EXAPUNKS

microplastics if they were awesome

At first, when the hints started running out, I wanted to quit the game, but now I've almost finished it and I think I'm hooked. Well, time is short, so I'm off to learn how to write in assembly and machine code.😢

Too much of this game is unexplained. Great concept, terrible execution.

写汇编伪代码真好玩嘿

Good programming game

The acme of engineering game design. Peak storytelling and engaging gameplay.

my head hurts zach

Do you like other Zachatronics games??? WELL, YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO LIKE THIS ONE, TOO - WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??????????????????????

Классная игра , но мало миссиий.

Ahmmmmmmm... Well, sure, Exapunks is great, it's a Zachtronics game based on the classic formula, yes, and it's mostly well executed, but... I dunno, it feels like the game just wants to trip itself up at times. The basic concept is great and easily different enough from TIS-100 and Shenzhen IO to merit a separate game, most of the puzzles are good to great, and the optimization challenges are as addictive as ever. The presentation is also stylish, simple but pleasing, and the interface doesn't get in the way of the user... too often. So what am I moaning about? Small things really, but small things that keep coming back throughout the game. The manual paper / PDF manual was pushing it a bit in Shenzhen IO but it worked, the fanzines here... two separate documents, non-searchable titles... just painful, to be honest. Then, what happened to in-editor undo? Then, the limitation on # of lines and on activity - completely artificial and just annoying. Sure set some limit so that people don't explode 100-iteration loops to save a few cycles, but the 150-line limits on the late puzzles feel simply annoying for the sake of being annoying, especially combined with unnecessary-feeling twists like needing to move data pairs, etc. Also, a few specific positives - despite the above, I really like the game, and spent 60+ hours that were mostly fun and rewarding. The parallel agent-based approach is superb, and offers many interesting avenues of solution while requires you to think differently than in any other Zachtronics game. The Activity challenges are quite interesting sometimes, and they are something that really fit the theme of the game - be as sneaky as possibly, right? And finally, the ending was fun :) Putting all this together, of course the score of the game is massively positive - most probably I was spoiled by the perfection of Spacechem and Shenzhen IO :D