SQL Habit Quest: The Bank Job

A robbed bank. A trail of data. A detective armed with SQL — you!

Step into the role of a Data Detective — solve SQL puzzles to uncover the truth behind the bank job.

Follow the trail of evidence — from the bank’s records to linked case files — and team up with Interpol to catch the thief.

Learn how to solve complex problems with SQL — navigate new databases, turn context and clues into insights.

Work with realistic, messy data and learn how to turn chaos into answers.

Level up your data skills — every chapter will teach you a couple of new Data Analysis tricks.

Race your peers for a spot on the leaderboard.

Hey, I’m Anatoli — the indie maker behind SQL Habit, and a fellow data nerd. I advocate for data-informed approach.

I started as a Software Engineer in 2010, built three startups (sold one, successfully failed the other two). Later, I joined Blinkist as one of the first engineers. In my nine years at Blinkist, I worked on our products, Growth and BI stacks, and finally, leading Blinkist AI. Ultimately, we grew to ~200 people, 25M users, and were acquired in 2023.

Throughout my career, the ability of effortlessly working with data has been a key to success. It never felt like hard work, but more like a habit — SQL Habit.

I’m glad you’re here to experience that working with data is a lot of fun and very rewarding. Enjoy the quest, my friend!

Ready to crack the case?

This quest will take 20-60 minutes depending on your level. Take it easy, enjoy and learn a few things or compete for a top place on the leaderboard!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to complete a quest?

Short answer: 20-60 minutes. Depends on your SQL / Data Analysis skills: if you can write a window function out of your head, it’ll be 20 minutes. Otherwise plan for 1 hour.

What if I get stuck?

Every chapter in a quest has 3 hints. The first hint always gives you specific tables and columns to use in your query. The second hint gives you details of what to do, but you still have to write the query yourself. The third hint gives away the solution. Every hint comes with a time penalty.

Is quest free? Do I have to enter my credit card details?

Quests are absolutely free to play, no credit card details required.

Can I use AI?

You definitely should use AI to look up things or do the typing for you. I hope you won’t use agents to game the leaderboard — SQL Habit Quests are for people to enjoy.

How leaderboard time is tracked?

Your leaderboard time starts when you click “START” in the quest’s intro. You’ll see the timer in the right top corner of the screen. Timer stops automatically when you submit the correct solution for the final chapter.

Can I pause the quest?

To make it fair for every player — no, you can’t pause the timer. Once you start the quest, the timer is on. If you’re not interested in chasing the leaderboard spot, click on the timer to hide it.

What dataset is used in the quest?

Each quest is based on a specific dataset, completely independent from SQL Habit’s course dataset or other datasets on SQL Habit.