8-bitBot

8-bitBot is a programming puzzle game where you have to solve coding challenges by programming small bots to move around, pick up and drop items, and interact with the environment. The programming is done by putting primitive instructions into a matrix of instruction slots. The bots will then execute the instructions in order, and you have to make sure they achieve the goal of the level.

I started writing a small coding game for the boys and girls day at my workplace, but then I thought I could extend it so it becomes a full game...

Work history:

• 2025-07-15: Started development
• 2025-07-22: First online version
• 2025-07-24: Version deployed for students to play (deadline)
• 2025-07-25: Updated UI graphics with animations and 2x improved texture resolution (from 128x128 to 256x256!). Also adding font (Blue Highway, from Typodermic)
• 2025-07-27: Program lanes now vertical and showing multiple programs at once on the left side. Only instruction slots are locked that have been already played back.
• 2025-07-28: Adding a fewsounds
• 2025-07-30: Adding music, a credits screen and a logo. Atlas texture is now 512x512. HUGE!
• 2025-07-31: Fixing a few bugs I introduced yesterday. Working on intro screen.
• 2025-08-04: Much rework behind the scenes:
  • Game is now running on desktop too (for development)
  • Reworked all instructions - the old saves are not compatible anymore; SORRY!
  • Register: certain operations can now utilize a single register value...
  • Conditional goto: if the register is not 0, jump to the instruction
  • Increment register: increases the value of the register by 1
  • Decrement register: decreases the value of the register by 1
  • Read sensor: Detect if forward path is blocked and write 1 to the register if it is
  • Load register: write a value into the register
  • New levels: 12 and 13 to test the new instructions
  • Plain goto instruction as well
• 2025-08-07: Adding a sandbox level. Not very functional, but already a bit useful. Up to 3 bots can be spawned in sandbox mode.
• 2025-08-09:
  • Adding boxes and making conveyors work. Also placeable in sandbox mode
• 2025-08-30:
  • Adding box consumers and producers. Also placeable and configurable in sandbox mode
• 2025-09-17:
  • Sandbox editor is quite feature complete
  • Improved shading; using now a simple SSAO and outline shading system
  • Sharing sandbox levels via URLs
  • Production and consuming bugfixes
  • Registered a Steam page; need to set it up
• 2025-09-19:
  • Various bugfixes in UI and gameplay
  • Replaced 3d models of bots with ones that don't clip through walls as much
• 2025-11-01:
  • A lot of changes
  • Decorations, markers, tutorial system, new music, new tiles, ...
• 2025-11-03:
  • Page sized better to allow playing without fullscreen
  • Moving the project from coding_puzzle to 8-bitBot and setting up the domains 8-bitbot.com (and some others)