Ferrit Flow
FERRIT FLOW
A magnetic core memory puzzle game inspired by early programmable desktop calculators, ferrite core matrices, and 1970s cybernetic imagination.
About the game
FERRIT FLOW is a small code-breaking game built around an 8×8 magnetic core memory matrix. Each row of the matrix stores one 8-bit value, from 0 to 255.
Your task is to discover the hidden pattern by writing decimal numbers into memory addresses and reading the machine’s feedback.
Choose an ADDRESS from 0 to 7, enter a DATA value from 0 to 255, and press WRITE. The ferrite cores flip into their binary positions. Then press TEST ROW to compare your guess with the hidden code.
The machine gives two kinds of clues:
CORE MATCH tells you how many bits are correct in the selected row.
VALUE TOO LOW / VALUE TOO HIGH / VALUE EXACT compares your decimal number with the hidden row value, like a classic HI-LO calculator game.
If you need more help, press SENSE TEST to see which bit positions are correct.
The game is inspired by magnetic core memory, the HP 9100 desktop programmable calculator, Mastermind-style code-breaking, and early electronic educational games.
Controls
ADDRESS: select a row from 0 to 7 DATA: enter a decimal value from 0 to 255 WRITE: store the value in the selected row TEST ROW: receive CORE MATCH and HI-LO feedback SENSE TEST: reveal correct bit positions NEW CODE: start a new hidden pattern
Created by Képes Gábor / Gabor Kepes
Created with AI assistance by ChatGPT.
License CC BY 4.0
Comments
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Want to "cheat" in this game?
When you run Sense, it kind of tells you what pattern you need to input,
compared to the value 0000 0000.
Spoiler alert: - v - v - v - v -
Then if you enter this pattern into a scientific calculator (ex: WolframAlpha )
(128*H)+(64*G)+(32*F)+(16*E)+(8*D)+(4*C)+(2*B)+(1*A)
Where A-H is either 1 or 0 depending on if you want that value at that positions.
EG:
Lets say we sense & get this pattern:
*oo**oo*
* = correct bit (meaning, nr: 0 is correct)
o = wrong bit (meaning: you want a nr: 1 here)
Then we know that the pattern was compared against:
0000 0000
* oo * *o o* means that the correct value looks like this:
0110 0110
So now we just need to calculate what value that pattern is,
So you simply use the math formula provided above & change:
_,G,F,_,_C,B_ to nr: 1, while setting the remaining letters: "_" in the formula to nr: 0
The result should be: 102
Great catch! Yes, SENSE TEST is intentionally a very strong assist feature. If you run it against
00000000, it can indeed reveal the hidden bit pattern row by row: correct zeroes stay zero, wrong zeroes point to ones. So this is not really a bug, but more like a “guided / educational” way to solve the game.For the purer challenge, players should use only TEST ROW, with CORE MATCH and VALUE TOO LOW / TOO HIGH clues. SENSE TEST is there for learning, experimenting, or when you get stuck.
I may add a harder mode later where SENSE TEST is limited, penalized, or disabled.
Thank You! :)