A=B

About

"A=B" is a programming puzzle game featuring a single instruction: "A=B," or replacing A with B. Players solve various problems using this minimal language, from converting letters to uppercase to multiplying binary numbers. The game encourages players to complete challenges in the fewest lines possible and includes a built-in minigame, offering a unique and engaging experience for both casual and experienced gamers.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 336 reviews

story12 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and challenging puzzle experience that encourages creative problem-solving using a minimalist programming language.
It features a humorous storyline and engaging mechanics that gradually introduce new concepts, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate programming games.
The puzzles are well-designed and provide a satisfying sense of accomplishment when solved, especially for those with a background in programming.

The game's instructions and level descriptions are often unclear and poorly translated, leading to confusion and frustration for players.
There are significant interface issues, including bugs in the code editor and a lack of debugging tools, which hinder the overall experience.
The game can be excessively difficult, especially in later levels, and may require external guides to progress, which detracts from the intended challenge.

story
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
53%
9%
The game's story is described as simple and silly, yet charming, with a light humorous tone that complements the puzzle mechanics. While the plot is minimal and at times messy in its execution, it gradually unfolds through gameplay, adding an engaging layer to the programming challenges. Overall, the narrative is entertaining and thematically appropriate, though some players may struggle to fully appreciate it if they don't progress far enough.
- “An extremely fun and engaging puzzle game that slowly introduces mechanics in a fun way with a good comedic story behind the code you are using to solve the puzzles.”
- “The backstory adds an interesting twist to the whole progression of puzzles.”
- “The conversations are funny and the plot is excellent.”
- “The plot is extremely silly and barely exists, but it's got a certain charm to it.”
- “My only criticism is that some of the English writing is a bit messy and hard to understand, which is important for this game's subject matter (and also because it's the only way the setting/story is conveyed).”
- “I enjoy programming puzzles and games like Human Resource Machine which actually feel like programming in basic languages, but this game feels less like a game and more like the actual classwork its story is portrayed as.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by light-hearted, clever dialogue and an engaging storyline, often featuring a comedic dynamic between a professor and a quirky student. While it may appeal primarily to programmers, the witty exchanges and humorous context enhance the overall experience, making the educational elements enjoyable. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with its programming puzzles, resulting in a delightful and entertaining narrative.
- “Funny little game that may only be fun to programmers, but for me it was really quite something.”
- “Extremely clever programming puzzle with a very funny story.”
- “The conversations are funny and the plot is excellent.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The gameplay is described as extremely fun and engaging, with a comedic story that enhances the puzzle-solving experience. However, some players find the core mechanics unenjoyable, and there are occasional editor bugs that can disrupt the coding process, though these do not significantly impact overall gameplay. The game introduces mechanics gradually, maintaining a balance that stays true to its original concept.
- “An extremely fun and engaging puzzle game that slowly introduces mechanics in a fun way with a good comedic story behind the code you are using to solve the puzzles.”
- “The fiction built around the gameplay is entertaining.”
- “The only problem I had was editor bugs: sometimes characters are inserted not at cursor position, undo can delete the whole page of code and redo won't bring it back; but that's pretty rare and doesn't affect the gameplay.”
- “However, you should be aware that the game doesn't strictly stick to having a=b be the only instruction - but so far the extra mechanics seem scaled back enough that it's still true to the spirit of the idea.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The graphics of the game are described as minimalistic and stripped-down, prioritizing gameplay over visual appeal. While some users appreciate the retro aesthetic, there are calls for basic improvements, such as using a monospace font for better readability in coding elements. Overall, the focus remains on puzzle-solving rather than graphical sophistication.
- “My favorite coding/automation game is TIS-100, with the reduced instruction set, nice retro visuals, clever solutions.”
- “I may not need fancy graphics, but at least use a monospace font for the code so I can differentiate between capital 'O' and digit '0'.”
- “Gameplay over graphics (none).”
- “[*] any sound or artwork.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
49%
38%
The game's optimization is criticized for lacking multiple challenges and leaderboards, leading to frustration among players. Many find the performance slow and unoptimized, particularly in later levels, with some expressing confusion over how others achieved optimization milestones so quickly. Additionally, issues such as poor presentation, unclear instructions, and interface bugs further detract from the overall experience.
- “[*] multiple optimization metrics.”
- “Even though I figured out the solutions to every level independently, I still have no idea how some people managed to accomplish all optimization achievements in 3.9 hours; that is incredibly fast!”
- “It's everything I hate about experimental games: low quality in presentation and interface; intentionally obtuse; slow and unoptimized (even running optimal code takes way too long in later levels); it even has a few extra problems, like bad English, bad writing, interface bugs (when using keyboard keys like home and end), and unclear instructions.”
- “What it doesn't have is multiple optimization challenges (shortest run time, maximum input length), and leaderboards.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game features no music or sound, contributing to a minimalistic 1980s aesthetic that may not appeal to all players. While some may find enjoyment in solving programming puzzles, the lack of audio elements detracts from the overall experience for others.
- “Game has no music, and it's not fun to me personally.”
- “It's definitely a niche experience that isn't going to appeal to everyone - it has a very basic 1980s minimalistic computer programming presentation to it with no sound or music - but if the idea of solving programming puzzles with simple computer code sounds like fun, then this is the game for you.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a subtle blend of mystery and self-awareness, with the plot hinting at deeper themes while maintaining a playful tone. Despite its minimalistic approach, it effectively engages players with a sense of intrigue.
- “The plot even manages to carry a bit of atmosphere and mystery, as minimal as it is; a=b is mostly winking at the camera and saying, 'Ain't I a stinker for building a game like this?'”
- “The plot even manages to carry a bit of atmosphere and mystery, as minimal as it is; a=b is mostly winking at the camera and saying 'ain't I a stinker for building a game like this?'”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the code editor is criticized for being buggy, with users frequently reporting issues such as the cursor getting stuck away from the text. This recurring problem suggests a need for significant improvements in the software's reliability.
- “The code editor is buggy; the cursor often gets stuck far away from the text.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players highlight the significant replayability of the game, primarily due to the abundance of fan-made challenges available on the workshop, which provide fresh content and experiences beyond the base game.
- “There's also quite a lot of additional fan-made challenges on the workshop, which definitely adds a lot of replay value to the game.”

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A=B
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