No, but it helps. Case 1 starts with basic SELECT/WHERE and ramps up gradually. If you're new to SQL entirely, the Field Manual (inside the game, top bar) is a syntax reference you can check any time at no cost — no hint penalty for using it.
It's real. Every query executes against an actual embedded SQLite database on the server. Typos produce genuine SQLite error messages — nothing about the query execution itself is scripted or simulated.
Not permanently. Each case gives you your own private, disposable copy of that case's database. If a case allows write statements (UPDATE/INSERT/DELETE) and something goes wrong — like forgetting a WHERE clause — hit RESET DATABASE to restore the original data instantly, without losing your progress on hints or objectives.
Cases 1–10 are investigation-only (read access, SELECT/WITH queries). Cases 11–20 are write-enabled — you actually repair corrupted data using UPDATE, INSERT, and DELETE. The game always tells you which kind of case you're in.
No — that's a deliberate design constraint. Case data, hints, and answer keys live entirely on the server and are never sent to the browser as-is. The client only ever receives what a legitimate query would return.
Three tiers per case, revealed one at a time. You can freely navigate back to a hint you've already unlocked, but you can't skip ahead to a later one without unlocking the ones before it.
No. Your nickname is the only thing shown on the leaderboard or to other players. Email is used only for login and password reset.
Only if you've both solved that specific case already. Query history is private by default; comparing solving paths unlocks mutually, after the fact — it's meant for comparing notes, not looking up answers.
Yes. No ads, no paid tiers, no account limits.
The contact form — every message is read.