024x558.png\" src=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/REPOD-S6E9-Advent-of-Code-hero-image-3-1024x558.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-127413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/REPOD-S6E9-Advent-of-Code-hero-image-3-1024x558.png 1024w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/REPOD-S6E9-Advent-of-Code-hero-image-3-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/REPOD-S6E9-Advent-of-Code-hero-image-3-768x419.png 768w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/REPOD-S6E9-Advent-of-Code-hero-image-3.png 1062w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating captivating puzzles isn&#8217;t merely about providing a brainteaser. The right puzzle can educate, entertain, and even bring together a community. To join this festive programming journey, head over to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/adventofcode.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Advent of Code<\/a> <\/em>on December 1st. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"thank-you-to-our-sponsors\">Thank You to Our Sponsors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: Morty App, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/morty.app\/repod\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"758\" data-attachment-id=\"103024\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/asset-264x\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Asset-26@4x.png\" data-orig-size=\"1174,869\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Asset 26@4x\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Asset-26@4x-1024x758.png\" src=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Asset-26@4x-1024x758.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-103024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Asset-26@4x-1024x758.png 1024w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Asset-26@4x-300x222.png 300w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Asset-26@4x-768x568.png 768w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Asset-26@4x-685x507.png 685w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Asset-26@4x.png 1174w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size has-custom-lineheight mb-0 pb-0 mt-0 pt-0\" id=\"morty-app\" style=\"line-height:1;font-size:51px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mortyapp.com\/repod\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Morty<\/strong><\/a><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"mb-0 pb-0 mt-0 pt-0\">Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"mb-0 pb-0 mt-0 pt-0\"><strong>Morty News: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Morty now features haunt attractions! <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Morty for Android is here and in public beta. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Special Badge for REPOD listeners:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can learn more at <a href=\"https:\/\/morty.app\/repod\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>MortyApp.com\/REPOD<\/strong><\/a> to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners. (This works for existing users too!) <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/buzzshot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"663\" height=\"341\" data-attachment-id=\"112962\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/buzzshot-logo\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/buzzshot-logo.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"663,341\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"buzzshot logo\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/buzzshot-logo.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/buzzshot-logo.jpg\" alt=\"Buzzshot logo featuring a rounded square with a white &quot;Z&quot; surrounded by stylized z shaped graphics\" class=\"wp-image-112962\" srcset=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/buzzshot-logo.jpg 663w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/buzzshot-logo-300x154.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 663px) 100vw, 663px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size mt-0 pt-0\" id=\"morty-app\"><a href=\"https:\/\/buzzshot.com\/repod\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buzzshot<\/a><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"mb-0 pb-0\"><strong>Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus <strong>20% off <\/strong>your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/buzzshot.com\/repod\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>buzzshot.com\/repod<\/strong><\/a> to learn more about this exclusive offer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cogs.show\/#start\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"351\" data-attachment-id=\"125398\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/cogs-logo\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/cogs-logo.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"800,351\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"cogs logo\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/cogs-logo.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/cogs-logo.jpg\" alt=\"logo for COGS, the C looks like a gear, and it's white text over a purple background\" class=\"wp-image-125398\" srcset=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/cogs-logo.jpg 800w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/cogs-logo-300x132.jpg 300w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/cogs-logo-768x337.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size mt-0 pt-0\" id=\"morty-app\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cogs.show\/#start\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">COGS<\/a><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software\/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug &amp; play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code.&nbsp;Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"mb-0 pb-0\"><strong>Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"mb-0 pb-0\">REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at <a href=\"https:\/\/cogs.show\/#start\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>cogs.show<\/strong><\/a>. Use code <strong>REPOD<\/strong> at checkout.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"topics-discussed-in-this-episode\">Topics Discussed in this Episode<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>00:04 Introduction and Sponsor Break: COGS<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>01:34 Welcome to the Reality Escape Pod<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>01:49 Introducing Eric Wastl and <em>Advent of Code<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>02:28 Understanding Programming Puzzles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>03:51 The <em>Advent of Code<\/em> Journey<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>05:50 The Importance of Teaching and Learning in Programming<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>09:23 The Challenges of Puzzle Design<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>16:11 The <em>Advent of Code<\/em> Community and Participation Scale<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>18:16 Sponsor Break: Morty<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>20:24 The Art of Crafting Coding Puzzles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>25:52 Sponsor Break: Buzzshot<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>26:55 The <em>Advent of Code<\/em> Difficulty Curve<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>31:25 The Competitive Programming Community<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>31:29 Analyzing Leaderboard Times<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>32:03 Different Skill Sets in Coding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>32:49 Speed Contest vs. Software Engineering<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>33:21 The Strategy of Speed Solvers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>34:22 The Contrast Between Speed Solvers and Beginners<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>35:20 The <em>Advent of Code<\/em> Community<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>38:06 The Accessibility of <em>Advent of Code<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>39:24 The Diversity of Programming Languages in <em>Advent of Code<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>46:41 The Unexpected Audiences of <em>Advent of Code<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>51:47 Creating Tools for Video Games<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>58:53 The Importance of Patreon Support<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>01:00:54 Hidden Easter Eggs in Advent of Code<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leave us a voicemail<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Got a question or thought for the podcast? You can submit a voice recording by calling the Room Escape Artist not-so-hotline that always goes straight to voicemail (551-227-7273).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"resources-mentioned-in-this-episode\">Resources Mentioned in this Episode<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/adventofcode.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Advent of Code<\/em> website<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/was.tl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">About Eric Wastl<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>YouTube Behind the Scenes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gibVyxpi-qA?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About Eric Wastl<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-attachment-id=\"127402\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/ewastl-kate-wastl\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ewastl-Kate-Wastl.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"3648,3648\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ewastl &amp;#8211; Kate Wastl\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ewastl-Kate-Wastl-1024x1024.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ewastl-Kate-Wastl-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Man with rectangular glasses and short neat hair and beard looking gleefully at a circuit board he's holding in front of his face.\" class=\"wp-image-127402\" srcset=\"https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ewastl-Kate-Wastl-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ewastl-Kate-Wastl-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ewastl-Kate-Wastl-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ewastl-Kate-Wastl-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ewastl-Kate-Wastl-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ewastl-Kate-Wastl-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ewastl-Kate-Wastl-1200x1200.jpg?crop=1 1200w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ewastl-Kate-Wastl-800x800.jpg?crop=1 800w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ewastl-Kate-Wastl-600x600.jpg?crop=1 600w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ewastl-Kate-Wastl-400x400.jpg?crop=1 400w, https:\/\/roomescapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ewastl-Kate-Wastl-200x200.jpg?crop=1 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>X &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ericwastl\">@ericwastl<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hi! I&#8217;m Eric Wastl. I make Advent of Code. I hope you like it! I also made Vanilla JS, PHP Sadness, and lots of other things. You can find me on Twitter and GitHub. <em>Advent of Code<\/em> is an Advent calendar of small programming puzzles for a variety of skill sets and skill levels that can be solved in any programming language you like. People use them as interview prep, company training, university coursework, practice problems, a speed contest, or to challenge each other. You don&#8217;t need a computer science background to participate &#8211; just a little programming knowledge and some problem solving skills will get you pretty far. Nor do you need a fancy computer; every problem has a solution that completes in at most 15 seconds on ten-year-old hardware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"support-repod\">Support REPOD<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/patreon.com\/roomescapeartist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Subscribe to Patreon for bonus content<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Please rate and review our podcast!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks for listening!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Support Room Escape Artist&#8217;s Mission<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are lots of ways to support Room Escape Artist, like buying from <a aria-label=\"Amazon (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/shop\/roomescapeart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amazon<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.awin1.com\/cread.php?awinmid=6220&amp;awinaffid=651019&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Etsy<\/a> after clicking into the links included in this post or backing us on <a aria-label=\"Patreon (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/roomescapeartist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Patreon<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The money that we make from these helps us to grow the site and continue to add more value to the community that we love so much. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s also sort of a gateway drug to becoming a programmer.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":127413,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[13604111,586398298],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-puzzle-hunt","category-reality-escape-pod"],"acf":[],"is_reblog":null,"post_id":null,"blog_id":null,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"586398298","yoast-structured-data-blocks-images-cache":null,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"Advent of Code programming puzzles","_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"62","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"60","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Eric Wastl created Advent of Code. 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