FAQ

Short answers to common questions.

Do I need to know how to program?

No. Sprout reads like a list of instructions, the starter program already works, and the game’s lessons teach the language one idea at a time. If you can read the starter program, you can start changing it.

Does my farm keep growing when the game is closed?

Your farm’s clock keeps counting while the game is closed or paused, at 10 ticks a second. When you press Run again, the game catches the farm up, with your program starting from the top.

Can I use another language?

Not yet. Sprout is built so that every program behaves exactly the same everywhere and can never freeze the game, which is what makes fair checking possible.

Is there an end?

No. There is always another plot to buy, and each one costs more, so growth only keeps up with a program that keeps getting better.

How is this different from The Farmer Was Replaced?

The Farmer Was Replaced is a single-player game where you program a drone in a Python-like language, and its scores are computed on your own computer. Tendril uses its own pseudocode language, Sprout, and leaderboard scores are checked on our server, which replays the moves your program made and only accepts a score that the replay reproduces. The main difference is the competition: everyone runs the same daily farm, so you see how your program compares with everyone else’s, not just with your own best run.

Is my code uploaded?

No. Only the list of moves your bots made goes to the server. Your program stays on your computer.

Why does Windows or macOS warn me when I open it?

Early builds aren’t signed yet. The download page explains how to open them anyway.

Can I play on more than one computer?

Sign in with the same GitHub account and your Endless farm follows you, since the server holds its checkpoint.