TIS-100 (2015)

Developer: Zachtronics
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Genres: Indie, Simulation
Rating: 4.8 of 5, 4,088 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 11 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

a methodical, mentally demanding puzzle game about writing assembly code to repair a fictional computer, with a dry, technical feel and a faint undercurrent of unease.

programmingpuzzledifficultsystematiccerebralmethodicalpreciselogical

What players say

Players say the game recreates the feel of ancient assembly programming and rewards optimizing each solution to the absolute minimum. It offers no hand holding, and players who enjoy that challenge find it deeply satisfying, while others describe it as masochistic.

Screenshots

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This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.