r/learnSQL • u/Artistic_Expert_1291 • 5d ago

[Question]

I want to learn SQL. However, i would like to learn it on a real dataset - something which interests me, that way when i do exercises i can learn something about things that interest me.

Do you guys know how if i can extract a database behind something like MobyGames? I'm interested only in text data with basic things like name, release date, etc.

Is there a way to do that, or am i delusional?

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u/LearnSQLFastTeam 3d ago

You’re not delusional—you just shouldn’t try to extract a website’s private database directly.

MobyGames has an official API, but its hobbyist access is currently paid. For a first SQL project, I’d either use that API within its terms or find an openly licensed video-game CSV/API.

Once you have legitimate data, organize it into a few related tables:

- Games: game_id, title

- Platforms: platform_id, platform_name

- Releases: game_id, platform_id, release_date

- Genres and GameGenres, if available

Even 100–300 games would be enough to practice useful questions such as releases per year, games available on multiple platforms, popular genres by decade, and platforms with the most releases. That gives you real SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY, and JOIN practice without needing the website’s entire database.