[b]knotbot[/b] is something out of my comfort zone, the last programming 'game' I played was [b]logo[/b] decades ago. here you're playing as knop, a blue who-knows-what collecting buttons for whatever reason and also killing things with a sword, picking apples or finding his way out of mazes.
commands or nodes have to be put on the left and will be acted out on the right. they're unlocked as you progress through the game, sometimes their numbers are limited and include moving a tile, stabbing, the observer (if/then, checks if there's something in a direction and does something if there is and something else if there isn't), the hand (pick up and put down objects) and the spindle (rotates every node on the board).
nodes have to be put one below the other, but the button (starting point) can be moved, so it doesn't have to be the middle column. right click rotates and the yarnball can connect them wherever they are, or have a sequence repeat. to make things less confusing, right click changes yarn color. after setting everything up, hit the play button to see what you've done. there's a speed slider and a pause button, and the trashcan in the top left resets the level after clicking it twice, just to be sure.
there are [b]28+1 levels[/b] in four zones, some branching in the world map, and socks for knop's invisible legs can be collected by not exceeding the move limit on levels after the tutorial, but they do absolutely nothing. [b]individual level progress isn't saved if you go back to the map[/b] (they're mostly short, there is only one with 3 tasks that have to be done in one go), but [b]solved levels keep their solutions[/b], which is nice if you want to check them again later, though yarn colors get reset. there are also levels that get randomized every time you press play, so don't just think of a solution for the maze currently visible on the right, for instance, but any possible configuration.
there are [b]a few more small annoyances[/b], but nothing major. gibberish voices never cease to be annoying, provided here at the beginning of every level and if you ask the tutorial guy how something works. and since there are only 6 items to work with, they could be a bit smaller in the inventory to fit in one row, less finicky. and there is absolutely no need for all of them to be on the world map around the character wherever he goes, covering everything. speaking of the map, brown hexagons reveal items and mechanics after completing the level before them and knop moves to the next level immediately, which doesn't get unlocked until you click the hexagon to claim the item. could be automatic or handled better somehow.
very cute graphics and fitting but not annoying music, resolution options, windowed mode, separate volume settings are available both from the main menu and while playing a level, as it should be, but a slightly bigger issue is that [b]there is absolutely no narrative[/b]. seeing how this has to be targeted mostly at kids, it's a missed opportunity. a few cartoony cutscenes and something at the end would've gone a long way, right now it's a bit anticlimactic and I wouldn't have minded learning more about the world and the characters. maybe we'll see them in another game sometime.
it's not an overly difficult or long game if you have any affinity for such things (I don't, had to look up an embarrassing amount of stuff), so [b]should be a good entry-level programming game, but only on sale[/b], as it's a tad overpriced for what it has to offer. if it had a level editor and workshop support, it'd ensure longevity, provided it gets noticed among all the games released these days.
