Turing Machine

Turing Machine: an analogue computer in a deduction game

Turing Machine is a fascinating and competitive deduction game. The game gives you the unique experience of questioning a proto-computer that works without electricity or any form of technology. And all that in the shape of a board game!

Ever since the Turing machine was introduced in 1936, there has been a suspicion (unprovable) that the Turing machine is a perfect model of computability. That means that everything that can be calculated mechanically can be calculated by a Turing machine, and whatever cannot be calculated by a Turing machine is not mechanically computable.

Sorry, a proto-computer? Mechanically computable? Are you a bit off your Turing?

Nope! OK. Grab a cup of coffee, tea or a glass of water. We will explain. It all started with Alan Turing.

Alan Turing was one of the pioneers of computer science. He was so early that computers were not really being built yet while he was active. Most of his work (and that of other people) consisted of theoretical mathematics.

You can compare it to today's quantum computers. Many articles and algorithms are written about them (and for them), but so far nobody has built a practical example.

A theoretical computer

To explore the possible limits of computers, Alan Turing designed a theoretical computer. His computer used a punched tape for instructions and a magnetic tape as memory.

This was not practical, and it was not meant to be practical either, but it was very easy to describe mathematically. Turing could prove that this simple computer could calculate anything, as long as it had enough time.

When more practical (so 'real') computer designs came along, researchers could prove something very special. They could show that their 'real' computers were able to imitate the Turing machine and could carry out the same calculations.

Even today, computer science often makes a distinction between computers and environments that can emulate a Turing machine and computers and environments that cannot.

How do you play Turing Machine?

In Turing Machine you have to find a secret code. This code of three numbers is 'stored' in a Turing Machine. You put codes together using punch cards. Every punch card has a colour and a number. By laying 3 cards on top of each other, you get a code that you present to the machine.

The machine has a number of test cards against which you check your proposed solution. In this way the machine tells you whether the number you placed in the first position meets the condition of the code.

Does your code meet a condition? Great, but that does not mean your code is correct! It only means that you meet one condition.

You only crack the code if you meet all the conditions! Do you not meet all of them? Write down the code you tried on your sheet and deduce the next possible solution.

 

A unique deduction game and perfect for the solo player

This game offers more than seven million problems, from simple to mind-bendingly complex combinations, so the gameplay is endless! Besides the original competitive mode, you can join forces as a team or try to beat the game itself while playing solo. Along with the rules, we have added a file with 8500 codes to crack. That will keep you busy for a while!