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[madflame991]

Here's what I've been cooking in the past month (full description below the shots)

Video:






The first screen features Ted, your friendly floating head, telling you what your challenge is, and the whole user interface. Notice the brushes on top and the numbers below (initial and required codes)

The second image shows 2 little programs built in the game to show you how with what you will be dealing with...
Those little robots called Executors do whatever they see on the plate below them. Your job is to draw symbols on the floor and with their help achieve what Ted wants you to do. You'll see that Ted is not really a bad guy, he's just lonely.
Detailed instructions are available via the In-Game Menu - every plate and concept of the game is explained, and Ted will give you hints here and there.

There are 44 levels to solve. A level should be interesting to play at least 3 times:
 1) to actually solve the level and advance
 2) to solve the level in as few cycles possible
 3) ...in as little space possible

Hope you enjoy it. Please tell me how far you've gotten and how challenging you think the levels are.
Cheers!

EDIT: Download Link: http://gamejolt.com/freeware/games/puzzle/robot-unlock/3467/
Thanks for reminding :D

[bicilotti]

Call me stupid but... I can't find the download link?

[increpare]

download link

[mr.zippycrow]

This game is pretty fun once you get the hang of it. I do wish I could save my solutions to the puzzles after I solve them. The difficulty varies quite a bit. Some of the levels seem to come completely out of the blue with no hint or idea where to start. Also, when you win a level, it is frustrating to press spacebar to skip the text box and instead have the level quit and lose your solution. It would be safer to have the spacebar default to the "replay" button instead of the "next level" button. The text parts are hard to skip--sometimes you have to click them and sometimes you have to press the spacebar and other times you can't do anything.


Any tips for levels 11 and 24?

[J. R. Hill]

If you did the robots in the same style you did Ted, this game would be ace.

[madflame991]

Just made a little update:
+ halved the time it takes Ted to speak before you can close him
+ added a simple crash course in the instructions so you'll get the hang of it faster

@mr.zippycow
+ to solve level 11: in day to day programming there is a trick for swapping two values without using a third variable, the same trick can be applied here. The only hint I can give you is: use arithmetic plates
+ hint for level 24: use division
+ I am thinking of making a Save Solution option and transforming it into a code so players can post their best solution (fewest cycles, smallest space) on the net

@JR Hill
I'm not much of an artist ) It took me about 2 days to come up with that silly little mudboy. If I can come up with something better I will give the player the chance to pick his/her favourite model.

EDIT: actually, sorry... level 24 is solved by combining what you've learned from levels 7 and 12

[SplinterOfChaos]

+ to solve level 11: in day to day programming there is a trick for swapping two values without using a third variable, the same trick can be applied here. The only hint I can give you is: use arithmetic plates

You don't need a third variable? I mean, i've heard of the XOR swap, but your game doesn't have an XOR operation. But i found a different solution anyway, so...

EDIT: Nevermind, i was thinking of a different puzzle.

This game kinda reminds me of brainfuck. I like that this is a game that exercises skills useful in programming.

Having all the symbols unlocked right from the beginning is something i think puzzle games usually try to avoid. It was confusing at first which pieces were necessary to solve the first puzzle. You offer an instructions menu; it would be helpful if that was either partially included in the dialog at the beginning of the level, or in any way referenced that it exists in at least the first level's intro.

At the same time, i understand that not having each piece unlocked at the beginning would lower replay value (optimizing for speed and memory).

EDIT: You should require more than one run to test if the program works. I solved at least one puzzle just by random chance.

[madflame991]

Update:
Added a save system and copy/load level from clipboard. Encoded levels are short and forum friendly - now everyone can share their best solution.
How to update and keep the your old saves:
1) Copy the new game binary (RobotUnlock.exe) and overwrite your older version AND create a "saves" directory. The only directories you should have are "img","mus" and "saves"
OR
2) Copy your original saves.dat to the new game directory.

@SplinterOfChaos
"it would be helpful if that was either partially included in the dialog at the beginning of the level, or in any way referenced that it exists in at least the first level's intro."
"If you however get stuck you might want to check the Instructions via the In-Game Menu (the 3 dots near the Play button)" this is what Ted says at the first level

"EDIT: You should require more than one run to test if the program works. I solved at least one puzzle just by random chance."
The game actually does that on some levels... I did not implement it on every level because it would be annoying and there is a very low probability that you can win based on luck alone.

...and for level 11, you don't need a xor swap, the solution is below, written with white - wait I don't have white here...
Here's the solution for level 5, it swaps 2 variables without using a third one: 05$%/%%6&%B'%6(%*

EDIT: Mind you, the solution for level x works ONLY for level x

[SplinterOfChaos]

"EDIT: You should require more than one run to test if the program works. I solved at least one puzzle just by random chance."
The game actually does that on some levels... I did not implement it on every level because it would be annoying and there is a very low probability that you can win based on luck alone.

You could change the way you do extra runs such that they're either very fast, or simulated (done, but not drawn on screen). It might even be fun to see multiple runs going at once!

[madflame991]

You know that you can speed up or slow down the execution with the Up/Down Arrow keys, right?
It is stated in instructions. Speeding up is showed even in the trailer.

[sereneworx]

Great looking graphics, really nice, simple and clear.

[SplinterOfChaos]

You know that you can speed up or slow down the execution with the Up/Down Arrow keys, right?

Which is another reason i thought it'd be OK to have multiple runs on all programs. I accidentally completed a level with a non-working program and felt like i cheated. It doesn't have to be probable to happen.