Recent reviews by Scaevolus

A perfect sequel.

This game alternates between making you feel invincible smashing tiny robots in your giant robot and making you feel powerless while you're getting smashed by stronger giant robots.

It's fun... for an hour. Then it ends. :(

SHENZHEN I/O distills the the fun parts of programming -- finding clever solutions to problems and iterating on them to beat others -- into a single well-polished experience. You don't even have to go to meetings!

I beat this in 14 hours over 2 days. The final puzzles are easier than TIS-100, but I found them more satisfying. I spent more time thinking about my approach than fighting against frustrating, arbitrary limitations. The programming environment is believable despite the shrink-wrapping.

The story is funny and unobtrusive, providing good atmosphere and motivation for your progression. The lightweight commentary on social, ethical, and technical issues is interesting throughout, but don't expect an epic mind-bender like The Talos Principle.

Zachtronics does Early Access right: a short beta period, with frequent updates and clear communications. I'm looking forward to more puzzles and components in future updates. Player-made levels will extend the playtime for another 10+ hours if you enjoyed the first 15.

Somehow manages to not work with 360 controllers without ridiculous workarounds.