I'm a huge fan of Zachtronics' prior coding games, TIS-100 and SHENZHEN I/O. But those games were hit-or-miss with people... This, on the other hand, I recommend to anyone pursuing computer science as a hobby or as a craft.

I started playing yesterday and I've played for 9 hours (as of this review). It's addicting, and Zachtronics has a penchant for using story and features to motivate you. Indeed -- 9 hours in and I'm still unlocking completely new parts of the game (multiplayer, game sandbox, etc)!

Brilliant soundtrack as usual by Matthew Burns; I've bought the OST on Bandcamp already.

This game is far less restrictive than previous Zachtronics games. It still makes you earn it... but it's much more intuitive and you can get away with less optimal solutions. As always, the global histograms show you how you did compared to every other player -- another driver for better, efficient solutions.

Warning: Another staple of Zachtronics games, there is a set of documentation. Despite some negative reviews, keep in mind: The documentation is *all* you need to know *everything* about the game. No need to look up mysterious information on Google. And *unlike* previous Zachtronics games, EXAPUNKS' documentation reads like a magazine instead of like technical manuals. Makes it a lot more readable.

Wait for a Steam sale if you must, but put this game on your wishlist and challenge your friends to make better solutions. Custom puzzles and games and such were a harder sell in SHENZHEN I/O... but this game just makes me feel eager to participate with other players.

I'm a huge fan of Zachtronics' prior coding games, TIS-100 and SHENZHEN I/O. But those games were hit-or-miss with people... This, on the other hand, I recommend to anyone pursuing computer science as a hobby or as a craft. I started playing yesterday and I've played for 9 hours (as of this review). It's addicting, and Zachtronics has a penchant for using story and features to motivate you. Indeed -- 9 hours in and I'm still unlocking completely new parts of the game (multiplayer, game sandbox, etc)! Brilliant soundtrack as usual by Matthew Burns; I've bought the OST on Bandcamp already. This game is far less restrictive than previous Zachtronics games. It still makes you earn it... but it's much more intuitive and you can get away with less optimal solutions. As always, the global histograms show you how you did compared to every other player -- another driver for better, efficient solutions. Warning: Another staple of Zachtronics games, there is a set of documentation. Despite some negative reviews, keep in mind: The documentation is *all* you need to know *everything* about the game. No need to look up mysterious information on Google. And *unlike* previous Zachtronics games, EXAPUNKS' documentation reads like a magazine instead of like technical manuals. Makes it a lot more readable. Wait for a Steam sale if you must, but put this game on your wishlist and challenge your friends to make better solutions. Custom puzzles and games and such were a harder sell in SHENZHEN I/O... but this game just makes me feel eager to participate with other players.