Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Human Resource Machine VS Progress Quest

Compare Human Resource Machine VS Progress Quest and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Human Resource Machine logo Human Resource Machine

Tomorrow Corporation is an independent game developer behind indie games Little Inferno and Human Resource Machine

Progress Quest logo Progress Quest

Progress Quest is a next generation computer role-playing game.
  • Human Resource Machine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-04-05
  • Progress Quest Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-08

Human Resource Machine features and specs

  • Educational Value
    Human Resource Machine teaches programming concepts in a fun and interactive manner, making it easier for beginners to grasp basic coding logic and algorithms.
  • Engaging Puzzles
    The game presents a variety of challenges that push players to think critically and problem-solve, which can be highly engaging for those who enjoy logical puzzles.
  • Unique Theme
    The office setting and storyline provide a unique theme for a programming game, which can be more relatable and entertaining for a broad audience.
  • Visual Programming
    The visual representation of coding through object movement and animations can help players better understand abstract programming concepts.
  • Creative Storytelling
    The narrative and quirky humor add an element of entertainment, keeping players invested in the game beyond its educational aspect.

Possible disadvantages of Human Resource Machine

  • Limited Replayability
    Once the puzzles are completed, there is limited incentive to replay the game unless aiming for optimized solutions.
  • Steep Difficulty Curve
    Some puzzles may become challenging quickly, potentially frustrating players who are new to programming concepts.
  • Complexity for Beginners
    While the game is educational, some beginners might find certain programming concepts and logic difficult to understand without prior exposure.
  • No Real Coding
    Although educational, the game uses its own pseudo-language; players do not learn specific programming languages used in real-world applications.
  • Limited Educational Scope
    The game primarily focuses on basic problem-solving and logic, which might not cover more advanced programming topics comprehensively.

Progress Quest features and specs

  • Simplicity
    Progress Quest is extremely simple to play as it requires no user interaction beyond the initial setup. This makes it accessible and easy to engage with for anyone with no learning curve.
  • Humor and Satire
    The game is designed as a satirical take on traditional RPG games, poking fun at the grindy, repetitive nature of gameplay by automating the entire experience.
  • Low Resource Requirement
    Due to its minimalistic design, Progress Quest uses very little system resources, making it run smoothly on virtually any computer or device.

Possible disadvantages of Progress Quest

  • Lack of Interaction
    The game has no interaction element after the initial setup, which can be a downside for players looking for an engaging gameplay experience.
  • Repetitive Nature
    Since the game runs automatically, it can become monotonous over time with little variation in gameplay, which might not appeal to everyone.
  • No Significant Rewards
    There is no real sense of achievement or progression since the game plays itself without input or strategy involved, potentially leading to a lack of satisfaction for some players.

Human Resource Machine videos

Programming game reviews: Human Resource Machine

More videos:

  • Review - Human Resource Machine review in 3 minutes -- gameplay / worth a buy? (Yes, it is.)
  • Review - Human Resource Machine REVIEW - Learn Coding (Math/Programming)

Progress Quest videos

Progress Quest - THE BEST GAME EVER

More videos:

  • Review - Let's Talk Idle - A Review of Progress Quest [#11]
  • Review - ะ›ะฃะงะจะะฏ RPG ะ’ ะ˜ะกะขะžะ ะ˜ะ˜ ะ–ะะะ ะ - Progress Quest

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Human Resource Machine and Progress Quest)
Online Learning
100 100%
0% 0
Games
29 29%
71% 71
CMS
0 0%
100% 100
Online Education
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Human Resource Machine and Progress Quest. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Progress Quest should be more popular than Human Resource Machine. It has been mentiond 46 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Human Resource Machine mentions (15)

  • Ask HN: Second generation of intro to software dev for 3rd graders
    3rd grade might be a bit young, but you can make simplified version of the 4917 computer https://punkx.org/4917/ and make few funny self modifying programs they can "compute" on pen and paper also maybe get few examples from human resource machine and play them out, this might be more fun than pb&j https://tomorrowcorporation.com/humanresourcemachine. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Six times faster than C
    This is pretty much `assembly language the game`: https://tomorrowcorporation.com/humanresourcemachine It's not a useful architecture, but it teaches the thought process really well, and you end up discovering a lot of optimization naturally. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • My teacher wants me to show him if Factorio can be used to teach programming, I need help with ideas!
    Other options have been given in this thread and I'd agree that for this particular situation the Tomorrow Corporation's "Human Resource Machine" is probably the best match. It's a constrained environment in a game that scales up to introduce this and more. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Ask HN: Technology/Creative books and games for my daughter (7 years)
    Not sure if 7 is old enough, I made this card "game" with my daughter when she was 10: https://punkx.org/4917/ which is not really a game but more like a puzzle, you have 54 small programs for a 4 bit made up computer (Richard Buckland's computer) and you have to interpret them in your head or with pen and paper. It's quite interesting to play with her when I change few instructions on a card. Other interesting... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • How would a video game based on being a sysadmin look like?
    We have programming based games like Human Resource Machine and Hacknet. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

Progress Quest mentions (46)

  • Stimulation Clicker
    I feel like Progress Quest from 2002 is the spiritual predecessor of the clicker genre: http://progressquest.com/ In that it distills the game mechanic of โ€œmake number go upโ€ into a simplistic form. It just lakes the clicking. PS, whenever I relapse and play too much World of Warcraft, I play some Cookie Clicker as a cleanse to remind myself of the fundamental pointlessness of the whole endeavor. Great game. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Fun-tastic Feista is g*d awful, the most "do nothing get rewards" content in a long while
    Behold, the pinnacle of gaming evolution!!! Source: over 2 years ago
  • Idle Games -- Explain Them to Me
    The first time I encountered something like this was Progress Quest which is now more than 20 years old apparently. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Ask HN: What is the most memorable game you played?
    Progress Quest. Quintessence of all RPG games. http://progressquest.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • It'd be cool if the "Harvest" Whisper orbs just automatically floated to you.
    Good news! Found a game just for you: http://progressquest.com. Source: about 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Human Resource Machine and Progress Quest, you can also consider the following products

Robocode - Robocode is a programming game where the goal is to code a robot battle tank to compete against...

A Dark Room - A Dark Room is an incremental clicker game with a minimalist interface and intriguing story.

CodeCombat - Learn programming with a multiplayer live coding strategy game.

Candy Box - Candy Box is a browser-based, Role-playing, Text-based and Single-player video game created and published by Aniwey.

Colobot Gold - Colobot Gold is modified version of the original https://alternativeto.

Godville - Godville - a Zero Player Game that you don't need to play