Show HN: A puzzle game inspired by functional programming, written in PureScript

Thank you! I started this project with plain JS + lodash, went on to JS + ramda and ended up using PureScript. I absolutely recommend it. I also have been using Haste before (Haskell to JavaScript), but I really like the lightweight architecture around PureScript, the super-simple FFI and the generated JS.

It would be better if we could see the adjacent cubes with same color clearly. Especially on objective part, it is hard to determine how long a line segment is if it is same color.

Like others I would like to second the visualization of block sizes better. And a brief explanation of commands like stackEqual (is there some sort of normalization going on to unit size?). push(X) would probably be better read as layer(X) or stack(X).

Is there a way to normalize the program into a text string and also convert text string back into the program. This would allow for easy cut/paste sharing between users (including HN comments).

This feedback is based on having completed up to 1.2 only.

How about an in-row voxelperson or checkered flag, or something which indicates solved?

[white] as a catchall is a bit misleading. Perhaps a different border color or an asterisk inside the square to clearly mark that it's not an actual white block?

An intro would've been nice for people like me who know nothing about functional programming.

* Rather than saying to hit 'R' to reset have a button (keyboard can work too, but only allowing the keyboard goes against the rest of the game which is mouse/touch driven).

* On the right have the words "Goal" on top of the image, maybe put a box around it or something to separate it from the other images that appear.

* For the first level you need a "pit of success". Limit the available functions to only the one that works.

* The first few levels need to introduce and teach the user how to use each and every function separately. Say for 12 levels the first three teach/introduce a concept, the next 6 are actual simple/medium levels and the final 3 are the more difficult (but not impossible) levels before repeating and introducing a new concept.

* When you solve it don't put the message up top in little text, but next to the program and bigger bolder so the user knows. Ideally with some sort of css transition.

* When you solve it put a link to "Play next level" or automatically go to the next level after a short animation or something

* Only expose levels after you have beat them.

* After doing a function rather than instantly showing the next cube put a .5 second opacity transition (or something) so the user will notice what they did.

Lastly, but most importantly play test in person. Show someone your game, but don't say a single word. Write down everything they do wrong and debate how you can improve it and try again. Do not give them advice on what to do. If they can't figure it out neither will a ton of random people on the internet (I didn't the first time I saw the game and just closed it as I didn't realize I had to drag it over and I was on a tablet and saw the 'R' command and figure there was other keyboard only commands.)

Remember it is not fun to lose. Hard is fun, but you want to guild the user to have fun, be challenged, and build on the game concepts you have taught them. It isn't fun to give up because you have no clue what to do.

If you build in a way that users can create puzzles and share them (say by putting the user generated level in the url) the game would have more life as users spread the word by showing off their creations.

When you try to apply all functions, the space becomes limited and you cannot see the resulting piece, especially when it gets tall.

The block function diagrams would be clearer if they were stacked like they work instead of being turned on their side. That is,

    ▥ ↦ ▥ ▧

could instead be:

         ▧ 
    ▥ ↦ ▥

I hope that makes sense!

Also, the dropdown menu for levels could be replaced by something more informational (perhaps a tree control?), that indicated e.g. by color which levels have already been solved.

Poseidon was very tough for me, but I got it just now! Had to go back to it after finishing the rest. If you rotated the entire block display 90 degree vertically then the commands would match the display (as in R -> R R shows two red blocks adjacently instead of vertically), without having to make the commands too tall. (Just a possibility, maybe not a great way to do it.)

I couldn't come up with a better name for this function. I will try to add a help-panel or introductory chapters to make this more clear. Thank you very much for the feedback.

Thank you for the feedback. I will definitely work on these two points.

Thank you. The drag and drop should work on mobile (I use https://github.com/RubaXa/Sortable). I definitely have to make the layout responsive, however.

On the contrary. It was a pleasure working with Isomer! It's an integral part of the game .. thank you very much!

Thank you! I haven't really worked on a nice 'transition' in difficulty. I will try to add more introductory levels with explanations in the future.

Absolutely! I fixed it: https://github.com/sharkdp/cube-composer/commit/ece7c6dbeb0b...

Thanks for the feedback!

stackEqual stacks neighboring blocks of the same color on top of each other.