Solder Runner

Solder Runner is one of the most creative and entertaining adventure games I have ever played. The game is played inside a computer that is infected with viruses. You navigate through a world that looks like a circuit board and zap viruses while solving puzzles. Beads of solder can be pushed from screen to screen to block the attacks of zappers. Electrical fields can be turned off with dip switches, there are diodes that can only be passed through in one direction, there are gateways that require transistors to access, circuit breakers that can cut through voltage lines, and transformers to teleport from place to place. Data is scattered throughout the game that can be collected for points, but the viruses will destroy it. One of the best features is the map screen. There are still a few secret passages, but the game focuses on problem solving instead of finding secret passages through the frustrating systematic testing of walls and random chance. I'm reminded of God of Thunder, except that the scope is larger because a single bead of solder from one room may be needed in a room several screens away. The level design is superb. All of the elements in this game can be found in other games, but I have never seen them put together so elegantly in a game that simulates the look and feel of being inside a computer. John Reder originally published Solder Runner under the name SumWare Software. There are 3 episodes in this game, with only the first episode playable in the shareware version.