Like TIS-100, but you build the processor too
TIS-100 is an open-ended programming game by Zachtronics, released on Steam in July 2015 for Windows, macOS and Linux, and billed as "the assembly language programming game you never asked for". You rewrite corrupted code on a fictional massively parallel computer made of interconnected nodes, working from a printable reference manual styled after a 1980s computer manual, through more than 45 puzzles where you compete on cycle, instruction and node counts, plus three sandboxes for your own designs. 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 TIS-100 is good at
It is a cult classic for good reason, rated Overwhelmingly Positive by more than 2,500 English reviews on Steam: real assembly thinking, parallel nodes passing values to each other, and leaderboards that send you back for a better score. (digiwleea is an independent project, not affiliated with Zachtronics.)
How digiwleea is different
The TIS-100 is a fictional machine you program from the outside. digiwleea has you build a real one: in your browser you start from CMOS transistors and wire gates, adders, an ALU, registers, RAM and control logic into an 8-bit CPU, 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. TIS-100 is the better pick for hard assembly puzzles and optimization; digiwleea is the better pick for learning how a processor executes those instructions. If you like the Zachtronics style, see also the SHENZHEN I/O comparison.
| TIS-100 | 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 | Nodes of a fictional parallel computer | The CPU you built |
| The hardware | Fixed by the game | Built by you, from transistors up |
| Structure | 45+ puzzles and 3 sandboxes | 40+ level course + theory lessons |
| AI tutor | No | Yes (Wleea) |
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 TIS-100 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.