Inside the Computer

Inside the Computer is a game about a computer science professor trapped inside a computer after a teleportation experiment goes wrong. The professor's Real Object Teleporting Portal Based on Network digitizes their body and sends it through network wires, but viruses in the connected computer hack the transport program and block the route into the wires. Trapped on the computer's bus, the professor must clear viruses from the hardware to unblock the output portal and return to the human world.

Levels and objectives

The game has 12 levels: three disk levels, eight RAM levels and one CPU level. In the disk levels, viruses keep reappearing, and you must delete them all with one life. A magnetic read head also projects a dangerous red beam above you.

In the first four RAM levels, three virus spawners produce enemies. You must destroy all the spawners before deleting the remaining viruses. Bridges repeatedly collapse and rebuild, and falling into the void deletes you, but you have two extra recompile chances to revive.

The next four RAM levels each have eight virus spawners and a ring-shaped barrier, with a Code Fragment at the center. You begin inside the barrier, which blocks movement and transmission across it. Destroying the four spawners inside breaks the barrier and lets you reach the four outside. The bridges continue to collapse and rebuild until you destroy all four outside spawners; this invokes the Code Fragment and stops the collapses. The Code Fragment is a mini-boss that can attack and be harmed only after it is invoked. You win by deleting it.

The CPU boss

The CPU level has four main stages. First you fight the Advanced Virus Boss Image; next, the Virus Boss Instance. The third stage begins when the Instance's completeness falls to 75% or less of its full value, and pits you against four Virus Boss Images at once. In the fourth stage, you continue fighting the Virus Boss Instance until it is deleted. You must survive all four stages and delete the Instance to win.

Four Buff Sphere Generators produce Buff Spheres over time. Picking one up gives you a random buff and instantly restores some bullets. Some boss skills also inflict debuffs when they harm you.

Viruses and abilities

There are three virus types: a basic ranged attacker, a ranged attacker with a shield, and a close-range attacker. Alongside your basic attack, you have three special abilities:

• Blast bullet: damage all viruses in an area.
• Temporary shield: become immune to all damage except damage from falling into the void.
• Transmission: available in RAM and CPU levels, this ability moves you to a chosen destination within range after a short preparation. It can help you escape encirclement or cross a gap, but cannot pass through walls or other obstacles.

Transmission has two levels. You can use only level 1 in the first four RAM levels; in the next four RAM levels and the CPU level, you can use either level. Level 2 has a greater maximum range than level 1 and takes longer to prepare. Once it is ready, you adjust its distance to the new maximum with the mouse scroll wheel.