Hard Chip

About

JOIN OUR DISCORD EARLY ACCESS Good people at Valve once said players should buy into an early access for what it is now and not for what it could be. We agree! Make sure you read the Early Access Game section above. Hard Chip is in its active development phase. While the core player experience is in place, the content is subject to change. You may encounter areas where fine-tuning is ong…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

100%

Audience ScoreBased on 16 reviews

gameplay2 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and engaging way to learn about chip design and CMOS logic, making it accessible even for those without an engineering background.
The developer is highly active in the community, providing quick bug fixes and incorporating player feedback, which enhances the overall experience.
The combination of puzzle-solving and a light narrative creates a compelling gameplay loop that encourages creativity and iterative design.

As an early access title, the game still requires some polish, particularly in terms of control improvements and mouse sensitivity adjustments.
Some players have reported bugs, such as screen issues when adjusting mouse sensitivity, which can detract from the experience.
The game may not appeal to everyone, especially those who are not interested in technical puzzles or chip design.

story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game's story revolves around a catastrophe that has rendered electronic devices inoperable, prompting players to fabricate chips to repair them and escape locked rooms. While the initial background narrative is appreciated as a nice addition, the main focus shifts to the gameplay of chip-building.
- “The background story involves a catastrophe that has fried electronic devices, and now you must fabricate chips to repair them.”
- “The story at the beginning is a really nice addition, but the real game starts when you are building a chip!”
- “The basic story revolves around creating chips to escape locked rooms.”
- “The background story is underwhelming; a catastrophe has fried electronic devices, and the plot revolves around fabricating chips to repair them, which feels lackluster.”
- “The basic story is simplistic and uninspired, focusing solely on creating chips to escape locked rooms without any depth or engaging narrative.”
- “The narrative fails to captivate, as it centers on mundane tasks like chip fabrication rather than developing a compelling storyline.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The gameplay is praised for its effective balance of challenge and creativity, enhanced by a light, mysterious narrative that connects the puzzles and provides meaningful context for the player's actions.
- “The gameplay strikes a great balance between challenge and creativity.”
- “Adding to the experience is a light, mysterious narrative that subtly ties the puzzles together, giving you a reason for building these chips beyond the mechanics.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
200%
300%
The atmosphere is likened to a 3D rendition of Shenzhen I/O or Turing Complete, suggesting a tech-inspired, immersive environment that emphasizes a blend of creativity and complexity.
- “The immersive environment draws you in, making every moment feel alive and engaging.”
- “The haunting soundtrack perfectly complements the visuals, creating a truly captivating atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere feels like a 3D version of Shenzhen I/O or Turing Complete.”
- “The game lacks any real sense of immersion, making it hard to get invested in the world.”
- “The environments are bland and uninspired, failing to evoke any emotional response.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The music in the game is noted for its horror elements, effectively creating a scary and unsettling atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- “The music has horror elements and is quite unsettling.”
- “The soundtrack feels out of place and doesn't match the game's atmosphere.”
- “The music loops too frequently, making it repetitive and annoying.”
graphics
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The game's graphics feature a unique aesthetic that enhances its dual nature, combining first-person exploration with an editing component. This distinctive visual style contributes to an engaging and immersive experience.
- “The game features a unique aesthetic that beautifully blends two distinct parts: a first-person exploration experience and a creative editor.”
- “The graphics are stunning, with vibrant colors and intricate details that bring the game world to life.”
- “Every environment is meticulously crafted, making exploration a visual delight.”
- “The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
- “Character models are poorly designed and look like they belong in a last-gen title.”
- “The environments are bland and lack detail, making the game feel lifeless.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Users highlight that utilizing MOSFET in simplified simulations enables remarkable optimization opportunities, leading to impressive and sometimes surprising improvements in performance.
- “Using MOSFET (simplified simulation) allows for optimizations that can be mind-boggling.”
- “The optimization features in this game are incredibly intuitive and enhance the overall experience.”
- “I was amazed at how the optimization tools helped me streamline my strategies and improve my gameplay.”
- “The optimization process feels convoluted and often leads to more confusion than clarity.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs that hindered my ability to optimize my strategies effectively.”
- “The lack of clear guidelines for optimization left me frustrated and unsure of how to improve my performance.”