I don’t mean .io browser games like Agar.io. I mean puzzle games where you read stuff in, do a thing, then send stuff out. Numbers come in. Answers go out. Simple rule. Wild brain burn. I’ve unpacked the obsession in this full breakdown if you want every last detail.
You know what? These games feel like work, but they’re fun work. Like fixing a squeaky hinge, then closing the door five times just to enjoy the quiet.
The one that hooked me first: Human Resource Machine
I played this on my Switch on a rainy Sunday. My coffee got cold. My brain did not.
- The game gives you an INBOX and an OUTBOX.
- You drag little commands. INBOX means “take a number.” OUTBOX means “send a number.”
- You get a tiny floor to store values. COPYTO puts a number on the floor. COPYFROM picks it back up.
A real level I still think about is “Zero Exterminator.” You pull numbers from INBOX and toss out only the non-zero ones. My first try was messy. I used JUMP and JUMPZ in a loop that felt like spaghetti. Then it clicked. I did:
- INBOX
- JUMPZ to skip OUTBOX if it’s zero
- OUTBOX
- JUMP back up
It was not the shortest. Not the fastest. But it worked. Later I shaved steps to beat the boss’s challenge counts, and that felt sweet.
Another one, “Tripler Room,” made me fake multiply by 3. No multiply button. So I did ADD twice on a copy. The game winks at you, like, “See? You can do it with little tools.”
Tiny gripe: sometimes my cursor slipped and my program blocks snapped to the wrong spot. Not a big deal, but my thumb grumbled. I briefly flirted with downloading a repack to skip the install fuss, but after researching what that actually means I stuck with the legit copy.
When I wanted more bite: TIS-100
This one is tough. I played it on PC with a cup of mint tea and a notepad by my keyboard. It looks like an old lab manual. It’s all text, no gloss. I kinda loved that.
You write little lines like:
- MOV UP, ACC
- ADD 1
- JNZ -2
Every node is a tiny worker. They pass numbers to other nodes. Think postal workers for data.
The “Signal Pattern Detector” puzzle ate my lunch the first night. I had to watch the input stream and spit out a 1 when the number went up from the last one, and a 0 when it didn’t. I kept a “last” value in the node’s ACC, used SWP to stash it in BAK, then did SUB to compare. If the result was greater than 0, send 1. Else send 0. Loop. My final code was short but fragile. One off-by-one bug, and the right node starved. Watching the graph freeze made my stomach drop. Then I fixed it, and it felt like a high-five from old me to new me.
Note for comfort: the font is tiny. I bumped the zoom and kept going.
Wiring things for real: SHENZHEN I/O
I kept seeing folks say, “Do this after TIS-100.” They were right. You build small boards. You place chips. You write code like:
- MOV P0 ACC
- ADD 3
- SLP 1
- MOV ACC P1
I did a “seven-segment display driver” that took digits on P0 and lit the right bars on P1–P7. I made a lookup table because I got sick of branching. The code felt clean, like a tidy desk. Then I tried to shrink the power draw, because the game scores you on lines, parts, and energy. That’s when the hours slipped by. I kept saying, “One more pass.” It’s the puzzle version of trimming bangs and then… oops.
One warning: wires get tight. I zoom a lot. But when the test passes and the display shows 0123456789? Chef’s kiss. If you’re into more crystal-clean, lunar-themed puzzlers, the month I spent with Selenite Games scratched a similar itch.
For hands-on builders: Opus Magnum
Different flavor, same I/O soul. You take two inputs on tracks. Arms grab, rotate, bond, and place a finished thing on the output. It’s like cooking, but with metal arms and glowing salt.
A real puzzle I enjoyed: “Hangover Cure.” The name made me laugh. I built two arms. One did the bonding. One did the placement. At first, the arms bonked each other. Then I offset the cycles by one tick, and the machine hummed. Smooth loops are a joy here. It’s like lining up socks fresh from the dryer.
This game lets you watch your machine run forever. I leave it on while I fold laundry. Don’t judge me.
The factory that ate my weekend: Factorio
I told myself I’d “just set up red science.” Sure. Then I looked up and the sun was down.
This one is big. But it’s still input/output at heart:
- Iron ore in. Iron plates out.
- Copper ore in. Copper plates out.
- Plates in. Science packs out. Then bots. Then trains. Then oh no.
A real setup I used early on:
- Two lines of 24 stone furnaces per side.
- One yellow belt of ore in. One yellow belt of coal in.
- Splitters to feed both rows.
- Two belts of plates out to a main bus.
It’s not fancy. It works. Later I swapped to steel furnaces and red belts. My wrists thanked me when I finally used blueprints. My eyes did not love the biters. I turned the biters down when I wanted a chill night. For even lighter weekend vibes, my stint with Billy Bob Games was pure popcorn.
Who should play these?
- If you like small wins that stack into a big “aha,” yes.
- If you enjoy neat loops and clean flows, yes.
- If messy screens make you itch, also yes—because you can clean them.
I let my niece try Human Resource Machine. She’s 10. We talked about “if zero, go here.” She got it. We cheered when the little worker ran to OUTBOX like a champ. That felt good.
What bugged me a bit
- Some UIs feel cramped. Zoom is your best pal.
- Zachtronics games (TIS-100, SHENZHEN I/O, Opus Magnum) grade you. That can poke your pride. I had to tell myself, “Kayla, done is better than perfect,” then come back later to polish.
- Time melts. Set a timer. Or don’t, if you like living on the edge.
My quick start path
- New to this? Start with Human Resource Machine. It teaches loops with charm.
- Want more grit? TIS-100 next. Bring tea.
- Like hardware vibes? Try SHENZHEN I/O.
- Want to watch pretty machines whir? Opus Magnum is a treat.
- Need a huge sandbox? Factorio will own your weekend.
Prefer to blow off steam after all that cerebral intensity? The physics-packed demolition racing in FlatOut makes for an exhilarating palate cleanser.
If you’d rather switch gears entirely and indulge in some adults-only text-based fun, check out the curated sexting numbers directory—it gives you up-to-date phone numbers for flirty conversations, offering a playful way to reboot your brain between puzzle marathons.
Craving an offline reset instead? Gamers in Colorado who need a literal massage after an all-night coding session can flip through the candid spa reviews at Rubmaps Pueblo, where detailed customer feedback, service menus, and accurate location info make it easy to pick the perfect spot for post-game relaxation.
Here’s the thing: these games are work, but they don’t feel like chores. They feel like tiny machines inside your head that click into place. Input. Think. Output. It’s a simple beat, and when it lands, you can’t help but smile.