Turing Complete

[h3] tl;dr: [/h3] as a SW dev and computer engineer, I enjoyed this game, but I wanted to enjoy it more. It's a great introduction to functionally how computers behave and assembly language programming. Some of the ways features are implemented results in a sometimes clunky experience, however. [h3] The Good: [/h3] [list] [*] wiring up components feels great, takes a little while to get used to. Getting a bunch of clean angles in components can be frustrating at times, but not too hard. [*] Iterative and clean lesson progression for designing components. Not overly hand-holding, but starts with simple babysteps into more larger leaps into design. Something that the assembly lessons could learn from, as they start out fairly hefty, such as the "shooting space rats" mission. [*] Custom component factory allows you to make clean and robust architecture designs, abstracting most of the logic away from the actual architecture parts. [/list] [h3] The needs improvement: [/h3] [list] [*] the assembly language feature. The fact that keywords can only be allowed as byte values is unfathomably restrictive, resulting in a cumbersome assembly language like overture (cp_r0_r1) or a naturally bloated instruction size, with key bits resulting in multiple near identical assembly codes (ADD R0 R0 R1, ADD_EX1 1 R0 R2, ADD_EX2 R2 1 R5, ADD_EX12 0 2 R5, ect.) or worse some codes with empty terms (such as JUMP _ _ location) A simple fix would be to allow keywords to represent any number of bits, where labels could only be used when the current bit is byte aligned (may need special syntax for bit_constants as well). If the argument that "OVERTURE's" assembly could be greatly improved is not sufficient, it can also be used for more complex compact architectures: An example of a simple compact instruction architecture with this more expressive assembly encoding: ALU command { 00 [2:6 op code] [7:9 arg1] [10:12 arg2] [13:15 arg 3] }, could be written as "add r1 r1 r2", using 7, 3, 3, and 3 bits respectively Immediate command { 01000 [5:7 arg1] [8:15 signed/unsigned constant] }, could be written as i.e. "store r1 0x00ff", using 5, 3, and 8 bits respectively Jump command { 01 [2:4 nzp bits] [5:7 arg1] [8:15 addr. constant] }, could be written as "jump zp r0 LOOP_START" using 2, 3, 3, and 8 bits respectively This is the primary reason why I haven't attempted to play around with new designs in the game, as the want to make a compact 16b or 32b design would result in an unusable assembly language. [*] The rat invasion level seems in the wrong place, but that's a small complaint. Seems very early in the programming journey, esp. considering how easy all the other program examples are. [*] making clean angle lines and removing the connection points to make the design neat is great, but having to move the components to make space and all the lines getting redrawn/messed up is infuriating. [/list] [h3] The neutral: [/h3] [list] [*] overall great game, with great learning experiences, but it does greatly simplify a lot which makes it hard to recommend to people as more than just an introductory novelty. Here are some notable examples a. Programmable memory being ROM and RAM is not initializable. Separation of the RAM and STACK, instead of having stack as a subsection of RAM. STACK only being really used for function calls, not necessarily JSR or variable lookups. b. Program Counter (PC) and Clock are treated the same. This, for one, trivializes the effect of circuit delay, removing important concepts such as multi-cycle instructions, pipe-lining, and the importance of delay reduction through parallelization (I know there are some lessons on it, but they hold no impact on game-play) [*] I would've felt better if the game assisted throughout the entire process of LEG design. This is noticeable with the frequent community posts for the "CALL" and "RETURN" command lesson. I feel like this could be easily tested, by allowing users to type the assembly for each command with a prompt/interactive component: Write CALL command to location "foo": (Example: CALL_EX1 foo _ _) Write RETURN command: (Example: POP _ _ PC) Seems remiss to not have those pieces be tested considering: 1. how instrumental they are to programming and 2. how different they are structurally to different designs. [*] Division should've been hardware and not software. The wiring would've be fairly simple, could be reduced to 4 bits and 4 bits similar to multiplication [*] more programming lessons would've been welcome. Programming challenges to add incentives for more improvements to the LEG arch would've been nice. [/list] So, long story short. I enjoyed the game. The assembly feature in general could be improved significantly, and some of the core loop of designing components could be improved as well. EDIT: fixed formatting

Oh god... not assembly. Wait? I get to make my own assembly? 30hrs later, snake game! It teaches you so much and truly makes you think. This should be apart of any computer science major Curriculum. Nothing but great things to say.

This is something of a NEUTRAL review. I have no computer science background whatsoever. Not even basic coding. I do like the game a lot from an intellectual standpoint, as it helps to conceptualize how a computer actually works. The problem with the game, which has been pointed out by many reviewers already, is that the instructions are woefully incomplete, leading to unneeded confusion and difficulty. Right from the beginning, the game throws you right into the deep end. If you don't have never dealt with Boolean Algebra, then you better fire up a few Youtube videos and start watching for several hours, as there is nothing even close to an adequate tutorial or even instruction until AFTER you complete all those levels. I understand that the developers want you to figure this stuff out on your own beforehand, but you are thrown into the deep end right away with no mercy. A couple more sentences of explanation or maybe another level or two in between would have made a world of difference. When you get to the higher levels, the developers don't even try to help you out with new concepts. Don't know how assembly works? Well, that's too damn bad. Would it have been so hard to write the sentence "reminder: you have to load from from register one and two and add into register three" in the hints? At the moment I am stuck on Wire Spaghetti. Not only are the instructions even more obtuse than they were before, but even the walkthroughs online involve people making new components that are never hinted at n the game itself. Basically, if you are not a computer science major, you are going to have a hard time. I appreciate that I have learned the basics of how 0s and 1s output a program, but the developers have no respect for the time or patience of the average gamer, that probably has not taken any college level courses in engineering or computer science. Again, just a few lines of added instruction here and there would have made a world of difference, but they can't even be bothered to do that. I give this a very reluctant positive review, as it is a great tool for learning the basics of how this stuff works, but in all honestly, this is a very frustrating experience. I should not have to stare at Youtube walkthroughs to understand the basic goal of the stage (nevermind the solution).

This fun game teaches while you play. There are thousands of puzzle games out there but few that teach you the fundamentals of how circuits and logic work.

I enjoy this game. But it doesn't really teach you anything. As another reviewer said, it's the equivalent of throwing a child into a pool and expecting them to swim. If you have little knowledge of computer architecture don't expect to get very far in this game. You'll need other material to actually teach you. It does sound like the dev has a pretty huge 2.0 update in the works though, so this review might no longer apply once that's out.

Do you like logic gates? Do you like assembly? Do you want to do both at once? From scratch? If you answered "YES!!!1" to these questions, then hello fellow wierdo, do I have the game for you.

This game is insanely hard to navigate, the ui sucks, the levels don't teach new people, it expects you to have a great amount of knowledge already before playing and is HORRIBLE for people trying to learn this from the very lowest of roots. It feels unfinished (which it is after all these years still in early access) and there are massive logical leaps between puzzles with little teaching or actual help. This game is less a LEARNING CPU ARCHITECTURE and more a BRUSHING UP ON CPU ARCHITECTURE for those who already know it mostly, with a lot of the late game being the real meat of the game for people who can already in theory build an 16 bit computer. Terrible, messy and a massive disappointment. Don't come here expecting to learn anything. If I could refund this game I would, because its only use is really as a circuit simulator with terrible design all over the place. The Overwhelmingly Positive reviews sicken me, this game needs much more talk about what its selling to be which isnt and how terrible it fails at doing it.

I really like this game, how it starts out with super simple components and slowly combines and zooms out from logic gates to bits and bytes and ends up with actual working assembly code. This would have been amazing to help bridge the gap between my understanding of basic hardware and software in my early engineering days.

Great intro to basic digital design. The UI is a little awkward, and it's sometime difficult to find descriptions of components that you've forgotten, but the visuals and simulations are beautiful and the campaign is really fun. The alien abductor story line is cute as well. Some things I wish the game had: 1. Ability to customize embedding size, pin representation, icon, live view, etc of custom components, similar to what can be done with built-in components. 2. Ability to define custom assembly languages in a rich way, with args, modifiers (e.g., # for immediate values), etc., using regular expressions, a scripting language, or something akin to that. 3. Component dragging should drag connections by default. Dragging off connections should be the exception. 4. Clearer documentation of built-in components and some of the levels. 5. Ability to highlight and label regions of the the schematic 6. Ability to name/label components. 7. Ability to group inputs/outputs 8. Custom-width busses. 9. Better color-blind mode. Everything is.great except the wire color palette has many ambiguous colors. I'd be happy with the ability to customize the palette with RGB sliders, etc.

This game taught me more about how computers work at a fundamental level than my computer engineering degree.

This is a good game, but I only recommend if you have some previous experience in digital logic because the levels start to get challenging if you don't understand how you're supposed to complete them (especially for later levels). That being said, the earlier levels are a great introduction to digital logic and I highly recommend beginners to study them before moving on to the 'thinking' levels.

Great game for learning computer architecture.

The perfect game if you want to learn more about computer science on hardware level. You are literally given the task to make a computer from logic gates and the game gradually builds up on concepts and gives you tasks that get you closer and closer to making the working computer. Spoilers alert: You will make in total 2 different CPU architectures the first being completely thought out and you have to figure out how to put it together in parts. The second one the game leaves you more on your own and just tells you what the computer should be able to do and lets you build it from scratch. There is a whole sandbox mode which I haven't tried yet but at the end of the game (again spoilers) you will unlock 16/32/64 bit parts of what you have and also you will unlock crazy things like keyboard that reads your irl keyboard inputs, network card that does the same, monitor, sound maker, file reader that actually reads the bytes from your computer and you can install them on your simulated CPU. I will definitely try to make use of that in the sandbox mode. After the end of the game there is one more chapter with assembly challenges which I am currently starting to do where I assume you won't need to edit anything on your hardware unless you optionally want to add a new feature which you think would optimize your programs for the challenges. Overall incredible game with great user experience, progression, and simulator quallity. However I feel obligated to tell anyone who thinks about buying this game to first try out NAND game. It is a free browser game that has the same concept (although not to the same quallity but still great) but if you enjoy that game you will know that you'll enjoy this one.

The first few introductory levels are great, however later on the instructions become confusing and not clear. The difficulty gap jumps significantly after the first few levels with no smooth progression. Hints are far and few inbetween and I had to resort to using youtube to figure certain levels out. Example: "Logic Engine" requires specific number outputs but they only tell you the output must be "on" or "off". "Saving Bytes" requires a "load" output pin but doesn't explain why and just adds confusion. Most levels beyond the introduction don't have advice/hints/tips

A computer course disguised as a puzzle game. Covers a ton of topics, ranging from logic gates, adding bytes, and programming. Some puzzles also have multiple solutions. Very cool! Hints and a very helpful manual are provided, and each component provides a good description (including a diagram for ones with many inputs) so no need to go back if you forget something. The game's instructions are often unclear though

bro its like factorio for programmers or ppl who js wanna make logic circuits. its perfect it can do anything. you can even make real chips w it.

As a software engineer, I'm in love with this game! I got to learn many things already in the first few hours, and much more to come. It is a computer electronics master class disguised as a game and it works so freaking well!

Play a game where you learn more about computer architecture. Whats not to like?

The campaign is really fun to play, you get to go all the way from doing boolean logic puzzles using gates, all the way to doing all the actual pieces of the CPU. This alone would have made the game worthy. Then I went to the schematics hub, where people submit their own designs & architectures. Someone made a web server that actually works, you run the computer, open up like an actual browser, & it will serve you websites right then & there. Mind = blown

This game made a perfectly good user interface for jotting down circuits and then ruined it by making the instructions for every level utterly incomprehensible. The puzzle is not the circuits, its the lack of actual detail about what you're supposed to do. 70% of the work is reverse engineering what they actually want you to output.

It's only a game to people who know assembly language and circuits... otherwise it's only a lesson on those topics to people willing to spend all their time Googling those topics because you won't find the answers anywhere in this game. But as a slightly autistic geek about code in general and an admirer of colorful lines, this is awesome. I wrote a lengthy negative review for this, then kept playing, and one by one my criticisms proved to be more my ignorance than the game's shortcomings. You need near college level skills to get started with this and it does not hold your hand. Google will be the friend of most for this game... but if you stick with it, it's incredibly rewarding. Rarely have I felt the kind of satisfaction that achievement in this game provides.

Computer Organization and Architecture - Intro & Labs

Great way to learn about computer architecture and logic

Super fun and educational.

numbs my mind, thank you. if i ever have children i will have them play this on our family's home computer in the living room for they don't end up retarded.

Awesome game perfect for learning while being enjoyable

So fun and informative!

I always wanted to understand more about computers architecture and how it works. I've been working in tech for the past 4 years by now. I don't come from a computer-centric grad school and I really think this game made me question my life choices b/c of that. TL-TD Buy this game if you want your life changed. I feel more competent as a professional, more critic as a consumer and more inspired by all the minds that made computers possible.

Great game learning a lot which helps solidify my knowledge on cpus

ngl i had a lot of fun with this game get it if you're into computer science and/or puzzles

Really enjoyable and just right in the level of difficulty where you don't want to look things up, but work through them logically.

best circuit simulator game ever made

I was surprised how well I handled these puzzles even though I didn't touch any of that material for about 20 years :D I studied electrical engineering back in 2005 (I work as a software engineer mostly "high" level C/C++). One cool thing I would add is a transistor layer challanges one layer prior to the logic gates layer.

I love coming home from work just so I can do the same thing all over again 10/10

this is a really good game. And quite a challenge. Best game.

This is a fun game. It's frustrating in a good way.

I love games that make me work, but not this one, this just feels like homework. I don't know what to say.

ITS SO PEAK. BEST HARDCORE PUZZLE GAME IN EXISTENCE

The game is more useful than my college programming course

Cute and funny anime rpg game

Gives brain happy chemicals

Way higher quality than the screenshots suggest.

Very good game, made me think in binary.

Computers are cool

Absolutely amazing :)

Nice game for learning how a cpu works.

fun

Good

interesting

Very fun and a good learning tool.