Silicon Zeroes Demo

Although almost everyone has a computer at home or in their pockets, many are actually unaware of how a processor works, or how memory stores data. Things used to be a bit easier back when components weighed a few kilograms each and you could actually see the circuits with the naked eye. Nowadays, CPUs are designed and printed at a nearly atomic level, which is why the concepts are harder to grasp.

Silicon Zeroes is a very interesting puzzle game that aims to be educational at the same time, in which you have to solve puzzles by building small electronics piece-by-piece. Even if you start with simple contraptions like adders and latches, things get tougher later on when you have to wire these components together and make them output certain results, which is harder than it sounds.

The game also features a story mode to keep you engaged, which is why the whole thing takes place in the 1960s, where you must keep a tech company afloat by revolutionizing the computing industry. Granted, the story does not have too much of an impact on the gameplay, since it’s all just a succession of puzzles anyway, but it’s nice to have a narrative playing in the background.

Everything about the game is designed to be as approachable as possible, especially the interface. Hence, everything can be achieved using drag & drop motions with your mouse, and most things are thoroughly explained thanks to the tutorial. Even so, the puzzles get tougher and tougher later on, so you still need to concentrate quite a bit in order to find solutions.

As far as the graphics are concerned, you shouldn’t expect an awful lot, but the visual components are easily readable and color-coded, making them easy to identify. You might need a while to understand how the different components can be connected, but it becomes second nature after a while. There’s also a nice soundtrack playing in the background, which is always pleasant.

In the end, Silicon Zeroes may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a very neat approach to the subject. The puzzles are definitely challenging, and they can really keep you guessing for a few hours.