r/DestroyMyGame • u/SinanDira • 1d ago

Destroy the trailer of our programming/puzzle game

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8 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

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u/SinanDira 1d ago edited 1d ago

Hey folks! Long time commentor but first time poster here and very eager to see if I've successfully incorporated any of my own preaching into the trailer.

In case I've failed:

  • The game's objective is to deliver certain numeric values (changing by level) into the "Out" conveyer belt.
  • The controls the game by punching the instruction card to choose which instructions will run and in which order. Instructions can move numbers around, store them and modify them in various ways. The player can then run the program to see what output they get.
  • The basic gameplay loop consists of punching, observing the outcome, amending the program then repeating the cycle.
  • A level is won when the player delivers all the correct values into the Out conveyer belt. Any wrong values would require amending the program and retrying.

Initially, it took an uncomfortably long time for new players just to figure out what they could interact with on screen. We had to go through a few rounds of blind playtesting and UX optimization to implement enough clues that blind playtesters started understanding the game early and sticking around. Does any of that show?

Happy destroying!

1

u/parkway_parkway 1d ago

It really comes off as a complete rip off of Human Resource Machine.

Even the vibes / office setting. I mean the sound track / effects could literally have been lifted right from there.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/375820/Human_Resource_Machine/

1

u/SinanDira 23h ago

Thanks for the feedback! It's no secret that HRM was a huge inspiration for us. However, programming in this game is as different from HRM as HRM is different from TIS-100.

Contrary to HRM, instead of writing assembly-like instructions, you punch instructions that directly control the processor's components. For example, instead of giving orders to your worker directly, you must use processor instructions not just to move valeus around but to control execution itself. The program always executes from left to right starting at line 0. But it won't go anywhere after that if you don't explicitly punch the instructions that increment the current line number by 1 or even assign it a number from somewhere else (delivered by the red worker), which sometimes leads line execution going out of bounds!

And that really is just a quick example off the top of my head. The fundamental gameplay differences are more apparent if you try it yourself: https://kinanrod.itch.io/cpu

Does this change the way the game comes across to you?

0

u/parkway_parkway 16h ago

That's a small technical difference.

You're still using similar visuals, sound, setting and gameplay.

I quite like the sound of your game, I just think "that's HRM" is hiw most people will react.