Human Resource Machine

Release Date: October 15, 2015

Puzzle, 2D, programming, indie games, experimental/artistic, singleplayer

7.1

OpenCritic

95%

Steam

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Another game by Tomorrow Corporation, combining the mechanics of logic games with a rather serious topic (rarely occurs in the genre) and unique visuals. The player assumes the role of a corporate worker who begins their long way to the top, having taken up the lowest job position on the 1st floor. Each in-game level represents a year of work in the corporation, when the protagonist has to complete a certain task from their superior.

Videos and Screens

7.1

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 48% of Critics. There are 21 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

Nintendo Life: 7 / 10 by Steve Bowling

Human Resource Machine is one of the most difficult puzzle games we've played in quite some time. It's not difficult for difficulty's sake though, it's difficult because it's different. It requires you to think less like a gamer and more like a developer. One of Human Resource Machine's only major fault is that there are far too few puzzles; its 38 puzzles go very quickly once you have the hang of how to program, leaving a game that could be completed in under an hour depending on your skill level. For those with no programming background, these same puzzles could take hours of your time. It's an excellent game, it'd just be better if there was more of it; that's not a bad problem to have.By their nature, the puzzles in this game are going to limit its potential audience, and the explanations the game provides don't do the best job of conveying how to order commands and do little to advise on how to optimize your code to achieve secondary objectives. That's appealing for some, but is worth acknowledging as a potential drawback for others.Human Resource Machine is a good game, bordering on great. It's just missing a few little tweaks.

Full Review

Nintendo Enthusiast: 8 / 10 by Jonathan Harrington

Human Resource Machine is great. The gameplay is superb, finding the perfect middle ground between complex riddles/simple solutions wrapped in an stellar set of gameplay systems. The visuals are expectedly gorgeous, clever, and unique. The music is stellar, and the story, world, and characters are engaging. There's even some well done humor thrown in. The puzzles may get too complex at times, but Human Resource Machine is a game anyone with an interest in challenging puzzlers should play.

Full Review

We Got This Covered: 4 / 5 by Shaan Joshi

As clever as it is charming, Human Resource Machine is a must-have for anyone interested in puzzles and programming.

Full Review

95%

STEAM Score

All Reviews: Very Positive (2,932)

STEAM

Human Resource Machine Description

Human Resource Machine is another innovative game from Tomorrow Corporation, creators of World of Goo and Little Inferno - both well-received by the players and critics alike. Human Resource Machine combines logic elements with a rarely-seen story and unique graphics.

The players assume the role of an employee working for a respected corporation, who starts his journey up the corporate ladder from the very bottom. Each level symbolizes a year of work in which the user has to complete various tasks assigned by his superiors. To achieve that, we have to program instructions and run automated processes that will complete the task, which can involve things like assembling puzzles with numerical values and creating their various combinations.

Human Resource Machine distinguishes itself not only with its unconventional idea, but also with a bit surrealistic graphics and the story it depicts. Although the plot is rather humorous, it does sometimes bring about a moment of reflection, as in the game, the humans struggle to keep their jobs in a world where machines are seen as a better option.

Last updated on October 21, 2015