Logic gate games: build a computer one gate at a time
Logic gate games turn wiring gates into puzzles, and several keep going until you have built a working computer. Well-known examples are Turing Complete, nandgame, Silicon Zeroes, MHRD, Logic World, Digital Logic Sim and SHENZHEN I/O; they differ in where you start (relays, a NAND gate or ready-made parts), whether there is a goal, and whether you wire or write code. digiwleea is a free browser course in the same spirit that starts one level lower, with transistors. Here is how they compare.
What these games do well
They make the abstract concrete: a gate that does not work fails a level, so you learn by fixing it. The puzzle games give you a goal for every step, the sandboxes let you build whatever you imagine, and the code-based ones get you writing hardware or assembly early. (digiwleea is an independent project, not affiliated with any of the games below.)
Where digiwleea fits
digiwleea is a guided course rather than a single game, and it runs in the browser with nothing to install; the lab and the first act are free. You start from CMOS transistors and build NOT and NAND yourself, then adders, latches, registers, RAM and control logic, up to an 8-bit CPU that you program in assembly, with every part checked against its truth table, XP and achievements along the way, free theory lessons and an AI tutor (Wleea).
The games, one by one
- Turing Complete (paid, on Steam): build a working computer starting from a single NAND gate, wiring gates, an ALU, memory and a CPU as you solve puzzles. Compared with digiwleea.
- nandgame (free, in the browser): start by making a NAND gate from relays, then build logic gates, arithmetic, switching, an ALU and memory up to a processor, one level at a time. Compared.
- Silicon Zeroes (paid, Steam; Windows, macOS, Linux): more than seventy open-ended puzzles assembling adders, latches and multiplexers, up to fully functional CPUs. Compared.
- MHRD (paid, Steam; Windows, macOS, Linux): write each design as text in the game's own hardware description language, through more than 20 specifications to a CPU. Compared.
- Logic World (paid, Steam Early Access; Windows, macOS, Linux): a first-person 3D sandbox for building circuits from 30 components, alone or in multiplayer. Compared.
- Digital Logic Sim (name your own price on itch.io; Windows, macOS, Linux): Sebastian Lague's sandbox, where you start with a NAND gate and build chips from chips, with no set goal. Compared.
- SHENZHEN I/O (paid, Steam; Windows, macOS, Linux): build devices from microcontrollers, memory, logic gates and LCDs, and program the microcontrollers in assembly. Compared.
- digiwleea (free lab and Act I, in the browser): a 40+ level course from CMOS transistors to an 8-bit CPU you program in assembly. Start the free course.
Which one to pick
For puzzles with a clear goal, Turing Complete or Silicon Zeroes. For something free in the browser, nandgame or digiwleea. For free-form building, Logic World or Digital Logic Sim. For writing hardware as code, MHRD; for assembly puzzles, SHENZHEN I/O. For a step-by-step course that explains every part, down to the transistor, digiwleea.
No sign-up is needed to start: open the lab and place your first transistor, or read the free theory course. The account (and the AI tutor) are optional.
See for yourself: build a logic gate from transistors in the simulator, then follow the path from sand to an 8-bit CPU.
Open the digiwleea lab →Frequently asked
What is the best logic gate game?
It depends on what you want. Turing Complete and Silicon Zeroes are puzzle games that end with a working CPU; nandgame is free in the browser; Logic World and Digital Logic Sim are open sandboxes; MHRD has you write hardware as code; digiwleea is a free browser course that starts from transistors.
Is there a free logic gate game?
Yes. nandgame is free in the browser, and digiwleea's lab and first act of the course are free in the browser too. Digital Logic Sim is sold on a name-your-own-price basis on itch.io.
Which games let you build a whole computer from logic gates?
Turing Complete, nandgame, Silicon Zeroes and MHRD all build up to a working CPU, and in Logic World's sandbox you can build your own computer. digiwleea goes one level lower and builds the gates themselves from transistors first.
Are logic gate games good for learning?
They are a good way to get hands-on: every puzzle makes you apply an idea, and a wrong circuit visibly fails. Pair a game with theory, such as free lessons on Boolean algebra and computer architecture, to understand why each design works.