NASEF x Skillquest: Rocket League Bot Building Beyond the Game Challenge
Join this unique Beyond the Game Challenge in partnership with Skillquest where you will create an AI autonomous bot for Rocket League! This free supplemental project-based learning for computer science will teach coding through Python, transforming your gaming passion into valuable software engineering skills.Â
The expected time commitment is 20 hours of project-based learning. No prior coding experience is required.
Registration closes October 6, 2025. The finals tournament is December 11, 2025.Â
REQUEST YOUR FREE LICENSESWhat your students learn
1. Setting Up
- Download Python and choose your coding editor
- Get set up to run Rocket League bots and start building
2. The 7 Coding Concepts
- All of programming can be boiled down to 7 core concepts.
- You’ll learn these concepts in a single evening.
3. Building Your Bot
- Build a functional Rocket League bot piece by piece
- Learn the essentials of object-oriented programming while building
4. Share and Compete
- Share your code with GitHub so others can review, download and improve.
- Compete against other bots and climb the leaderboard
An instant (and free) upgrade to your curriculum.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to rework lesson plans or spend your down time learning our program. This course is designed to be as hands off as possible for teachers so that students can learn at their own pace.
Up to code
This isn’t just fun and games. The course meets CSTA standards, so your students have fun AND get great education at the same time.
Teacher-friendly setup
No Rocket League experience required. You’ll get step-by-step guidance, minimal prep, and a classroom-ready setup.
Real-world learning skills
Students will need to read someone else’s code, debug, collaborate and more – all skills they’ll actually need as a programmer.
Rocket League Bot Tournament
At the end of the semester, students can submit their bot to compete against others across the country. We host and manage everything.
Free
Free to Select NASEF Members; $197 value per student.
Interactive Learning
Customize your own Rocket League bot while learning to code.
Engaging Curriculum
Step-by-step lessons that take you from zero to coder.
Gamified Education
Stay motivated with a 7-week course ending in a virtual tournament!
Coding Certificate
Earn a shareable and trackable certificate to showcase your skills.Â
Asynchronous Learning
Learn at your own pace without the need for a dedicated teacher.
Live Support
Get access to our teacher course and discord for ongoing support and technical assistance
Course Requirements
- Laptop (can run on as low-tech as a Google Chrome)
- Wifi
- Have your IT department whitelist the Skillquest.io domain.
- All programs / software needed for the course are FREE!  Zero additional costs!
Platform includes:
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Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
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Built-in bot simulator
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The course videos for your students
Course Content Outline
Module 1: Set Up RLBot
- Welcome to the Course
- Why Learn Code?
- What is Coding?
- Download Python
- Run RLBot
- How to Run Bots
- Download the Code
- Download a Code Editor (VS Code)
- Open Your Bot’s Code
- Run Your Custom Bot
- Intro to Rocket League
- Join the Skillquest Community Discord
Module 2: Python Variables
- Running Practice Code
- Numbers in Python
- Strings in Python
- Create useful logs in RLBot
Module 3: Writing Your First Routine
- Intro to routines
- Functions in Python
- Returning data from functions
- Purpose of Objects in Python
- Creating Objects in Python
- Adding Functions to Objects
- Add a Routine to your Bot
- Make Your Bot Jump
- Fleet of Jumping Bots
Module 4: Strategy and Logic
- Introduction to Logic and Strategy
- Bot Routines
- Kickoff Logic
- Booleans in Python (True and False)
- Comparisons in Python
- Logic in Python (if Statements)
- Logic in Python (and/or)
- Building Your Bot’s Shooting Strategy
- Building Your Bot’s Retreat Strategy
- Next Steps for Strategy
- Logic in Python (else/elif)
- Using Logic to Complete Routines
Module 5: Selecting Hit Strategy
- Intro to finding hits
- Python Imports
- Python Dictionaries – First Look
- Python Dictionaries
- Call find_hits
- Python Lists
- Select your hit strategy
Module 6: Using Loops to Get Boost
- Intro to Loops and Getting Boost
- Python For Loops
- Filtering Lists
- Filtering Boosts
- Finding the Closest Boost
Module 7: Keep Code Simple – Refactoring
- Intro to Refactoring
- Refactoring Boost Finder
- Refactoring Retreat Mechanics
Optional Module: Drawing Lines and Text for Debugging
- Intro to Debugging
- Debug Bot Intent with Text
- Custom Debug Text
- How to Explore Someone Else’s Code
- Drawing 3D lines
- Creating an easy line-drawing solution
Module 8: Sharing Your Bot (Source Control)
- Intro to Source Control
- Intro to GitHub
- Upload Your Code to the Web
- Committing Your Code
- Branching Your Code
- Merge Your Branches
- Upload and Share Your Bot
Career Skills and Education
- Career Skills – RLBot and Python
- Tech Workforce and Industry Needs