In 2010 I made an open-ended programming game based on Befunge and Brainf*k. I was young and didn't know what I was doing - coding it in AutoIT of all things and using borderless windows for sprites. Nevertheless, it was a full game and some people actually played it, sharing solutions with each other. I took it as a sign that the game had some potential - I appreciated this very much at the time.
It was zachlike at its core, except that it came out earlier than SpaceChem and the term hadn't been coined yet.
Years passed, I worked in the game industry, had some fun, learned a few things and eventually burned out. Meanwhile, Zachtronics kept making games and managed to define a genre, proving that there indeed was a market for such games. I'm very happy about that.
Now I want to have a shot at going indie and almost 15 years later I'm launching the sequel to my 2010 game. One of my playtesters has been at it for 26 hours so I know it can be a real nerd sniper. It's a game for the type of person who loves quirky languages and optimizing their programs under extreme constraints.
I have been hanging out on HN for a long time and thought some in this community might like the game. I want to keep doing this and I will as long as I can afford it.
Looking forward to your questions and feedback.
pwillia7•9mo ago