Pros
- You will get a good idea about how low level programming (Assembler) works if you miss 90% of instructions.
- Seeing optimization in action show several important facts about code optimization. ( e.g. that its there is a lot of things that you can optimize in your code - number of instructions, number of cycles, readability, ... ). And that it is hard / impossible and time consuming to optimize every aspect of code.
- It will really make you appreciate high level programing.
Cons
- Its more fun to do some real programming.
Conclusion:
Not for everyone. Not about programming but scripting with small library of instructions.
If you want to play programming simulation shenzhen_io may be more interesting.
I'm a professional programmer with reasonable experience of low-level programming and I love this game. It finds a balance where it is easy enough for the kids to learn how a computer really works in an entertaining way and still challenging enough for me to complete all the optimizations and get full marks. The setting and corporate humor is also nice.
There are minor things I don't like, for example you can SUB a character and a number without issues, but if you then try to ADD to get back the original value it fails with a message about mixing data types, but no game is perfect.
I've tested it on Windows and Mac and both work without problems.
I just finished every puzzles but still need to optimize some. This is a great programming game with just two flaws: the programming interface and no sandbox mode.
The programming interface has you picking and moving instructions with the mouse which is mostly fine, the thing is it ignores the keyboard completely, you can put comments in your code or label floor tiles (memory) but you have to draw what you want in them with the mouse, you cannot type it in.
Another flaw is that complex program can be hard to follow because of the way the jump instructions are implemented: a line from the instruction to the destination. It's fine if you only have a few of jumps that do not cross eachother much but it can rapidly become a confusing mess. Liberal use of comments help (except for having to mousewrite them) but I wish the lines could be color coded and that we could decide on which side of the code to put each of them.
The absence of a sandbox mode is just a tiny flaw, and the game would have gotten 5 stars from me if it was the only issue. I think any programmer can write their own HRM emulator if they want to.
I enjoyed playing HRM very much and will now endeavour to optimize all my solutions that aren't yet.
This is a great little puzzle game for programmers or non-programmers alike. As others mentioned, the commands are few and fairly simple, but I found that this added to the optimization challenges. I was a COBOL programmer for many years, and this game reminds me of how useful paragraphs and performs can be - 'cuz you can't use them here (at least I haven't seen that option yet, and I'm 2/3 of the way through the game), and you end up with a big pile of 'spaghetti code'. I personally find the presentation friendly and delightful, and I would imagine that it would be a good introduction to coding for anyone curious about programming. Fun and engaging.
Graphics: 55%
I'm not a fan of Tomorrow corps athletic at all. I can see why some people really like it, but it really only clicked for me in World of Goo. It definitely conveys the themes they are trying to get across so I will give them that, but it's so dreary, depressing, and unsettlingly that I just can't get past it. It is the main reason I can't get into their games anymore.
Sound: 35%
Very light background music, one main jingle that I honestly couldn't tell apart from any other Tomorrow Corp game. It's a far cry from the World of Goo soundtrack...
Gameplay: 75%
This game is glorified Assembler challenges with a Tomorrow Corp coat of paint. That's not a bad thing, in fact, this is more fun and accessible then opening a programming book any day. If you've ever wondered about programming (at a very low level) or the limitations of all computers, give this game a whirl and you'll be shocked that we get anything done at all.
Control: 75%
The core is drag and drop programming, with an animated execution process. It makes it pretty simple so for those who don't want to keep a bunch of commands in their heads. I do like that the comments you can leave and variable names are sloppy and terrible because you have to write them out with the mouse. It's a nice touch.
Story: 80%
What's there is pretty fun. It's very light but gets its message across as always. If you're technically inclined you probably already know the message and laugh.
Overall: 60%
I had fun with it, even for a puzzle game I didn't get really that frustrated with it, although I suspect that has to do with my background in the subject matter. It's a very good game if your interestest in really understanding what's going on inside a computer, but the aesthetic just really drowns out most enjoyment I could really get from it.
