SpaceChem developer Zachtronics is out with a new game where you're tasked with fixing corrupt code to uncover the secrets of the mysterious TIS-100 hardware unit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkUHGvy2pNU
I only dabbled in assembly language programming in university, but to me TIS-100 feels like an honest and entertaining approach to gamifying the process of writing assembly language code to solve a set of interesting problems. The game ships with an accompanying reference manual in pdf format, which is required reading to learn the flavor of assembly language you need to solve the puzzles. The manual looks like an authentic photocopy, and gives a few hints at what the TIS-100 might have been used for. You'll also find messages from the previous programmer in form of comments in the debugger the game takes place in.
TIS-100 was released in Early Access for Windows early last week, but was made available for Linux and OS X a few days later. The developer considers the game to be largely complete, but want to use Early Access to polish the game based on player feedback. I have played through 5 levels so far and haven't noticed any technical issues. There's no menu or proper fullscreen, but that is probably a design decision to make the game feel more like an actual graphical debugger.
Fans of SpaceChem should feel right at home with TIS-100, as the games have a similar feel and structure. TIS-100 feels a bit more free-form though, in that you have to manually write instructions in a set of nodes, and determine how and when to pass values between them. You're free to choose from about a dozen instructions to solve a problem, including ones for accessing both registers, performing basic arithmetics, and creating loops, labels and conditionals. Like in SpaceChem, you also get to see how players on your Steam friend list perform, and your cycle, node and instuction counts are compared to theirs.
About the game (from Steam)
TIS-100 is an open-ended programming game by Zachtronics, the creators of SpaceChem and Infinifactory, in which you rewrite corrupted code segments to repair the TIS-100 and unlock its secrets. It’s the assembly language programming game you never asked for!
The Tessellated Intelligence Systems TIS-100 is a massively parallel computer architecture comprised of non-uniformly interconnected heterogeneous nodes. The TIS-100 is ideal for applications requiring complex data stream processing, such as automated financial trading, bulk data collection, and civilian behavioral analysis.
Despite its appearances, TIS-100 is a game!
You can buy TIS-100 on Steam, where it's 10% off for a few more hours.
] Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkUHGvy2pNU
I only dabbled in assembly language programming in university, but to me TIS-100 feels like an honest and entertaining approach to gamifying the process of writing assembly language code to solve a set of interesting problems. The game ships with an accompanying reference manual in pdf format, which is required reading to learn the flavor of assembly language you need to solve the puzzles. The manual looks like an authentic photocopy, and gives a few hints at what the TIS-100 might have been used for. You'll also find messages from the previous programmer in form of comments in the debugger the game takes place in.
TIS-100 was released in Early Access for Windows early last week, but was made available for Linux and OS X a few days later. The developer considers the game to be largely complete, but want to use Early Access to polish the game based on player feedback. I have played through 5 levels so far and haven't noticed any technical issues. There's no menu or proper fullscreen, but that is probably a design decision to make the game feel more like an actual graphical debugger.
Fans of SpaceChem should feel right at home with TIS-100, as the games have a similar feel and structure. TIS-100 feels a bit more free-form though, in that you have to manually write instructions in a set of nodes, and determine how and when to pass values between them. You're free to choose from about a dozen instructions to solve a problem, including ones for accessing both registers, performing basic arithmetics, and creating loops, labels and conditionals. Like in SpaceChem, you also get to see how players on your Steam friend list perform, and your cycle, node and instuction counts are compared to theirs.
About the game (from Steam)
TIS-100 is an open-ended programming game by Zachtronics, the creators of SpaceChem and Infinifactory, in which you rewrite corrupted code segments to repair the TIS-100 and unlock its secrets. It’s the assembly language programming game you never asked for!
The Tessellated Intelligence Systems TIS-100 is a massively parallel computer architecture comprised of non-uniformly interconnected heterogeneous nodes. The TIS-100 is ideal for applications requiring complex data stream processing, such as automated financial trading, bulk data collection, and civilian behavioral analysis.
Despite its appearances, TIS-100 is a game!
- Print and explore the TIS-100 reference manual, which details the inner-workings of the TIS-100 while evoking the aesthetics of a 1980’s computer manual!
- Solve more than 20 puzzles, competing against your friends and the world to minimize your cycle, instruction, and node counts.
- Design your own challenges in the TIS-100’s 3 sandboxes, including a “visual console” that lets you create your own games within the game!
- Uncover the mysteries of the TIS-100... who created it, and for what purpose?
You can buy TIS-100 on Steam, where it's 10% off for a few more hours.
] Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
0 Likes
Some you may have missed, popular articles from the last month:
The comments on this article are closed.
9 comments
This game is a true gem!
So it's available on Linux now?
I thought that it'll take them way longer ("later that year").
Let's hope it supports cross-platform cloud saves properly.
I don't want to start all over again.
So it's available on Linux now?
I thought that it'll take them way longer ("later that year").
Let's hope it supports cross-platform cloud saves properly.
I don't want to start all over again.
1 Likes, Who?
Interesting find!
"It’s the assembly language programming game you never asked for!" - Their sales pitch
I must be that one guy that disagrees then. :) I wish I had those type of games as a teenager. Even with the mixed reception from Hack 'n Slash, I would have bought that when my interest was peaking in programming. I think it's when education type games try to impose a too formal instructor-like approach that turns people off, ultimately.
"It’s the assembly language programming game you never asked for!" - Their sales pitch
I must be that one guy that disagrees then. :) I wish I had those type of games as a teenager. Even with the mixed reception from Hack 'n Slash, I would have bought that when my interest was peaking in programming. I think it's when education type games try to impose a too formal instructor-like approach that turns people off, ultimately.
0 Likes
Yeah, I've been playing it on Linux. Infinifactory took them much longer to get on Linux, and I kind of forgot about it/lost interest by the time it was released. (I'm not sure if we even covered its Linux release on GOL?)
0 Likes
I'm a huge fan of Spacechem and Infinifactory, so we I discovered that they had a new game and it was on linux, it was an instant buy. And, as expected, the game is awesome.
0 Likes
I'm loving this game. Trying to get the most efficient code for each segment is a really nice challenge.
0 Likes
Nope. *sigh*
Saves are not usable across platforms.
Not sure this game uses cloud saves at all.
That's one of the very few things I'd consider great if Valve would ENFORCE
using the cloud saves API... AND making the saves work on all platforms on which the game is available.
Saves are not usable across platforms.
Not sure this game uses cloud saves at all.
That's one of the very few things I'd consider great if Valve would ENFORCE
using the cloud saves API... AND making the saves work on all platforms on which the game is available.
0 Likes
oldrocker99 Jun 9, 2015
Bought it, eager to try it out. It doesn't run on my crappy lappy. So, as I once again am due for Yet Another Motherboard :><: , I will just have to wait. Interestingly, Labors of Hercules, which is pretty graphics-intensive, runs like a champ.
I have about a dozen games waiting to be installed when I do have a working desktop :'( .
I have about a dozen games waiting to be installed when I do have a working desktop :'( .
0 Likes
Patreon
PayPal
I run the Hidden Linux Gems group on Steam, where we highlight good indie games for Linux that we feel deserve more attention.
See more from me