First impression: solid graphical programming/factory puzzle game

Take a grid, add a machine that produces objects and one that accepts objects, and a toolbox of other machines that can move the object or other machines, or make the other machines go the other way, etc. You need to build a factory line that moves the objects to where they need to go.

So far, I played 30/48 levels. This machine looks like an easier version of SpaceChem - it is less complex, but the impression of ongoing 2D processes timed to work with each other (if not, everything crashes) is the same. Both games will get you to think in terms of processing, which is a prerequisite to programming.

From time to time, you will earn hint points that you can use to reveal module positions on the board when you're stuck for an idea; I had to use that once so far. The level design is excellent.

It's a steal at the sale price, and a good value otherwise. Recommended.

This game runs a little sluggish on my old Windows XP computer, and is fullscreen only.

Initially the Sequence was released on Android, I used to play it on my mobile phone and loved this game.
First levels are quite easy but it becomes complicated very quickly.
If you like to keep your brain busy try this game, it most definitely worths the price.

10/10 would fix sequence errors again.

if you are a fan of sequential and logical puzzle games just get this. It's relaxing and challenging at the same time!
The Game starts very easy, but gets so damn difficult.

The Game is about to get Point a to Point b. Thats it. Simple as that!

*RECOMMENDED*

Simple to learn, complex to understand thoroughly. It's what I love most about puzzle games. No need for over the top art, comples stories (that are waste of development time) or anything that is not related to the puzzles themselves. Pure, simple logic, now that's my kind of game.

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"Zach-like" gameplay in [the Sequence] is too good to not recommend it somehow, but YSK the PC version is a direct port from the (cheaper) mobile version with zero QoL optimizations -- everything must be done with a left click so get used to paging through menus; fullscreen only and no resolution options; even the "Rate this game" button in the settings menu still takes you the apple App Store. I leave it to you to decide whether to wait for a sale and live with it on PC, or just opt for a mobile version, but I do recommend one or the other if this style of game appeals to you. Or, you might take this review just as me saying "yes, this Dev does seem to know how puzzley gameplay works" and go check out the sequel, The Sequence 2 (see the Review of the sequel here). There you do at least get some basic resolution/windowed options through the Unity launcher and some hotkeys and extended mouse functionality. Both games offer volume sliders for music and fx, so that's something. Music here is "meh."

There's no narrative, just puzzley gameplay. There are a total of 72 levels, split into an initial chunk of 48 and another chunk ("the core sequence") of 24. (The first few levels are a pretty brutal forced tutorial, but it's done quickly). Once you get past the first 48, the remaining levels are all available at once. However, within the first 48, you're forced to proceed through small sets of 2-3 levels at a time, and you need to beat all in that set before the next set unlocks. So, you could get stuck, but as you beat levels you earn "hint points" that you can use to help you along on tough levels. As I write this, I've logged 4.5 hours and have just beaten level 48 and gained access to the rest. So there's some decent playtime here -- and this doesn't include some time I've spent thinking about solutions offline, using screenshots. There's also a sandbox mode where you have access to unlimited modules and can just play around.

On each board you need to build a machine to carry a flashy-thing to the goal. You do this by positioning the available "modules" (little gadgets), each of which can perform a specific action in one of two directions based on its "polarity." For example, the push/pull module can either be set to pull, or it can be set to push. Or the rotation module picks up whatever's next to it, then (depending on polarity) rotates 90° clockwise or counterclockwise and sets it down. In addition to position and polarity, you also need to set their initial orientation (which way it's facing). Once your modules are in place, you finally need to set the order in which they will each take their actions, one at a time, in sequence. (by default, they will operate in the order in which you place them.) Then you press play and let your machine run.

What you want to happen is that running your machine on a loop will seamlessly deliver the flash-thing to the goal and then neatly reset the machine to its initial state so that it can run again. The goal is to build a machine that will repeatedly deliver the flashy-thing to the goal 4 times on a single run -- and you can't have any modules colliding with each other, or with barriers, or with the flashy thing.

Where this gets tricky is modules can interact with each other and on later levels, they need to. So, e.g., you can have your push/pull module take its action, then have it picked up by the rotation module and repositioned to a new location: the next time your sequence loops, the push/pull module will be operating in a whole new place. As the game goes on you get new modules that will reset the polarity of other modules mid-sequence (so, e.g., what had been a push becomes a pull on the next loop), and modules that will turn other modules on/off (so, e.g., the pull module will pull on the first loop, then do nothing on the second loop, then pull again in the third loop). Etc., and you can stack all this.

By the end it's a complex logistical nightmare of exactly the sort you'd expect from a "Zach-like." And it really does take some thought to crack some of them: difficulty has not been entirely nerfed. The basic design here is stylish, but a little clunkier than the more polished Zachtronics games (though perhaps not as un-polished as Spacechem, to be fair). Even when my machine was working well, it just never felt like it was running very smoothly: the animation just marches through each step, small delay, next step, etc. Success felt good, but the machine never felt fluid.

There's no requirement to optimize, and very little opportunity to do so: you basically need all your modules on nearly all the levels, and there's not much room to innovate how you deploy them. (It looks like the sequel might be asking for a bit of optimization for some of the achievements.)

All in all, it was never a great port, but you could still do a lot worse if you're looking for a Zach-like.

A puzzle game that will make you think more than most. Well worth the asking price (€1,99).

I was pondering whether to say yes or no, since the review score is unfortunately too basic in Steam.
The puzzles are interesting and the game enjoyable, if a bit short. But it's a crude port of the Android game, without any effort to make it user-friendly on a PC.

Moreover, there were some issues and I never saw a reply from the dev. This makes me think the game was published for PC as an afterthought and with the minimum effort in order to rake in a little more money from something that has been designed with another platform in mind.

I recommend the game on Android, where it make sense - it will work on PC though, just not as well. Don't expect support if you have a problem.

[the Sequence] is a pure logic puzzle, similar to the game SpaceChem.
The graphics are clean and music and sound effects match the aesthetics of the game.

The puzzles, start at a good pace, introducing you to the various mechanics and abilities of the pieces or modules as they are called.

The game then takes a steady increase in difficulty adding in the remaining modules and obstacles.

Each module has an easy to access help menu which describes and animates the function of the module.

As I played I found myself wanting to always finish the next level and this is a good thing, as many logic puzzles tend to leave a feeling of repetitiveness.

I would have liked to see the game nudge the player to understand that modules can also interact with modules, this is however clearly stated in the modules help area, I still feel such a essential piece of information would have benefited from a little highlight.

The game itself is clearly designed for a vertical view area and leaves a lot of screen space bare on desktop, but the game works and I'm not sure I would change the view either,

Unfortunately, remnants of it's mobile existence remains in the form of a "rate the game" button that opens a browser to the Apple Store, rather than it's steam page or a landing page on the developers website.

In conclusion this game is a perfect addition to any Logic Puzzle lovers playlist.

I heard about this on the "Security Now" podcast, and it's as good as they said. Great puzzler.

What I liked:

• Simple clean interface

What You Need to Know:

• I got this game on IOS, seemed fun but hate touch controlsso got it on Steam
  
• NO KEYBINDINGS FOR ANYTHING!!! need to rotate an object, change the number of sequence, change the state, Must click the stupid icons #FAIL
  
• Keybindings isn't worth not liking a game. What I don't like is there is only one solution to every puzzle :0. NOOO!!!
  
• There is no out of the box thinking, not like others in similar genre.
  
• When I see programming as the genre tag, I expect games like all of Zachtronic's. Maybe I expect too much
  
  
  My Score:
  D
  
  Paid: Refunded
  Main Reason for dislike: Too simple
  
  Games similar that are better:
  
  • SpaceChem( the best in the genre, completely open ended, also the most complicated.)
    
  • Infinifactory ( Basically SpaceChem 3D, but easier to learn, still hard though, made by the same developer too
    
  • LYNE ( more linear solutions, and somewhat harder)