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You get to build and program circuits! Think of it as a steppable debugger for a computer that has modular components. Your goal is to build circuits out of ch

You get to build and program circuits! Think of it as a steppable debugger for a computer that has modular components. Your goal is to build circuits out of chips that are little blocks of code. Also there is a real pritable manual (which was one of the most celebrated bits from TIS-100). To get an idea of where the game is going, it helps to have played some of the earlier works, like SpaceChem and TIS-100. http://www.zachtronics.com/spacechem/ http://www.zachtronics.com/spacechem/ http://www.zachtronics.com/tis-100/ http://www.zachtronics.com/tis-100/ EDIT: You know, looking at some of the other earlier work, he may have been building up to this for a long time. I have n't played it, but Ruckingenur 2 sure looks like a spiritual precursor to this. http://www.zachtronics.com/ruckingenur-ii/ http://www.zachtronics.com/ruckingenur-ii/

qwertyuiop924 10y ago
It looks like a spiritual sucessor to TIS-100, which Zach himself described as, "kind of a throwback to the kinds of games I used to make, [...] Before I started Zachtronics, before I worked with other people; just these really rough, kind of abusive engineering games." The source article (http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/244969/Things_we_create_tell_people_who_we_are_Designing_Zachtronics_TIS100.php http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/244969/Things_we_create_t...) is worth reading. All of Zach's games are worth playing, but if you're not familiar with his games, this may not be the best introduction. You should probably start with Infiniminer, which is the most inviting of his games, instead. If you're a fan of Zachtronics' work, you're probably opening your wallet already. Much like From Software, Zachtronics is always making variations on the same game. However, they're the only ones making it, and they're really good at, so they have a dedicated fanbase. Many of these are programmers, because the skills and thought processes required are similar to those required in programmers: if you like one, you'll likely like the other.
- lfowles 10y ago
  There are a few related non-Zachtronics titles off the top of my head: * Human Resource Machine * Factorio * Chromatic Supercomputer[0] [0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzfIqigXXh4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzfIqigXXh4
  - qwertyuiop924 10y ago
    HRM doesn't have the devastating difficulty that makes the Zachtronics game what it is. As for Factorio, that actually bares a stronger resembalance to modded Minecraft, particularly the classic BC/IC2 combination, with a hint of other tech mods here and there. And it doesn't have a lua-based robot mod (ComputerCraft), or any of the other really cool mods, so I don't see the point. It's not as puzzle-y as Zachtronics games, though.
    - lfowles 10y ago
      > HRM doesn't have the devastating difficulty that makes the Zachtronics game what it is This is true, I should mention I spent probably 2-3 hours and completed the game and most side optimizations. Definitely a solid buy for $5-10 though. >As for Factorio, that actually bares a stronger resembalance to modded Minecraft, particularly the classic BC/IC2 combination, with a hint of other tech mods here and there. It reeks strongly of very abstract programming notions. Routing "data", whether to use static typing (inserters) or dynamic typing (smart inserters), inlining production vs modularizing production for more complex recipes. You do have to dig a bit deeper though!
      - qwertyuiop924 10y ago
        Well, of course. But it feels like there's less of a puzzle there. And it's soo much less cool than automating minecraft, especially using more primitive systems. If you're wondering about modded minecraft, definitely check out SethBling's (unfortunately brief) let's play of FTB (feed the beast - long story) modded Minecraft. It's not terribly representative of the modern mod scene (it's evolved quite a bit since 1.2.5!) but it captures the appeal quite well.
    - khedoros1 10y ago
      > It's not as puzzle-y as Zachtronics games, though. Factorio has layout and pipelining elements that remind me strongly of Spacechem, but taken up in complexity and scale. I've played Minecraft, but not very many mods, so I can't comment on that, but I can say that Factorio is one of the first games in a while that I can sink hours per day into, treating it as a puzzle game. To me, it's like Spacechem scaled up and with the scenarios chained together seamlessly.
bogomipz 10y ago
Is it cumulative? Should one start with those?
- HCIdivision17 10y ago
  I won't dissuade you from trying all of them - I like 'em all :) SpaceChem will introduce the idea of step-test-debug along with the modular piping (a bit); it has been a favorite for years. TIS-100 will introduce the assembler block programming, and is notable in that it manages to be fun! Personally, I would start with SpaceChem, as it's fun right away and stays that way for a long time. It always feels like a game, while TIS-100 can feel a bit like work sometimes :P
  - qwertyuiop924 10y ago
    I'd reccomend InfiniFactory, actually. It introduces you to the step-test-debug cycle, the three legs of optimization (if you're competing for leaderboards), and the general Zachtronics design, much like SpaceChem would, minus the modular piping. However, it's much friendlier to the beginner than SpaceChem (Zach agressively playtested the learning curve, and had more experience than he did when he was making SC), while still leading up to some painfully difficult puzzles that you will probably never solve, as is the Zachtronics way. Speaking of which, did you know that Zach himself never beat the last level of SpaceChem?
    - bogomipz 10y ago
      Thank you both for the feedback. I look forward spending some time with all of these then.
    - Terr_ 10y ago
      Seconded: Infinifactory is also much more visually intuitive/rewarding.

qwertyuiop924 10y ago

It looks like a spiritual sucessor to TIS-100, which Zach himself described as, "kind of a throwback to the kinds of games I used to make, [...] Before I started Zachtronics, before I worked with other people; just these really rough, kind of abusive engineering games." The source article (http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/244969/Things_we_create_tell_people_who_we_are_Designing_Zachtronics_TIS100.php http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/244969/Things_we_create_t...) is worth reading. All of Zach's games are worth playing, but if you're not familiar with his games, this may not be the best introduction. You should probably start with Infiniminer, which is the most inviting of his games, instead. If you're a fan of Zachtronics' work, you're probably opening your wallet already. Much like From Software, Zachtronics is always making variations on the same game. However, they're the only ones making it, and they're really good at, so they have a dedicated fanbase. Many of these are programmers, because the skills and thought processes required are similar to those required in programmers: if you like one, you'll likely like the other.

lfowles 10y ago
There are a few related non-Zachtronics titles off the top of my head: * Human Resource Machine * Factorio * Chromatic Supercomputer[0] [0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzfIqigXXh4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzfIqigXXh4
- qwertyuiop924 10y ago
  HRM doesn't have the devastating difficulty that makes the Zachtronics game what it is. As for Factorio, that actually bares a stronger resembalance to modded Minecraft, particularly the classic BC/IC2 combination, with a hint of other tech mods here and there. And it doesn't have a lua-based robot mod (ComputerCraft), or any of the other really cool mods, so I don't see the point. It's not as puzzle-y as Zachtronics games, though.
  - lfowles 10y ago
    > HRM doesn't have the devastating difficulty that makes the Zachtronics game what it is This is true, I should mention I spent probably 2-3 hours and completed the game and most side optimizations. Definitely a solid buy for $5-10 though. >As for Factorio, that actually bares a stronger resembalance to modded Minecraft, particularly the classic BC/IC2 combination, with a hint of other tech mods here and there. It reeks strongly of very abstract programming notions. Routing "data", whether to use static typing (inserters) or dynamic typing (smart inserters), inlining production vs modularizing production for more complex recipes. You do have to dig a bit deeper though!
    - qwertyuiop924 10y ago
      Well, of course. But it feels like there's less of a puzzle there. And it's soo much less cool than automating minecraft, especially using more primitive systems. If you're wondering about modded minecraft, definitely check out SethBling's (unfortunately brief) let's play of FTB (feed the beast - long story) modded Minecraft. It's not terribly representative of the modern mod scene (it's evolved quite a bit since 1.2.5!) but it captures the appeal quite well.
  - khedoros1 10y ago
    > It's not as puzzle-y as Zachtronics games, though. Factorio has layout and pipelining elements that remind me strongly of Spacechem, but taken up in complexity and scale. I've played Minecraft, but not very many mods, so I can't comment on that, but I can say that Factorio is one of the first games in a while that I can sink hours per day into, treating it as a puzzle game. To me, it's like Spacechem scaled up and with the scenarios chained together seamlessly.

bogomipz 10y ago

Is it cumulative? Should one start with those?

HCIdivision17 10y ago
I won't dissuade you from trying all of them - I like 'em all :) SpaceChem will introduce the idea of step-test-debug along with the modular piping (a bit); it has been a favorite for years. TIS-100 will introduce the assembler block programming, and is notable in that it manages to be fun! Personally, I would start with SpaceChem, as it's fun right away and stays that way for a long time. It always feels like a game, while TIS-100 can feel a bit like work sometimes :P
- qwertyuiop924 10y ago
  I'd reccomend InfiniFactory, actually. It introduces you to the step-test-debug cycle, the three legs of optimization (if you're competing for leaderboards), and the general Zachtronics design, much like SpaceChem would, minus the modular piping. However, it's much friendlier to the beginner than SpaceChem (Zach agressively playtested the learning curve, and had more experience than he did when he was making SC), while still leading up to some painfully difficult puzzles that you will probably never solve, as is the Zachtronics way. Speaking of which, did you know that Zach himself never beat the last level of SpaceChem?
  - bogomipz 10y ago
    Thank you both for the feedback. I look forward spending some time with all of these then.
  - Terr_ 10y ago
    Seconded: Infinifactory is also much more visually intuitive/rewarding.