Like SHENZHEN I/O, but you build the processor too
SHENZHEN I/O is a puzzle game by Zachtronics, released on Steam in November 2016 for Windows, macOS and Linux. As a new engineer at an electronics company in Shenzhen, you build devices from microcontrollers, memory, logic gates and LCD screens, program the microcontrollers in a compact assembly language where every instruction can be conditionally executed, and work from a manual of more than 30 pages of datasheets and reference guides. If that is what brought you here, digiwleea is a free, in-browser alternative with a different angle: you build a computer from the transistor up.
What SHENZHEN I/O is good at
It is a superb programming puzzle game, rated Overwhelmingly Positive by more than 2,000 English reviews on Steam: tight constraints, real datasheet reading, a sandbox for designing your own games and devices, and a solitaire game for breaks. (digiwleea is an independent project, not affiliated with Zachtronics.)
How digiwleea is different
In SHENZHEN I/O the microcontroller is a ready-made chip that runs your code. digiwleea opens the chip: you build a processor yourself in the browser, starting from CMOS transistors and going through gates, adders, an ALU, registers, RAM and control logic, following a guided 40+ level course with an AI tutor (Wleea). Then you program it in assembly (LOAD, ADD, SUB, STORE, JMP, JZ, OUT, HALT) and watch each instruction run through the circuit you wired. The lab and the first act are free. SHENZHEN I/O is the better pick for clever assembly puzzles with a story; digiwleea is the better pick for learning how the processor that runs the code works.
| SHENZHEN I/O | digiwleea | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Paid (Steam) | Free lab and Act I; Premium for the full course |
| Runs in | A downloaded game (Windows, macOS, Linux) | The browser, nothing to install |
| You program | Ready-made microcontrollers | The CPU you built |
| Hardware | Chips: microcontrollers, memory, logic gates, LCDs | Built by you, from transistors up |
| Structure | Puzzles with a story, plus a sandbox | 40+ level course + theory lessons |
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
Is digiwleea a good SHENZHEN I/O alternative?
Yes, if you want to understand digital logic from the ground up. digiwleea is a free, in-browser simulator with a guided 40+ level course where you build every gate from CMOS transistors and work up to a real 8-bit CPU, with an AI tutor to help.
Is digiwleea free?
The sandbox lab and the first act of the course are free and need no sign-up. An optional account adds the AI tutor and cross-device sync; the full course and expanded AI tutoring are included in the monthly or annual Premium subscription.
Do I need to install anything?
No. digiwleea runs entirely in your browser, on desktop or mobile, and works offline once loaded.