JOY OF PROGRAMMING - Software Engineering Simulator | Game Brain

JOY OF PROGRAMMING - Software Engineering Simulator Game Cover

About

JOY OF PROGRAMMING - Software Engineering Simulator is a 3D programming puzzle game that allows players to automate and control robots, drones, and other machinery using Python code. Players can solve coding challenges, progress to unlock new features, and improve their programming skills. This game is not for the casual player and requires a basic understanding of programming.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

JOY OF PROGRAMMING - Software Engineering Simulator screenshot

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 224 reviews

optimization3 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game provides a fun and engaging way to practice and improve Python programming skills, especially for those with some prior knowledge.
It features a variety of unique challenges that encourage critical thinking and problem-solving, making it a rewarding experience.
The developer actively updates the game and provides helpful video tutorials, enhancing the learning experience for players.

The game has a steep learning curve and is not suitable for complete beginners, as it lacks comprehensive tutorials on basic programming concepts.
Many players have reported bugs and performance issues that hinder gameplay, making it frustrating at times.
The user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, complicating the coding experience and detracting from the overall enjoyment.

graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
64%
21%
The game's graphics are noted for their realistic art style, though they lack the polish typically associated with a dedicated design team. Players express a desire for more graphics settings and customization options, while some find the current aesthetic to be somewhat rough and masculine, suggesting that a more appealing design could attract a broader audience. Overall, the visuals provide a satisfying experience, particularly in the context of its sandbox environment.
- “The art style and set-up embraces and pushes a feel of realism.”
- “Its like grinding leetcode, but with visuals which leaves you satisfied when you see everything automated in a sandbox environment.”
- “As for the graphics of the game, it doesn't have a team of graphic designers behind it.”
- “I really want more graphics settings and the option to set a custom resolution.”
- “But the graphics and letter types are quite manly and rough, so as an ordinary man I have no complaints, but I guess a more cute design could be helpful to draw girls to play this game.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs that can make challenges frustratingly impossible to complete. While some players appreciate the innovative programming elements, many find the controls unintuitive and the user interface obstructive, leading to an overall experience that feels awkward and unstable.
- “That being said, there were some terribly frustrating challenges early on that were buggy to the point that they were impossible to complete as designed, involving the rangefinders.”
- “Unfortunately, the UI gets in its own way a lot, and the game is pretty buggy and awkward at times.”
- “This game is just way too buggy and hard.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The gameplay features unique mechanics that may take some time to master, but they subtly teach valuable programming concepts, such as binary search algorithms. While some players may not favor certain mechanics, many find the overall experience enjoyable and engaging, with quirky elements enhancing exploration.
- “I'm still pretty early in at the time of this writing but I am already loving the mechanics so far!”
- “And this is actually teaching you, without you necessarily realizing it, the mechanics of how to program a binary search algorithm, a valuable skill for a budding programmer to know.”
- “Takes some time to get used to its mechanics.”
- “I'm not really a fan of that mechanic; however, so far I've been able to unlock whatever I need to beat the current level.”
- “Oddly enough, these tight doorways haven't affected gameplay significantly, only adding a quirky touch when exploring the house.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and boring, comparing it to the repetitive nature of solving LeetCode problems. However, the visual elements and the satisfaction of seeing automation in a sandbox environment provide a sense of accomplishment.
- “This was boring and tedious.”
- “It's like grinding LeetCode, but with visuals, which leaves you satisfied when you see everything automated in a sandbox environment.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The optimization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with a strong emphasis on minimizing code for leaderboard rankings. However, players have reported intermittent bugs, such as optional challenges failing and unreachable easter eggs, alongside performance issues in certain levels, particularly due to unnecessary assets affecting gameplay.
- “The leaderboard is completely focused on optimizations, encouraging players to refine their code to the barest essentials.”
- “The emphasis on optimization in the game pushes players to think critically about their coding strategies and efficiency.”
- “Optimizing your code not only enhances performance but also adds a layer of challenge that keeps the gameplay engaging.”
- “The bad news is the leaderboard is completely focused on 'optimizations', or whittling your code down to the barest of bones.”
- “Out of the downsides, there are some intermittent bugs, like optional challenges randomly failing without any triggers sometimes (fixable by restarting the level), easter eggs not being reachable sometimes, as well as poor performance on some levels (seriously, you gotta remove all of those stock assets hiding in the shooting range, they are just useless geometry and draw calls).”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story is criticized for its repetitive nature, as players find themselves repeatedly starting the game within the game, which detracts from the overall narrative experience.
- “The only point of storytelling seems to be that I have to start the game inside the game again.”
- “The only point of storytelling seems to be that I have to start the game inside the game again.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers exceptional replayability through features like leaderboards, weekly challenges, and a workshop for custom levels, making the experience nearly limitless.
- “With leaderboards, weekly challenges, and a workshop for custom levels, the replayability is practically infinite.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as interactive and engaging, contributing to a somewhat funny and interesting experience for players.
- “It feels quite interactive, so somewhat funny and interesting.”