Code Tower
This game is from the old Ludum Dare platform. You can try viewing the original page on Web Archive
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It's a tile matching game where you enter small programs (mostly mathematical formulas) using Polish notation.
Probably best you watch me play it on Youtube before you play as it's kind of hard to pick up, but feel free to read the instructions below...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN_LyMZCOgU
If you're not familiar with Polish notation you might want to read up on it, but basically it means the operator goes first (instead of in the middle). For example
+ 1 2 = 1 + 2 = 3
+ 1 * 2 3 = 1 + (2 * 3) = 7
- - 1 2 3 = (1 - 2) - 3 = -4
The benefit is that precedence is implicit (no brackets) which is necessary for the game to work. The down side is that it's pretty hard to read. The game tries to help you enter valid expressions by colour coding your selection.
Green = section OK
Red = section missing parameters
Purple = extra parameters
Dark gray = invalid parameter
Longer chains of operations should, on average, yield rarer operators in the replacement tiles. The operators should be reasonably familiar, but just in case
+ 2 parameters, adds them together
- 2 parameters, subtracts the second one from the first
* 2 parameters, multiplies them together
++ one parameter, adds one to it
-- one parameter, subtracts one from it
acc one parameter, adds the parameter to the current score
tim one parameter, adds the parameter to the remaining time
Finally it's only really tested in Chrome (it's HTML5), but I have had some promising results in Android and iOS browsers.
Oooh comments! First of all, thanks for playing. Some people seem to be missing a couple of the nuances, which is understandable because the learning curve is vertical
1) You can build equations in any direction (not just left to right)
2) The first level (you only get One(s)) only gives you plus's and ones, variety increases on later levels (which are always unlocked). The first three levels are really just training levels.
3) It's a word play on the theme, because the only number you ever get fall from the top is 1 (you only get one - although this is technically untrue as you can also get zeros)
4) There is no ending or win condition as such, although the last 3 levels do have an end as they are timed. Would have liked to have a high-score server or something, but it didn't happen
5) I think RPN is short for Reverse Polish Notation, this only uses Polish Notation (so PN?)
Probably best you watch me play it on Youtube before you play as it's kind of hard to pick up, but feel free to read the instructions below...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN_LyMZCOgU
If you're not familiar with Polish notation you might want to read up on it, but basically it means the operator goes first (instead of in the middle). For example
+ 1 2 = 1 + 2 = 3
+ 1 * 2 3 = 1 + (2 * 3) = 7
- - 1 2 3 = (1 - 2) - 3 = -4
The benefit is that precedence is implicit (no brackets) which is necessary for the game to work. The down side is that it's pretty hard to read. The game tries to help you enter valid expressions by colour coding your selection.
Green = section OK
Red = section missing parameters
Purple = extra parameters
Dark gray = invalid parameter
Longer chains of operations should, on average, yield rarer operators in the replacement tiles. The operators should be reasonably familiar, but just in case
+ 2 parameters, adds them together
- 2 parameters, subtracts the second one from the first
* 2 parameters, multiplies them together
++ one parameter, adds one to it
-- one parameter, subtracts one from it
acc one parameter, adds the parameter to the current score
tim one parameter, adds the parameter to the remaining time
Finally it's only really tested in Chrome (it's HTML5), but I have had some promising results in Android and iOS browsers.
Oooh comments! First of all, thanks for playing. Some people seem to be missing a couple of the nuances, which is understandable because the learning curve is vertical
1) You can build equations in any direction (not just left to right)
2) The first level (you only get One(s)) only gives you plus's and ones, variety increases on later levels (which are always unlocked). The first three levels are really just training levels.
3) It's a word play on the theme, because the only number you ever get fall from the top is 1 (you only get one - although this is technically untrue as you can also get zeros)
4) There is no ending or win condition as such, although the last 3 levels do have an end as they are timed. Would have liked to have a high-score server or something, but it didn't happen
5) I think RPN is short for Reverse Polish Notation, this only uses Polish Notation (so PN?)