[sandreas]

While this game is quite nice and fun to play, I find it kind of tempting to just experiment with the values until you solve the current problem instead of focussing on the "How does it really work" aspect of the problem, which would lead to a deeper understanding...

One way to solve this could be to allow more freedom in solving the problem as well as a small penalty on more than 2 or 3 tries.

[FireInsight]

I write frontend code and especially with CSS it's always trial-and-error, "bruteforcing" as you describe it. Sometimes you just gotta play with it until it works, while utilizing what you've learned from the previous times whacking at similar problems.

[martini333]

You can't blame the game for your own discipline.

[infogulch]

Yes you can.

Giving players so much freedom that they can easily identify and execute a grindy, brute-force but boring strategy is an extremely common problem in game design. Fault is irrelevant, it is the game's problem if the player stops having fun because they got trapped in a psychological pit tying to circumvent the rules when playing by the rules is ultimately easier.

This is a tradeoff so requires some balance, but OP's suggestion is simple, unobtrusive, and probably effective.

[cubefox]

Exactly. That's also the same reason why a game being too easy is the game's fault. One could object that players should be more disciplined and intentionally forego (e.g.) the stronger weapons in the game. But part of the fun of playing the game is to try to get the best possible weapon. Similarly, it is little fun to play e.g. tennis or chess against a weak opponent. Either it is too easy, or you don't give your best, neither of which is particularly fun.

[fortzi]

It’s not about assigning blame, it’s about encouraging the kind of player behavior that will lead to better learning

[louthy]

The whole purpose of a game is to complete a goal. Good games gamify you to achieving that goal. If the goal is to learn CSS and the game hasn't guided you to achieve that goal then it's failing at its purpose. Blaming the player for not playing correctly is an unbelievably bad take. The mechanics of the game should punish the user for doing the 'wrong' thing and reward them for doing the 'right' thing.