Heh if it was for my kid how about a modern version of Rocky's boots.
I learned this stuff around 10 playing that game and didn't even realize what I was learning cause it was fun.
But it definitely worked.. I aced every class I ever took that required logic right through college with ease. Both hardware courses, CS courses, and a philosophy course.
Just wanted to chime in to say that it seems like all the puzzles are still solveable without the shift key. (I'm mid-way through the flip-flop section, perhaps there's moments you need it in the final level?)
edit: I take it back, foiled by delay
Oh wow, this just unlocked an old memory for me. I had completely forgotten this game exists.
Like you, I had no idea what I was learning when I played it as a kid, but logic has always felt natural since as long as I can remember. Which apparently is a timespan that may have started with this game.
More recently, Sebastian Lague has revived a video series on digital circuits [1] and the software featured in the series is made available [2] with a full source code.
Logism is still a great program although it requires an old Java runtime environment, 1.5.0. Many schools still seem to use it however (development ended in 2014).
I cannot recommend Digital enough. It is quite new. Clearly inspired by Logisim but not derived from it.
It has support for switches like FETs and relays, and you can implement open collector logic with pull-up resistors.
It can analyze and reduce combinatorial logic. It can generate Verilog and VHDL output from a diagram. And, IMO best of all, you can implement individual components in Verilog/VHDL and plop them as graphical elements in your circuit; when you simulate, it will fire up iverilog or ghdl in the background and communicate with them transparently.
It's fast too; one of the demo circuits is a complete processor and it simulates it at around 300 kHz on my machine.
Logism is what I learned on and really liked it. Good to learn about alternatives, especially if logism is "complete" and isn't being ported to any newer runtimes.
This is great, relevant to me as I have been taking nand2tetris[1] which is about building a computer from the ground up. Would reco it to anyone who is curious and wants to learn more.
The XOR node behaves differently when partially connected than other nodes. XOR seems to only work when both inputs are connected. Other gates like NOT output power if the input is missing OR off.
I learned this stuff around 10 playing that game and didn't even realize what I was learning cause it was fun.
But it definitely worked.. I aced every class I ever took that required logic right through college with ease. Both hardware courses, CS courses, and a philosophy course.
edit:
Here it is!
https://www.myabandonware.com/game/rockys-boots-cp
I may very well sit my child down in front of this next time he says he's bored with the typical kids coding things.