Turing Complete
- October 2, 2021
- LevelHead
- 8h median play time
Get on SteamTuring Complete is a challenging puzzle-platformer game where players control a small bug-like machine. The game features over 50 levels, each requiring you to reprogram the machine's abilities to solve complex puzzles. With its unique gameplay mechanics, Turing Complete offers a fresh take on the puzzle genre, perfect for players who enjoy problem-solving and programming concepts.
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Reviews
- The game provides a fun and engaging way to learn about computer architecture, starting from basic logic gates and building up to a fully functional computer.
- Players appreciate the sense of accomplishment that comes from solving complex puzzles and creating their own components.
- The game encourages experimentation and creativity, allowing players to design their own CPU architecture and assembly language.
- The game can be challenging for beginners, as it often lacks clear instructions and requires prior knowledge of logic gates and computer science concepts.
- Some players have reported bugs and crashes, particularly when moving components or during certain interactions, which can disrupt the gameplay experience.
- The user interface can feel clunky and unintuitive at times, making it difficult to manage wires and components effectively.
- story46 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and often serves as humorous background rather than a central focus, with players describing it as quirky and charming, albeit somewhat inconsistent. While some find the narrative engaging and fun, others view it as merely "fluff" that can be easily ignored in favor of the puzzle mechanics. Overall, the story adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay, but it is not a significant draw for those seeking a deep narrative experience.
“The environment is friendly, the minimal storyline is fun and unobtrusive, and the puzzles are challenging.”
“The abduction story is charming and humorous.”
“The (minimal) story is also fun and funny, and the presentation is well done.”
“The 'story' is a bit dumb, but whatever.”
“The story behind the campaign itself is somewhat weak.”
“The UI feels clunky and a story is non-existent.”
- gameplay44 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is centered around puzzle-solving and building logic circuits, offering a satisfying and educational experience that gradually increases in complexity. While some players find the mechanics repetitive and the interface clunky, the game effectively teaches digital design principles through engaging gameplay and a well-balanced difficulty curve. Overall, it appeals to those with curiosity and a penchant for puzzles, providing a unique blend of fun and learning.
“The gameplay gives a good feeling for the buildup in complexity from simple logic gates to more complicated things like a one-bit adder up to a full computer.”
“The level flow is well designed and the things you build early in the game are used in later gameplay.”
“Much like how Kerbal Space Program taught me basic orbital mechanics, this game provides a vibrant perspective on the inner workings of a computer.”
“Bad UI, not very good controls, boring gameplay.”
“Apart from that, the wiring mechanic feels pretty bad.”
“At the start of the game, it looks really simple both in terms of gameplay and in terms of features.”
- music37 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack as enjoyable, relaxing, and fitting for the gameplay, particularly highlighting its synthwave elements. However, some players find the music repetitive or feel that it detracts from the experience, with a few opting to mute it entirely. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated by many, there are calls for more variety and length to enhance the gaming experience.
“Banger soundtrack”
“On top of that, it's very relaxing to play with hypnotic music letting you enjoy the flow of engineering: build something new, solving a problem from first principles and building an actual computer that you can use to solve problems.”
“The soundtrack is literally fire, and you really do end up learning a lot about computer engineering and the raw mechanics of computers.”
“The music is pretty diabolical but I just turn it off.”
“I really think it would benefit from some music because there doesn't seem to be any now.”
“The only disappointing thing is the lack of any soundtrack whatsoever, but hopefully EA will fix this.”
- graphics31 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as clean, colorful, and visually appealing, though some users note that they lack sharpness and complexity compared to other titles. While the simplistic art style aids in clarity and engagement, it may not meet the expectations of players seeking high-end visuals. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose well in supporting the educational aspects of the game, despite some minor bugs and aesthetic disagreements.
“The good first: the visuals are pretty, the music is great.”
“Visualizing your creations is aided by clear and colorful visuals.”
“Even though there have been a few other attempts on Steam to gamify the same topic (building a computer from basic logic gates), this iteration is graphically polished and well thought out, despite being in 'early access.'”
“Overall, the graphics don't look as sharp as one expects.”
“While it's wonderful to learn how computers work, for a game that is graphically this simple, the performance is unacceptable.”
“I wanted to get this game for a long time, but like the superficial human being I am, the price and the graphics on the Steam page discouraged me for a long time.”
- grinding22 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is often described as tedious, particularly due to the cumbersome user interface and the repetitive nature of building and programming circuits. While some players find the process rewarding and enjoy the progression towards more complex tasks, many express frustration with the lack of efficient tools for managing components and the overall complexity of the assembly process. Despite these challenges, some players appreciate the educational value and the satisfaction of mastering digital logic fundamentals.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Later puzzles are all just programming and the interface for this is tedious.”
“The UI is also hard to understand, and the circuit assembly process is tedious and entirely ungamified.”
- humor22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring amusing alien quotes and a light-hearted narrative that adds charm to the gameplay. While some players find the jokes and character interactions entertaining, others feel that the humor can be inconsistent and occasionally detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully incorporates humor to enhance its educational content, making it enjoyable for those interested in digital logic and puzzles.
“The music, the steadily increasing complexity, the humor, the technical accuracy, and rock-solid UI make this a must-play game for anyone interested in digital logic and computers.”
“The alien quotes are very funny as hell.”
“As an added bonus, the humor of the alien overlord is very amusing :)”
- stability18 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is currently plagued by numerous bugs and stability issues, particularly in its controls and certain levels, leading to crashes and unresponsive features. While it remains enjoyable for players, especially those with a background in computer science, many aspects are unpolished and may hinder the overall experience. Despite being in early access, some bugs are reportedly being addressed, but significant improvements are still needed for a smoother gameplay experience.
“The game is unfortunately a little buggy and crash-y sometimes.”
“Fun for computer science students, however very buggy when you actually try to make anything beyond what the levels ask for.”
“It's early access and there are still a few glitches but it's very playable and bugs are getting fixed pretty quickly.”
- optimization15 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's optimization aspect has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating the addictive nature of solving optimization puzzles but expressing frustration over performance issues, such as stuttering and crashes. While the game encourages basic optimization, it lacks feedback mechanisms to guide players towards more efficient solutions, which can lead to unoptimized practices. Despite these concerns, the appeal of modularization and puzzle-solving keeps players engaged, though many hope for improved performance and more robust optimization features in future updates.
“Optimization can be really addictive.”
“Yet, somehow the appeal of iteration, componentization, and optimization has kept me coming back to this one with a passion and feeling of ownership I haven’t experienced in a long time.”
“This modularization and puzzle-based optimization scratches a similar itch to automation games like Factorio.”
“It's crucial that it should be able to tell the player 'what you did is correct, but there's actually a better way to do it...' but currently there's no such feature; as long as it works, the game gives no guidance about optimization other than to provide a brick wall for users to ram their head against.”
“While it's wonderful to learn how computers work, for a game that is graphically this simple, the performance is unacceptable.”
“I suspect the ability to view an optimized version or even to ramp difficulty by pointing these things out in the 'end game' and letting me go back would do a lot towards negating this.”
- emotional9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional impact from the game, describing it as an "emotional roller coaster" that evokes a wide range of feelings, from pride and empowerment to frustration and sadness. Many have experienced moments of vulnerability, with some expressing that the game made them cry, highlighting its ability to resonate deeply on an emotional level.
“This one really made me feel small and yet powerful.”
“Made me cry a few times.”
“This game is an emotional roller coaster.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, particularly due to its extensive programming challenges available online, enhancing both its educational value and gameplay experience. While some puzzle elements may limit replay value, overall, players find it enjoyable with good replay potential.
“Aside from the educational value, it has great gameplay, visuals, UX, replayability, and a committed and caring developer.”
“So to sum up, a really enjoyable game, with good replay value.”
“Replayability-wise, the simulator is immensely powerful - even without a direct prompt from the game, there are plenty of programming challenges on the internet that can be solved within this game.”
“As to be expected with puzzle games, it has almost no replay value.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the game's monetization strategy is transparent and aligns closely with its advertising, ensuring players know what to expect without hidden costs or misleading promotions.
