Human Resource Machine in IOS

Puzzle

Walkthrough, Guilds, Tips on this special game

Our Site Score

93/100

Human Resource Machine is the best introduction to logic and programming I've ever seen. It manages to make the dry subject of Assembly language feel like a fun, dark corporate satire. The puzzles start simple—move a box from A to B—but quickly turn into complex algorithmic challenges.

The visual style from the Tomorrow Corporation team is as charming and weird as ever. It's incredibly satisfying to finally get a program to run and see your little office worker zip around. It doesn't just teach you how to code; it teaches you how to think, and that’s far more valuable.

Reviewed on: Tue Feb 24 2026
Dinsun Avatar

Dinsun Review

I’ll give it to Tomorrow Corporation: they know how to make a game look unique. The art style is fantastic—bleak but full of character. This isn't your typical 'match three' mobile garbage. It’s actually teaching you the fundamentals of low-level programming without calling it that. You’re moving tiles in and out of 'inboxes' and 'outboxes' using a very limited set of commands.

It gets hard. Fast. If you aren't naturally inclined toward logic puzzles or haven't touched a line of code in your life, you might hit a wall early on. It demands a level of focus and patience that most mobile games avoid. It’s a bit dry at times, and the corporate satire, while funny, is spread thin. But for a certain type of mind—the type that likes to optimize systems—this is gold. It’s a serious game for serious players.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

  • Genuine logic and programming education
  • Distinctive and dark humor
  • Satisfyingly difficult optimization challenges
  • Extreme difficulty spikes
  • Can feel more like work than play
  • Limited help/hint system

Technical Report

Performance: Flawless port; the drag-and-drop programming is very tactile on touch screens.

Accessibility:
  • Subtitles

Audience Fit

Buy if: You love puzzles, logic, or want a fun way to learn the basics of how CPUs work.

Skip if: You want to relax or find math and programming-style logic tedious.

Similar Games:
  • 7 Billion Humans
  • TIS-100

Reviewer Context

  • Reviewer: Dinsun - 40yo Male Conservative Critical Gamer
  • Hardware: iPad Air (M2)
  • Playtime: 15 hours
  • Status: Finished all levels and most optimizations

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

Version 1.0.9Tue Dec 11 2018

Updated for devices with wider aspect ratios.


Program little office workers to solve puzzles. Be a good employee! The machines are coming... for your job.

- Included in the 'App Store Best of 2016'.

- A worldwide App Store Editors’ Choice.

- Winner of Excellence in Innovation by the International Mobile Gaming Awards.

Human Resource Machine is a puzzle game for nerds. In each level, your boss gives you a job. Automate it by programming your little office worker. If you succeed, you'll be promoted up to the next level for another year of work in the vast office building. Congratulations!

Don't worry if you've never programmed before - programming is just puzzle solving. If you strip away all the 1's and 0's and scary squiggly brackets, programming is simple, logical, beautiful, and something that anyone can understand and have fun with! Are you already an expert? There will be extra challenges for you.

From the creators of World of Goo and Little Inferno. Have fun! Management is watching.

REVIEWS:

“Amidst the trend of instant gratification that the internet and gaming as a whole has perpetuated, having a game that both excels in its puzzles and also challenges your wider perception of it is commendable, and makes Human Resource Machine exponentially essential.”

- Touch Arcade 5/5

“Sometimes a game catches you by surprise. Be it with its ingenuity, its style, or its sense of humor. Other times a game catches you with all three, like Human Resource Machine.”

- Gamezebo 9/10

"Human Resource Machine Could Be The App Of The Year”

- Mobile n’ Apps


Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Program little office workers to solve puzzles. Be a good employee! The machines are coming... for your job.

- Included in the 'App Store Best of 2016'.

- A worldwide App Store Editors’ Choice.

- Winner of Excellence in Innovation by the International Mobile Gaming Awards.

Human Resource Machine is a puzzle game for nerds. In each level, your boss gives you a job. Automate it by programming your little office worker. If you succeed, you'll be promoted up to the next level for another year of work in the vast office building. Congratulations!

Don't worry if you've never programmed before - programming is just puzzle solving. If you strip away all the 1's and 0's and scary squiggly brackets, programming is simple, logical, beautiful, and something that anyone can understand and have fun with! Are you already an expert? There will be extra challenges for you.

From the creators of World of Goo and Little Inferno. Have fun! Management is watching.

REVIEWS:

“Amidst the trend of instant gratification that the internet and gaming as a whole has perpetuated, having a game that both excels in its puzzles and also challenges your wider perception of it is commendable, and makes Human Resource Machine exponentially essential.”

- Touch Arcade 5/5

“Sometimes a game catches you by surprise. Be it with its ingenuity, its style, or its sense of humor. Other times a game catches you with all three, like Human Resource Machine.”

- Gamezebo 9/10

"Human Resource Machine Could Be The App Of The Year”

- Mobile n’ Apps


Ratings & Reviews

4.5 out of 5 with 409 Counts
Age Rating 9+

Screenshots

Human Resource Machine screenshot 1Human Resource Machine screenshot 2Human Resource Machine screenshot 3Human Resource Machine screenshot 4Human Resource Machine screenshot 5Human Resource Machine screenshot 6Human Resource Machine screenshot 7Human Resource Machine screenshot 8Human Resource Machine screenshot 9Human Resource Machine screenshot 10

Human Resource Machine is a puzzle game that uses the core concepts of computer programming to solve increasingly difficult tasks. Each level represents a year of employment in a giant office building, where you must use a simple set of commands to move numbered boxes from an 'Inbox' to an 'Outbox'. As the years pass, the tasks become more complex, requiring loops, conditional logic, and memory management. Created by the designers of World of Goo and Little Inferno, it’s a brilliant, humorous, and challenging dive into the world of logic.

Features

1

Over 40 levels of logic-based puzzles

2

Satirical corporate storyline and unique art style

3

Teaches real programming concepts like loops and pointers

4

Optimization challenges for advanced players

5

From the creators of World of Goo

Tips

Promotion Videos

Human Resource Machine (by Experimental Gameplay Group) - iOS/Android - YouTube

Related Videos

Recommended Links

Tomorrow Corporation

Developer site with more info on their unique titles.

Dev

News on this game

(PDF) Artificial Intelligence in Human Resources Management: Challenges and a Path Forward

Finally, embedded AI focuses on algorithms that are invisible to the user; that is, they operate "behind the scenes" and do not have a...

ResearchGate - Thu May 29 2025

Tomorrow Corp. discusses total sales for Little Inferno and Human Resource Machine, talks about their unique approach to games

Tomorrow Corp. is known for making some rather unique, out-there games, but it's an approach that has worked for them.

GoNintendo - Mon Apr 29 2019

"We've never made a game with a jump button, and we don't plan to start now"

Tomorrow Corporation's Kyle Gabler and Kyle Gray share their thoughts on quietly succeeding without being on social media, attending conventions, advertising,...

GamesIndustry.biz - Mon Apr 29 2019

Tomorrow Corporation has announced '7 Billion Humans', a followup to Human Resource Machine

Tomorrow Corporation has announced '7 Billion Humans' as a followup to the puzzle game Human Resource Machine and it's coming to Linux.

GamingOnLinux - Wed Aug 29 2018

When AI Teammates Come On Board, Performance Drops

Even when machine intelligence outperforms human workers, when it replaces a human colleague, group productivity falls, a new study found.

Harvard Business Review - Fri Nov 29 2024

Climb corporate ladder with Human Resource Machine

Human Resource Machine. Cost: $4.99. Seller: Experimental Gameplay Group Devices: iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch

Cayman Compass - Sun Jan 29 2017

Stingy bots can improve human welfare in experimental sharing networks | Scientific Reports

Machines powered by artificial intelligence increasingly permeate social networks with control over resources. However, machine allocation...

Nature - Wed May 29 2024

Algorithmic inclusion: Shaping the predictive algorithms of artificial intelligence in hiring

Despite frequent claims that increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) in hiring will reduce the human bias that has long plagued...

Wiley Online Library - Wed Nov 29 2023

�nimo Games Studio discusses their journey, coding and Star Stuff

The Big Indie Pitch is a regular event run by the makers of Pocket Gamer and PC Games Insider. It sees indie developers engage in a...

PC Games Insider - Mon Jan 29 2024

How Google Became Such a Great Place To Work

A few years ago, Google's human resources department noticed a problem: A lot of women were leaving the company. Like the majority of...

Slate - Thu Aug 29 2013

Gameplays

Q&A

No prior coding experience is needed! The game starts with the basics and teaches you everything you need through visual puzzles.

More by Developer

You Might Also Like

90
76
Railbound
Last Update: Tue Dec 03 2024
93
74
Hitman GO
Last Update: Thu Feb 12 2026
88
74
Boxville
Last Update: Thu Jan 11 2024
98
78
Threes!
Last Update: Tue Jun 03 2025
95
74
Osmos
Last Update: Fri Oct 10 2025

All Categories

Puzzle Game

Action Game

Simulation Game

Casual Game

Adventure Game

Card Game

Roleplaying Game

Board Game

Sports Game

Strategy Game

Racing Game

Family Game

Casino Game

Music Game

Word Game

Trivia Game

Education Game

Games Game

Entertainment Game

Utilities Game

Social Networking Game

Books Game

Health & Fitness Game

Lifestyle Game