Lambda calculus as a puzzle game

The lambda calculus has a very simple core which can serve as the core mechanic of a puzzle game. The player is given a series of input/output and he/she has to come up with the combinator with the desired functionality.

Ideas

• A combinator is a one-time clone machine. It takes an input and clones it, the original input is destroyed.

• Give names to combinators created in earlier levels so that it can reused in later levels. Add these named combinators to the player's toolbox.

• Allow players to create and share levels (suggested by Danien).

• Levels

Questions

• What is a good metaphor for combinators and how to represent them visually?

• How to create combinators with a visual interface?

Related games

• Alligator Eggs

  • http://worrydream.com/AlligatorEggs/
  • http://metatoys.org/alligator/
  • https://tibordp.github.io/gator-calculus/
  • https://teamcroggle.github.io/

• Mocking bird

  • http://dkeenan.com/Lambda/index.htm

• Combinators

  • https://dirk.rave.org/combinatris/

• Functional transformation

  • http://david-peter.de/cube-composer/

• Sequential blocks programming games

  • https://lightbot.com/
  • Hour of Code: Minecraft, Star Wars

• Assembly programming

  • http://www.zachtronics.com/tis-100/
  • http://tomorrowcorporation.com/humanresourcemachine

• 3D blocks puzzle

  • http://www.zachtronics.com/infinifactory/

Related work

• Visual lambda calculus
  • https://bitbucket.org/bntr/visual-lambda/wiki/Home
  • https://tromp.github.io/cl/diagrams.html
  • https://csvoss.github.io/projects/2015/11/08/lambda-circuitry.html