Turing Complete

About

Turing Complete is a single player simulation game. It was developed by LevelHead and was released on October 2, 2021. It received very positive reviews from players.

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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,601 reviews

story18 positive mentions

grinding25 negative mentions

Engaging and educational gameplay that effectively teaches the fundamentals of computer architecture and logic gates.
Satisfying progression from simple logic gates to building a fully functional CPU, allowing players to see their designs come to life.
Great for both beginners and those with prior knowledge, offering a hands-on approach to learning about computers.

Steep learning curve with some levels lacking clear instructions, making it challenging for complete beginners.
User interface can be clunky and unintuitive, especially when managing wires and components.
Some players may find the game frustrating due to vague level objectives and the need for external resources to fully understand concepts.

story
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
69%
7%
The game's story is minimal and often serves as a humorous backdrop to the puzzle-solving experience, featuring an alien abduction theme that adds a quirky charm. While some players appreciate the lighthearted narrative and its integration with gameplay, others find it lacking depth and coherence, viewing it as mere fluff rather than a significant element of the game. Overall, the story is not the main focus, but it provides a cohesive context for the increasingly complex tasks players encounter.
- “Rather than rely on exposition-heavy storytelling, the game introduces its narrative quietly, through environment design and small interactions, allowing the player to focus on the primary objective—learning how to build computing systems from the ground up.”
- “The story is largely minimalist, but the setting creates a curious backdrop that gives context and purpose to the increasingly complex tasks you're assigned.”
- “The abduction story is charming and humorous.”
- “The story behind the campaign itself is somewhat weak.”
- “The 'story' can be ignored and (thank god) quickly clicked through (not like in other puzzle games with tons of useless dialogue).”
- “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.”
music
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
46%
11%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack as fantastic, enjoyable, and fitting for the gameplay, while others find it repetitive or annoying. Some players express a desire for the soundtrack to be available on more platforms, and a few recommend turning it off entirely. Overall, the music enhances the experience for many, contributing to a relaxing and engaging atmosphere, though it may not appeal to everyone.
- “The soundtrack is one of the best I've ever heard.”
- “The music is fantastic, and the game is very well put together.”
- “The soundtrack is literally fire, and you really do end up learning a lot about computer engineering and the raw mechanics of computers.”
- “Music is horrible.”
- “The music is sufficiently annoying that I recommend just turning it off completely.”
- “They added terrible, and I do mean just awful tech-elevator music nooooooo!!!!!!!!”
gameplay
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
68%
5%
The gameplay is centered around building and understanding computer logic through a series of progressively complex puzzles, offering a steep learning curve that rewards curiosity and problem-solving skills. While the interface and controls can be clunky, the core mechanics are engaging and educational, making it a unique experience for players interested in digital design. Overall, the game successfully combines fun and learning, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its complexity and lack of immediate gratification.
- “Each level introduces new mechanics, such as logic gates, memory registers, and eventually, creating fully functioning CPUs.”
- “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 difficulty curve seems quite balanced so far, alternating between building components with logic gates, building CPUs with components, and writing programs with assembly, making the gameplay diversified.”
- “The learning curve is steep, and there’s no traditional gameplay loop with immediate gratification.”
- “Bad UI, not very good controls, boring gameplay.”
- “The game itself is all digital logic, but some of the mechanics aren't especially well explained, such as logic level precedence.”
graphics
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
57%
7%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and clarity, contributing to an immersive experience, though some users note minor issues with component design and UI awkwardness. While the visuals are appealing and enhance the learning experience, they can sometimes hinder gameplay due to overlapping elements and a lack of sharpness. Overall, the aesthetic aligns well with the game's educational focus, despite some players feeling that the graphics could be improved for better utility.
- “The visuals and simulations are beautiful, and the campaign is really fun.”
- “Graphics are wonderful, the story is definitely great even though it could easily be described as 'bare bones' and the puzzles are fairly simple if you're a mega nerd.”
- “Even though there have been a few other attempts on Steam to gamify the same topic, 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.”
- “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.”
- “While it's wonderful to learn how computers work, for a game that is graphically this simple, the performance is unacceptable.”
humor
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the funny dialogues, quirky characters, and amusing easter eggs that enhance the overall experience. While some find the humor inconsistent or not always fitting with the gameplay, many agree that it adds charm and engagement, making the game enjoyable and entertaining. Overall, the blend of humor with educational elements creates a lighthearted atmosphere that resonates with players.
- “The jokes and hidden easter eggs are a funny addition.”
- “The alien quotes are very funny as hell.”
- “The narrative is pretty funny.”
grinding
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
3%
93%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the programming and assembly processes tedious due to poor UI and unclear instructions. While some appreciate the foundational learning and tech tree progression, others feel that the repetitive tasks and lack of streamlined features make the experience frustrating. Overall, players suggest that the game requires significant time investment, often likening it to a second job.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The game is asking the user to do some basic programming tasks, but the particulars of its programming language aren't particularly clear, and the programming process is fairly tedious.”
- “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.”
optimization
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
65%
13%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback; while some players appreciate its potential for rewarding optimization and find it better optimized than many AAA titles, others criticize its lack of guidance on achieving optimal solutions and report performance issues. The developer shows promise in addressing these concerns, but the current state leaves players feeling frustrated by the absence of feedback on their designs. Overall, the game appeals to those interested in optimization and computer mechanics, but it may not satisfy players seeking a polished experience.
- “Great game for any tech nerds or people curious about how computers work; the game has better optimization than any triple-A game on the market.”
- “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.”
- “This modularization and puzzle-based optimization scratches a similar itch to automation games like Factorio.”
- “The puzzle pacing is repetitive, the text is not very well written sometimes, and even the performance is messy at times.”
- “From the last update - the one that promises a patch - it seems that the developer is caught up in premature optimization, and we can hope that the patch comes eventually.”
- “While it's wonderful to learn how computers work, for a game that is graphically this simple, the performance is unacceptable.”
stability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent bugs and crashes, particularly in higher levels and specific functionalities. While some players find the latest beta release to be the least buggy, overall feedback indicates that the game remains unpolished and prone to glitches, though it is still enjoyable for those willing to navigate these issues. Many users express hope for improvements as the game progresses through early access.
- “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.”
- “Fun for computer science students, however very buggy when you actually try to make anything beyond what the levels ask for.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a deeply emotional experience with the game, ranging from feelings of pride and accomplishment when building their computer to moments of frustration and vulnerability that evoke tears. The game effectively balances educational value with emotional impact, creating a roller coaster of feelings that can leave players feeling both small and powerful. Overall, it elicits a strong emotional response, making it a memorable experience.
- “When you finally build your computer, this will definitely be one of the most touching moments.”
- “This game is an emotional roller coaster.”
- “This one really made me feel small and yet powerful ...”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game is highly regarded for its replayability, offering a challenging and fun experience with a near-infinite sandbox for players to explore. Users appreciate the opportunity to optimize solutions and tackle various programming challenges, enhancing the game's longevity. Overall, it combines educational value with engaging gameplay, making it a worthwhile experience for repeated play.
- “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.”
- “In terms of replayability, Turing Complete offers a near-infinite sandbox.”
- “Replayability: there's room to optimize solutions, encouraging replay to find more efficient designs.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The monetization of the game is praised for its transparency, as it is entirely free of microtransactions and manipulative tactics, aligning perfectly with its advertising. Players appreciate the absence of psychological exploitation, contributing to a positive gaming experience.
- “The game runs well and is free of microtransactions and psychologically exploitative tricks.”