Build hardware. Solve puzzles. From the creator of Manufactoria, a new open-ended puzzle game set in Silicon Valley's first startup.
The developers designed the puzzles to steadily introduce new components and concepts. Players start with basic parts like adders, latches, and multiplexers, then the game gradually presents more advanced mechanics such as pipelining and instruction-level parallelism. This allows players to build upon their growing knowledge and skills. As the puzzles become increasingly complex, the game challenges players to think in new ways to optimize their solutions.
The core gameplay revolves around connecting electronic components to create circuits that perform specific tasks. Players drag and drop these parts onto a workspace, then wire them together. The developers equipped the user interface with intuitive tools, enabling players to easily rearrange and reconnect components. An automatic wire routing system helps keep the workspace organized.
In addition to creating a working circuit, the game requires players to optimize their solutions in terms of component count and execution speed. This introduces an additional layer of challenge, as players must think critically about the most efficient ways to accomplish each task. Many reviewers highlight the sense of satisfaction that comes from solving a difficult puzzle, especially when outperforming the game's own "optimal" solution.
While primarily a puzzle game, Silicon Zeroes also functions as an educational tool. As players progress, they learn increasingly complex computer architecture and digital electronics concepts, such as pipelining and CPU design. The game's puzzle-based format makes these technical topics accessible and engaging, allowing players to gain a deeper, hands-on understanding of how computers work under the hood.