Catalyst

Catalyst is a 1-player action game based around organic chemistry for the TRS-80 CoCo

The player controls a small 4-pronged cursor that moves in all directions. Free carbon and hydrogen atoms and a catalyst bounce about the screen, and the player tries to capture and link hydrogen and carbon atoms together. Each carbon atoms can form 4 bonds. If a free atom crashes into the cursor at a bad location, the player loses a life. If a free atom crashes into the enlarging molecule, the struck sections are destroyed. On each level, the player must make a progressively larger molecule, while avoiding more free moving atoms. The player has a limited time each level, and has a total of 3 lives. When the molecule is complete, the player must capture the bouncing catalyst.