ChipWits
Platform: Commodore 64
Gametype: Undefined
_________________________

The player uses an iconic programming language to teach a virtual robot how to navigate various mazes of varying difficulty. The gameplay straddled the line between entertainment and programming education. The game was developed in MacFORTH, and later ported to the Apple II and Commodore 64. From 2006 to 2008, Mike Johnston and Doug Sharp worked on a new version of ChipWits, with playable betas available for download at ChipWits.com.

Reception

Computer Gaming World reviewed Robot Odyssey and Chipwits, preferring the former to the latter but stating that they were "incredibly vivid simulation experiences". It criticized Chipwits '​ inability to save more than 16 robots or copy a robot to a new save slot, and cautioned that it "may be too simple for people familiar with programming". The magazine added that the criticism was "more a cry for a more complex Chipwits II game than condemnation of the current product".

ChipWits won numerous awards, including MACazine Best of '85, and MacUser's Editor's Choice 1985 Award as well as being named the The 8th Best Apple Game of All Time by Maclife.

Windows version

In 2006, a complete rewrite of the original game for Microsoft Windows was done by Klaus Breuer, and is available at his website.[2] His intention was to replicate the original as faithfully as possible, and release the source code. He also wanted to remove the limitations of saves, and other resources and make the game easier to customize and translate to other languages. It is almost complete, but poor health caused him to give up the task.

---

Description from the packaging:

And you thought understanding computers would be difficult. Well it's not if you have the right teacher- a teacher who makes learning a lot of fun. That's why you need Chipwits, the lovable little robots that teach the principles of computer programming. 

Start in the workshop, where you program the Chipwit for adventures. Should he look for a pie first? Or zap that Electro-crab over in the corner? Programming a Chipwit is easy, because the workshop has pictures that represent the actions he can perform. You can make a Chipwit move, eat a piece of pie or even sing a song! 

When your program is ready, send Chipwit on any of eight different adventures. Watch your Chipwit try to solve the Mystery Matrix, untangle Octopus Garden or explore Chipwit Caves. If he makes a mistake, simply return to the workshop and change his program. The more he learns, the more you learn, too! 

Chipwits. Who would have thought learning could be so much fun? 

16 Different Chipwits Robots to program. 

8 Challenging adventures: From easy to difficult. 

Easy-to-recognize icons identify all 16 robot functions. 

Multiple displays make programming concepts easy to understand. 

Joystick or KoalaPad controlled. 

One player.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChipWits
