Games You Might Have Missed: Human Resource Machine

Tomorrow Corporation’s Human Resource Machine is a puzzler with an interesting concept: it teaches you the basics of coding. Each part of the office represents aspects of coding: the inbox and outbox are input and output, the boxes on the floor are memory, the boxes on the conveyor belt are data, etc.

You play as a worker in a soulless office building. Each floor gives you a task which you can automate to advance. Using commands, you create a plan that your little robot office worker will follow to get your work done. These commands are simplified examples of coding language that cause a program to run.

If you’re like me, a game that wants you to play by coding might sound a bit intimidating. But Human Resource Machine does a great job of easing you into the systems. You start with only two commands, and more are only added once you’ve been taught how to use the ones you already have. Mastering each set of commands as you move up in the office is extremely satisfying. I felt so smart every time I solved a puzzle and got to watch my little worker complete the task.

More experienced in coding? Human Resource Machine can still provide a challenge. Every level has “Optimization Challenges” that test your ability to optimize your program’s size and how quickly it can be performed. It can be really fun to try to figure out how to reduce the length of your program even by one command, or to see if you can have fewer steps.

Next time you’re looking for a puzzle game, give Human Resource Machine a try. It’s available on Steam, Switch, and Wii U for $9.99 and on iOS and Android for $4.99.