4917 - Machine Code for Kids

This is a card game for teaching kids how to read and write machine code, using a simple 4 bit computer with very simple instruction set, 2 general purpose registers and only 16 cells of addressable memory. Just to manage your expectations, those are basically 54 tiny programs that I spent 2 months writing, in the guide there are examples how to play, but I mainly just walk through the code with my daughter during lunch or in the bus.

[HOW TO PLAY]

[START THE DEBUGGER]

The cards have 54 small programs, illustrating various low level concepts such as:

1. fetch execute cycle
2. instruction arguments
3. variables
4. pointers
5. self modifying programs
6. self corrupting programs
7. self referencing code
8. integer overflows and underflows
9. control flow and addressable memory
10. code is data
11. data ia code
12. debugging

The game is based on Richard Buckland's 4 bit computer

Note: When you play with your kid, install x64dbg and show them the actual machine code of a program as it is being executed. Another thing that is really helpful is if you write a small C program that does somewhat the same thing as a specific card to illustrate it better.