# Playing Zachtronics as homework

> Why cracked.guide schedules ten programming games next to Knuth and Crafting Interpreters, what each checkpoint asks, and how to keep them in their lane.

By Dane Dolph. Published 2026-10-20 on the cracked.guide blog.

Ten games run through the 145 weeks: eight from Zachtronics, plus Factorio and Satisfactory. They are not a reward for finishing the real work. They are part of it, scheduled like everything else, with a start week and a checkpoint.

## Why games at all

Two reasons. First, the advice the path is built on says so: Jonathan Blow recommends the Zachtronics games (except the visual novel), Factorio and Satisfactory before Knuth ([his advice, in context](https://cracked.guide/learn/jonathan-blow-advice)). Second, they train the loop programming is made of, in a form you will want to do: read a manual for a strange machine, plan, test, debug, then optimize against a histogram of everyone else's solutions.

They also make a plan this long survivable. A week of hard Knuth math goes better with an hour of Shenzhen I/O in it.

## The schedule

| Game | Starts | Checkpoint |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TIS-100 | Week 1 | Solve the first 15 puzzles (week 7) |
| Shenzhen I/O | Week 11 | Solve the first 12 puzzles (week 17) |
| EXAPUNKS | Week 19 | Solve the first 12 puzzles (week 27) |
| SpaceChem | Week 31 | Solve the first 12 puzzles (week 38) |
| Infinifactory | Week 46 | Solve the first 12 puzzles (week 52) |
| Opus Magnum | Week 64 | Solve the first 12 puzzles (week 72) |
| Factorio | Week 79 | Launch a rocket (week 92) |
| MOLEK-SYNTEZ | Week 96 | Solve the first 8 puzzles (week 105) |
| Satisfactory | Week 108 | Space Elevator Phase 2 (week 117) |
| Last Call BBS | Week 122 | First 5 puzzles in two of its games (week 131) |

TIS-100 starts in week 1 next to the first interpreter chapters on purpose: it is assembly for a tiny machine, which is a good warm-up for MIX later. One game at a time, so you buy them as you go. [Which games teach what](https://cracked.guide/learn/best-programming-games).

## Keeping games in their lane

The checkpoints are modest on purpose: the first dozen puzzles, not 100% completion. An hour or two a week is the budget. Factorio and Satisfactory are the dangerous ones, which is why their checkpoints are clear finish lines (a rocket, a space elevator phase). Hit it, and stop until the path says otherwise.

What it all costs, and the bundle that covers every Zachtronics title, is on the [gear page](https://cracked.guide/gear).

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Source: https://cracked.guide/blog/playing-zachtronics-as-homework
cracked.guide: A free, dated 145-week path to getting genuinely cracked at programming.