This or TIS-100?

[SleepyPie]

I've yet to play either and just wanted to know which was the 'better game' in your opinion. Should I play them in a certain order if I plan on playing both? Price doesn't really matter to me. Also, I might be taking C soon and was wondering if these might help ease me in?

[Meister]

May not help directly with C, but learning more programming languages and principles is always good. I've logged a few dozen hours in both games, haven't quite finished either yet, but I love them both. I do have to say though that I've felt less like playing TIS-100 since Shenzhen came out. I would guess that you'll have a better first game experience with the latter.

But get both at some point. :)

[Fabiolus]

all programming languages are basically the same in a way, if you can grasp the fundamental of it than you can become an expert in most programming languages.

Not sure really if you are talking about C# or C++ but C# would be the first step and is more user friendly than C++

I would suggest to try TSI-100 first

[SleepyPie]

Already deep in the C++ Fabiolus ; ) Just readying myself for something more low-level

[Fabiolus]

Originally posted by blind.cap.pie:

Already deep in the C++ Fabiolus ; ) Just readying myself for something more low-level

nice!

[Jale]

I liked this more, mostly because there's a greater variety in the window dressing of each task, and there's a sort of 'second game' in how you have to juggle and connect pieces.

[BlaXpirit]

I think this is a better game in all aspects.
https://steamcommunity.com/id/blaxpirit/recommended/504210

[Zednaught]

My initial impression is to recommend TIS-100 over this game. This is probably the least newbie friendly Zachtronics game to date.

[SleepyPie]

Originally posted by spontaneously_combustable:

I liked this more, mostly because there's a greater variety in the window dressing of each task, and there's a sort of 'second game' in how you have to juggle and connect pieces.

Originally posted by BlaXpirit:

I think this is a better game in all aspects.
https://steamcommunity.com/id/blaxpirit/recommended/504210

Nice, that cinches it

[Awen]

Originally posted by blind.cap.pie:

Already deep in the C++ Fabiolus ; ) Just readying myself for something more low-level

I like my coffee black, whiskey straight, and my variables strongly typed. :-)

[furrykef]

They're different enough that it's hard to say which is better value for the money. TIS-100 is cheaper, but it also doesn't have the wide variety of components that Shenzhen I/O does, for example.

If you think you might want to play both, I think you should start with TIS-100, because IMO it's kinda hard going back to it after playing Shenzhen I/O. But I found it perfectly enjoyable beforehand.

[la_nague]

Originally posted by blind.cap.pie:

Already deep in the C++ Fabiolus ; ) Just readying myself for something more low-level

C is part of C++, its not more low level. Just more limited and runs on more microprocessors.

[furrykef]

These days there really aren't many microprocessors that have a C compiler but not a C++ one. Maybe the 6502, but that processor is only of interest to retrocomputing enthusiasts like me.

I would say that C is more low level than C++, though, in the sense that C++ supports high-level abstractions better than C does. Yes, C++ is nearly a superset of C, but typical C++ code is a bit higher-level than typical C code. Compare using std::list in C++ with linked list code in C and I think you'll see what I mean.

[Mara Huldra]

I've also played TIS-100 a bit, and I think its different enough to consider getting both. The commonality is that both involve assembly programming of communicating chips, and making them past tests. But the assignments are different, the components are different, the atmosphere and story is different (Modern Shenzhen versus paranoid 70's US).

I'm also not sure yet which one is more difficult, not far enough in either game to judge :) Though Shenzhen I/O looks more colorful and playful and thus feels more attractive to new players.

Neither game will help you learn C directly. There was one programming game that I know, "jailbreak" that had a C compiler but it was online-only, the company went out of business so it is lost.

They will absolutely give you more feel how the internals of electronics and computers work, though! That may be as important for becoming a good programmer as language specifics.