pcottle/learngitbranching

LearnGitBranching is an interactive, browser-based game for learning Git, the version control system used by nearly all software developers. Git is notoriously confusing for beginners, particularly because working with it on the command line gives you no visual sense of what is happening to your code history. LearnGitBranching solves this by turning every Git command into an animated visual: when you type a command, you can watch the commit tree update in real time, showing you exactly how branches, merges, and rebases transform your repository's history. The application works as a series of levels, each teaching a specific Git concept, from basic commits and branches up to more advanced topics like remote repositories and rebasing. As you type Git commands into the built-in terminal, the visual diagram responds dynamically. There's also a sandbox mode where you can freely experiment without structure, which is useful for trying out commands or demonstrating something to a colleague. A "git golf" feature tracks how many commands you used to solve each level, encouraging efficiency. You would use this when you are new to Git and want to build mental models of what commands actually do, or when you are an intermediate developer who wants to solidify your understanding of complex operations like cherry-pick, rebase, or working with remote repositories. It requires no installation, just a browser. Technically, it is a pure frontend JavaScript application with no backend server. The entire Git simulation logic runs in the browser. The build system uses Gulp and Yarn, and the output is a single HTML file plus some static assets. It can also be run locally or via Docker.