# Human Resource Machine

> Puzzle game where you program office workers to automate tasks. (iPhone/iPad app by Experimental Gameplay Group.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/human-resource-machine/id1005098334 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Experimental Gameplay Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/423269933)
- Category: Games, Education, Puzzle
- Price: $4.99
- Rating: 4.50/5 from 416 App Store ratings · 387 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 9+
- Requires: iOS 8.0 · 133 MB
- Languages: American English, Czech, Danish, Dutch, French (France), German (Germany), Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean and 9 more
- Released: 2016-06-01
- Data updated: 2026-09-05
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/human-resource-machine/id1005098334/reviews.md

## What is Human Resource Machine?

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

## Key features

- Program office workers
- Solve logic puzzles
- Automate tasks
- Progress through levels
- Learn programming concepts
- Extra challenges for experts

## Chart rankings

- #59 in Top Paid · Puzzle (US App Store)

## What do users think of Human Resource Machine?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Challenging puzzles
- 👍 Engaging gameplay
- 💡 Teaches programming concepts
- 🎨 Quirky visuals and humor

**Cons**

- 🐛 Bugs in certain levels
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay
- 🔇 No option to play own music
- 🔀 Issues with screen rotation

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Level 20 expecting incorrect output
- Scrolling issues causing commands to move
- Crashing on iOS 14 update

**Most requested features**

- More levels and challenges
- Ability to save progress across devices
- Hints or solution guides for stuck players

## Recent user reviews (10 of 387)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/human-resource-machine/id1005098334/reviews.md

### 4/5 — good but a bit confusing

*2026-06-30, version 1.0.9*

it was very fun but for every level above ten I would spend minutes thinking and my head always felt like it would explode afterwards in conclusion i think it’s a very entertaining game but it’s also realllllllly hard to solve each floor

### 5/5 — Really Enjoyable game that teaches you the basics of coding algorithms.

*2026-05-08, version 1.0.9*

I really enjoyed this game when it first came out. It looks like it hasn’t been updated in a few years, hopefully the developer hasn’t given up on this game.

### 3/5 — Amazing game! But…

*2026-03-08, version 1.0.9*

I love this game! Played it a lot when I was younger. However, I had it in my macbook all fine but now coming back years later it is asking me that I need to pay $15 on the mac appstore. I thought I had owned it previously? Why do I need to pay again?

### 5/5 — Как всегда на высоте!

*2026-01-16, version 1.0.9*

Вы можете заняться изучением этого шедевра когда вы не на работе
А теперь работать!

### 4/5 — Génial

*2025-12-13*

Le jeu que j’aurai aimé avoir quand j’ai commencé la programmation. Mes nièces sont un peu grandes ça peut leur faire une initiation à l’informatique.
Pour l’instant je suis au lvl 15 sans difficulté, j’ai juste dû réfléchir pour 2 niveaux afin de faire les défis d’optimisation en nombre de cycle. Un Tips pourrait être proposé pour donner une poste quand les gens sèchent car parfois dur de trouver la logique permettant de réduire les instructions pour un non informaticien.
Je viens de prendre 7 billions humans, malgré les remarques sur l’écriture inclusive qui n’a jamais inclus personne dans la vie réelle, mais peut exclure les personnes maîtrisant mal la langue. C’est vrai que dans les dialogue c’est dommage (voir commentaire du jeu)
Sinon le HRM est top, musique bien, graphisme joli. Cool, je préfère presque celui là. 
Mais vraiment original et rare, accessible à tout le monde (contrairement à 7 billions, lui très orienté vers les informaticiens avec des conditions avancées).

### 4/5 — pfft

*2025-11-17, version 1.0.9*

the game is really fun but seriously not much levels so hard to figure out what to do instructions kind of hard to understand NO 
UPDATES WHAT THE WHAT

### 5/5 — Mind-blowing!

*2025-02-24, version 1.0.9*

I can not describe how much I like this game. It’s a great puzzle, full of humor and breathtaking style. And for sure it is worth every penny.

### 4/5 — Хорошо, но мало

*2025-02-22, version 1.0.9*

Игра классная , но быстро проходится, мало уровней

### 5/5 — Update to disable screen rotation.

*2025-02-05, version 1.0.9*

I appreciate how immediately the screen rotates, but it doesn’t respond to portrait lock due to how it’s implemented. The lack of an options menu is elegant, maybe add an option in the iOS settings app? My screen is rotating a lot when I don’t want it to.

### 5/5 — Awesome

*2025-01-25, version 1.0.9*

Best ios game to me in many years. If you are a coder there's no reason you will not be interested in it.

## Frequently asked questions about Human Resource Machine

### What is Human Resource Machine?

Human Resource Machine is a puzzle game where players program little office workers to solve problems and automate tasks. It's designed to make programming concepts understandable and enjoyable for a wide audience.

### How do you play Human Resource Machine?

In each level, you are given a job by your boss. You must then program your office worker using a simple, visual programming language to complete that job. Success leads to promotion and new challenges.

### Is Human Resource Machine difficult?

The game starts with simple puzzles to introduce programming concepts. While it's accessible for beginners, it also offers extra challenges for experienced programmers, ensuring a good difficulty curve.

### Do I need to know how to program to play?

No, you do not need any prior programming experience. The game teaches programming as a form of puzzle-solving, stripping away complex jargon to make it logical and beautiful for anyone to learn.

### What platforms is Human Resource Machine available on?

The provided data indicates it's available on mobile platforms, specifically mentioning the 'App Store Best of 2016' and 'Worldwide App Store Editors’ Choice', suggesting iOS compatibility. It's also from the creators of games known for PC and console releases, implying broader availability.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.0.9 — 2018-12-11

Updated for devices with wider aspect ratios.

### 1.0.8 — 2018-10-24

- Added support for iPhone X, XR, XS, XS Max.
- New languages added: Japanese, Korean, and Traditional Chinese

### 1.0.6 — 2016-09-10

minor tweaks

### 1.0.5 — 2016-08-31

80% off for a limited time!

### 1.0.4 — 2016-07-10

Localization update.

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## More apps by Experimental Gameplay Group

- [Little Inferno HD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/little-inferno-hd/id590250573)
- [7 Billion Humans](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/7-billion-humans/id1393923918)

All apps by Experimental Gameplay Group: https://appshunter.io/developer/423269933

## Related topics

[experimental gameplay group](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/experimental-gameplay-group) · [little inferno hd](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/little-inferno-hd) · [7 billion humans](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/7-billion-humans) · [little inferno](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/little-inferno) · [experimental pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/experimental-pro)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-05.*