NetsBlox

What NetsBlox is

NetsBlox is a free, cloud-based visual programming language for creating networked programs such as multiplayer games. Rooms and remote messaging allow separate clients to exchange structured messages over the internet. Programs can call server-provided procedures for third-party utilities and NetsBlox capabilities. Documented services connect with Google Maps, ThingSpeak, ParallelDots, and Azure Translation, while other services expose NOAA climate data and OpenWeatherMap weather data. PhoneIoT lets projects use phone sensors and custom widgets such as buttons, joysticks, and image displays. RoboScape Online provides a free robotics simulator for creating scenarios and collaborating in shared simulations. Users can build custom services that appear in the call RPC block’s Community section. An account is not required, although accounts enable saving projects on the cloud server. Projects can remain private or be shared publicly under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Self-hosting guidance recommends Docker and requires MongoDB plus filesystem access for blob storage. NetsBlox is a Vanderbilt University project, mainly aimed at ages 12–20 while welcoming everyone. Cloud storage limits may apply.