Query Noir - An Interactive SQL Learning Game

How to play

Learn SQL by solving cases

Take the case. The laptop shows a question about a fake company, like "who asked for refunds?". You answer it by writing SQL.
Open the filing cabinets. Each drawer is a table. Click one to see its columns and first rows, spelled exactly as the data has them.
Write, then Run. Type in the answer tray and press Run (Ctrl/Cmd + Enter). A yellow ___ is a blank to fill in.
Watch the answer. The evidence board acts out every step of your query, then pins the result up as a printout.
Earn 3 stars. One for the right answer, one for no hints, one for staying under the scan budget.

From Intern to Staff Detective

Intern SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY, DISTINCT
Analyst COUNT, GROUP BY, HAVING, dates
Senior Analyst joins, subqueries, UNION, text and CAST
Data Scientist CTEs, window functions, DATE_TRUNC
Staff Detective QUALIFY, UNNEST, funnels, retention, query cost

FAQ

Do I need to know SQL already?

No. The Detective Academy starts from zero. If you already know SQL, take the placement check to skip ahead.

Is it real SQL?

Yes. Queries run on DuckDB inside your browser, so what you learn works in real databases. Nothing you type leaves your device.

Is my progress saved?

On this device, always. Sign in to keep it across devices, join the leaderboard and earn arcade XP (up to 100 from this game). Ranks here are in-game titles, just for fun.

Is it free?

Yes, free with no installs. The first load downloads the database engine (about 7 MB).