Fun is subjective. I enjoyed how there are many valid routes to a solution, it’s a constrained solution space but the levels that come with the game are all still solvable many different ways. (all 3 are the same game. There is also TIS-100, Shenzhen IO, Exapunks, and Molek-Syntez. Same game. )
What others say is that a Zachtronics game makes you feel smart. Because of the freedom you have to a solution, sometimes you get an “ah-ha” moment and pick a solution that may be different from the typical one. You can also sometimes break the rules, like letting garbage pile up that doesn’t quite fail your test cases.
I agree with you an IDE would make the game easier though not necessarily more fun. FPS games do not give you an aimbot even though in some of them it is perfectly consistent with the theme of the game world. Kerbal space program does not give you anything like the flight control avionics that Apollo 11 actually had, you have to land on the Mun the hard way.
Fun is subjective. I enjoyed how there are many valid routes to a solution, it’s a constrained solution space but the levels that come with the game are all still solvable many different ways. (all 3 are the same game. There is also TIS-100, Shenzhen IO, Exapunks, and Molek-Syntez. Same game. )
What others say is that a Zachtronics game makes you feel smart. Because of the freedom you have to a solution, sometimes you get an “ah-ha” moment and pick a solution that may be different from the typical one. You can also sometimes break the rules, like letting garbage pile up that doesn’t quite fail your test cases.
I agree with you an IDE would make the game easier though not necessarily more fun. FPS games do not give you an aimbot even though in some of them it is perfectly consistent with the theme of the game world. Kerbal space program does not give you anything like the flight control avionics that Apollo 11 actually had, you have to land on the Mun the hard way.