If you're looking for something a bit more advanced, but still not jumping right into the deep end check out our iPad app hyperPad (https://www.hyperpad.com). We never intended it for teaching kids to code, but schools and teachers from the around the world love it for introducing younger kids to code.
It has a lot of the the coding principles applied in a visual even driven environment making it fun and easy to create cool interactive games.
We're also working on adding other cool things like HTTP requests and sockets so users can connect to servers to send/receive data.
Our app hyperPad (https://www.hyperpad.com) is being widely used to teach kids programming. It was never intended for that, but it's really interesting to see schools around the world using it to teach kids to code.
We actually built it as an easy way to make games, but hey, if people are using it to learn, we won't complain ;).
Since our app is primarily a tool to make games and other interactive apps, we take a different approach to our behaviour system. The hyperPad behaviour system is our take on a node based event driven programming language that lets users focus on the design and the fun parts. But still give them the power they need :).
The Unreal Tournament series has some of the best AI.
They react and behave very human. In UT 2003 (or 2004 can't remember) they even respond to voice commands.
There was even a programmed Unreal Tournament bot that passed the turing test.
We also developed our own visual programming system for our free iPad app GamePress (http://www.gamepressapp.com).
Our system works like a flow chart of actions and events. Designed for tablets. It is fairly powerful as well, with lots of great additions being added.
Have you looked at something like the iPad app codea? http://twolivesleft.com/Codea
It uses LUA for the scripting language, and a really nice IDE.
We also did something similar, except it is all visual programming (I know you said you are not interested in visual).. Its called GamePress (http://www.gamepressapp.com), free iPad app check it out :)
In our app users can sign in with Facebook, or make their own app specific account. We don't force users to use facebook.
A lot of our good (active) users are ones who make a custom account.
Another benefit for us offering an option is that we have found a place in schools.. But this is pretty specific to our app and may not apply to you at all.
We also give our users the option to not sign in at all, but limit what they can do (no community access)
iPad only. We found that making games on an iPhone is just not fun with our current interface. We currently don't have the resources to come up with a new interface for iPhone.
We do hope to have a player available for iPhone eventually, but right now our main focus is iPad.
Teachers have started using it to teach students about programming and game development.
It is similar to Scratch, but it is more powerful (and easier to actually make a game). The behaviour system has thing slike timers, if statements, math functions, variables.
So far from what we have been told by our users it is a great intro to programming concepts.
Keep in mind we never developed it for teaching programming! it was made as a fun and easy way to make and share video games!
PixelPress is really cool. Their OCR technology is a neat idea to making levels.
However users are not really making games. They're making levels for a game they provide.
We have developed an iPad app which is called GamePress http://www.gamepressapp.com (we had the name first!) its live in the app store right now for free. It is a platform that allows you to actually make a wide variety of games using our behaviour system. We developed a visual programming environment that works like a flow chart.
You're not limited to game mechanic we provide since you have timers, variables, if statements and more.
We also allow our users to share their games really easily to what we call the GamePress arcade. Its a place inside the app where users can play, rate, and even edit (if enabled by the author) each others games.
So far have been getting great reviews in the app store. Teachers have even started using GamePress to teach kids about programming!
We're actually working on an iPad app that lets people make games.
Our behaviour system is not exactly programming, but it does teach about logic and help understand the concepts of programming. We have variables, loops, ifs.. then make it fun allowing you to make a game.
It has a lot of the the coding principles applied in a visual even driven environment making it fun and easy to create cool interactive games.
We're also working on adding other cool things like HTTP requests and sockets so users can connect to servers to send/receive data.