Exapunks

[Tavar]

So, I'm late to this party as the game was released in 2019, but I've been playing it for two days now and having a blast so what the hell. Exapunks is a puzzle / visual novel mix where the main game mechanic is basically pseudo assembler programming. The game is set in 1997, you are an (ex)hacker who has contacted a deadly illness: The Phage. Your only hope is an experimental drug which cost 700$ a dose. So, you make a deal with a mysterious AI: One hack, one dose. The game is very minimalistic. You pick the a mission from the main screen which looks like this:

And solve the hacking puzzles in a dedicated screen which looks like this:

Here we are hacking a road sign to display subversive messages. Obviously, the game is very niche, but I'd strongly recommend it to anyone with a fondness for low level programming. If you have never programmed anything in your life, you'll probably struggle quite a bit as there is very little hand holding in the game. So, who else has tried the game and how did you like it?

 

[Catacombs]

Obviously, the game is very niche, but I'd strongly recommend it to anyone with a fondness for low level programming.

This and TIS-100

 

[Red Hexapus]

This and TIS-100

And literally every other game from Zachtronics. If someone wants to get into these game Opus Magnum is the most accessible of the bunch (I guess Infinifactory too).

 

[Tavar]

Oh and I forgot to mention that the soundtrack is great as well. Perfect programming music.

 

[procrastinator]

Obviously, the game is very niche, but I'd strongly recommend it to anyone with a fondness for low level programming.

Anyone got recommendations for programming-like puzzles that are NOT about low-level imperative programming?

while True: learn() would be an example, but that one feels unpolished compared to Zachtronics titles.

 

[Catacombs]

Anyone got recommendations for programming-like puzzles that are NOT about low-level imperative programming?

Quadrilateral Cowboy has SOME programming that wasn't low level.

 

[Bester]

Anyone got recommendations for programming-like puzzles that are NOT about low-level imperative programming?

https://ohmygit.org/

(haven't played it)

 

[HansDampf]

Neat game but I got bored after a few levels. TIS-100 and Shenzhen I/O are both better, imo.

 

[Tavar]

Obviously, the game is very niche, but I'd strongly recommend it to anyone with a fondness for low level programming.

Anyone got recommendations for programming-like puzzles that are NOT about low-level imperative programming?

while True: learn() would be an example, but that one feels unpolished compared to Zachtronics titles.

Sadly, I don't know any. I think Exapunks uses pseudoassembler to limit the possible actions of the players. A high level language is much more powerful which makes designing a game around it much harder. Maybe some functional language could work, though.