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Turing 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.

Turing Complete screenshot
Turing Complete screenshot
Turing Complete screenshot
Turing Complete screenshot
Turing Complete screenshot
Turing Complete screenshot
Turing Complete screenshot
Turing Complete screenshot
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95%
Audience ScoreBased on 4,042 reviews
story30 positive mentions
grinding44 negative mentions

  • The game provides a high-quality interactive experience for learning computer fundamentals, starting from basic logic gates to building a fully functional CPU.
  • It offers a satisfying sense of accomplishment as players progress through increasingly complex challenges, ultimately allowing them to create their own assembly language and program their custom-built computer.
  • The game encourages critical thinking and problem-solving, making it an engaging educational tool for anyone interested in computer science or engineering.
  • The game can be quite challenging, especially for beginners, as it often lacks clear instructions and guidance on what is expected in later levels.
  • Some players have reported bugs and crashes, particularly when moving components or during complex designs, which can disrupt the gameplay experience.
  • The user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult to manage wires and components effectively, leading to frustration during gameplay.
  • story
    100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is often described as minimal and somewhat silly, featuring an alien abduction theme that serves primarily as humorous flavor text rather than a central narrative. While some players appreciate the quirky and light-hearted nature of the story, many feel it lacks depth and engagement, often overshadowed by the focus on puzzle-solving. Overall, the story is seen as a fun addition that can be easily ignored, with mixed opinions on its execution and relevance to gameplay.

    • “Other than that one problem, this really is a great game, with truly riveting story-telling!”
    • “The environment is friendly, the minimal storyline is fun and unobtrusive, and the puzzles are challenging.”
    • “The abduction story is charming and humorous.”
    • “Great game idea, fun story, music okay, execution terrible.”
    • “The story behind the campaign itself is somewhat weak.”
    • “The 'storyline' is also very much 'fluff' -- I think the game would be fine if it just asked you to build a CPU and didn't give you some silly 'aliens' based reason to do it.”
  • gameplay
    88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is a unique blend of puzzle-solving and educational mechanics, allowing players to explore computer science concepts through engaging challenges. While the interface can be clunky and some mechanics lack clarity, the overall experience is satisfying and rewarding, particularly for those with a curiosity for digital logic. The game effectively teaches complex ideas in a fun and immersive way, though it may not appeal to complete beginners.

    • “The gameplay may not appeal to every player, but anyone with a bit of curiosity and a taste for puzzles will enjoy it and learn a lot about how computers work 'deep down'.”
    • “It has an incredibly satisfying gameplay loop, and it will probably save my ass at university in the future.”
    • “As far as the actual gameplay and puzzle design, it's wonderful.”
    • “If you do not already have a firm grasp on the computer science concepts needed to solve the puzzles, you will not learn them through this gameplay.”
    • “Bad UI, not very good controls, boring gameplay.”
    • “In some cases, I found myself needing to recreate the exact same gate I made in another level, making it slightly repetitive and much more complex than necessary (for example, the full adder level, which ideally I would have implemented using a half-adder I made in a previous level).”
  • music
    82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising the soundtrack as enjoyable, relaxing, and fitting for the gameplay, particularly highlighting its synthwave elements. However, some users find the music repetitive or annoying, and a few mention the absence of a soundtrack in certain levels, which detracts from the experience. Overall, while the music enhances the game for many, there are notable criticisms regarding its variety and execution.

    • “The soundtrack is literally fire, and you really do end up learning a lot about computer engineering and the raw mechanics of computers.”
    • “On top of that, it's very relaxing to play with hypnotic music, letting you enjoy the flow of engineering: build something new, solve a problem from first principles, and build an actual computer that you can use to solve problems.”
    • “Great game, very enjoyable soundtrack.”
    • “Great game idea, fun story, music okay, execution terrible.”
    • “The music is pretty diabolical but I just turn it off.”
    • “They added terrible, and I do mean just awful tech-elevator music nooooooo!!!!!!!!”
  • graphics
    64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally described as clean, colorful, and visually appealing, though some users noted that they lack sharpness and can be confusing, especially with overlapping elements. While the visuals are praised for their simplicity and effectiveness in aiding gameplay, there are minor graphical issues and aesthetic disagreements that could be improved. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose well in an educational context, despite not being as polished as those in other games.

    • “The sound design and visuals are also perfectly on point.”
    • “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.' The interface (sort of a sandbox electronic board) takes a few minutes to get used to, and with intuitive drags and drops, and input settings, it turns into a potentially very valuable hands-on learning experience.”
    • “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.”
    • “For sure, it's not even close to other games in terms of graphics, storytelling, or whatever, yet its core part, about building logic blocks is smooth and contains a lot of quality-of-life features that you can expect from such a game.”
  • grinding
    46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the foundational learning and tech tree progression are enjoyable, many describe the programming interface and circuit assembly as tedious and cumbersome. The need to manually create and manage connections can lead to frustration, with some wishing for more streamlined options to reduce repetitive tasks. Overall, while the game offers fun and educational elements, the grinding involved in programming and building can detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Having switched between the beta branch and the base game, I can say that playing the base game feels way more tedious now. The programming interface is a fantastic addition to the game, and I love how easy it is to make assembly instructions.”
    • “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.”
  • humor
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring funny storylines and amusing alien quotes that enhance the overall experience, though some players find the humor inconsistent and occasionally cringe-worthy. While the narrative adds charm and levity, it may not fully engage those seeking a deeper storyline. Overall, the game successfully combines humor with educational content, making it enjoyable for puzzle enthusiasts and learners alike.

    • “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.”
    • “As an added bonus, the humor of the alien overlord is very amusing :)”
    • “The (minimal) story is also fun and funny, and the presentation is well done.”
  • stability
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is currently experiencing significant stability issues, with numerous bugs affecting gameplay, controls, and visual elements, particularly in higher levels and specific modes. While some players find it enjoyable despite these glitches, many report frequent crashes and unresponsive features, indicating that the game remains unpolished in its early access state. However, there is some optimism as updates are being released to address these issues.

    • “The game is unfortunately a little buggy and crash-y sometimes.”
    • “Buggy to hell, can't keep it from crashing for more than 5 minutes.”
    • “It is far from perfect: the controls are quite buggy and some levels are unclear on what you must do.”
  • optimization
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization aspect is both rewarding and addictive, as players can enhance their designs through iterative improvements. However, it lacks guidance on achieving optimal solutions, leaving players to navigate challenges without feedback on their efficiency. While recent updates promise performance improvements, some users still experience stuttering and crashes, raising concerns about the game's overall optimization despite its engaging puzzle mechanics.

    • “It's rewarding when I optimized a solution for a component that was previously introduced because every design that I build later on that uses that component gets optimized too.”
    • “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.”
    • “Turns out the game is getting updated and it will be a huge performance increase, which was one of my problems with it as it would stutter when I tried to load certain things and even crash.”
    • “It's crucial that the game 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 heads against.”
    • “While it's wonderful to learn how computers work, for a game that is graphically this simple, the performance is unacceptable.”
  • emotional
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players describe the game as an emotional roller coaster, evoking a wide range of feelings from pride to frustration, and even tears. Many express that it made them feel both small and powerful, highlighting its impactful emotional depth and educational value, despite some technical frustrations. Overall, the game elicits strong emotional responses, making it a memorable experience.

    • “This game is an emotional roller coaster.”
    • “This one really made me feel small and yet powerful ...”
    • “This game made me feel proud.”
  • replayability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability, particularly due to its extensive programming challenges available online, enhancing its educational value and gameplay experience. While some puzzle games may have limited replay value, this simulator stands out with its engaging content and supportive developer, making it a highly enjoyable choice for players seeking replayable experiences.

    • “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.”
  • monetization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its honest advertising, running smoothly without any microtransactions or exploitative monetization tactics, making for a refreshing player experience.

    • “The game runs well and is free of microtransactions and psychologically exploitative tricks.”
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8h Median play time
42h Average play time
4-98h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs
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