Start off as a 3d Printer on a mystery planet. You know very little.
Have button "Start up"
A classic green terminal opens up (no input), starts boot process. After boot process runs, you get a build menu.
Build menu lets you build stuff to find out more information about yourself and the environment.
Then you can start gathering resources.
Eventually you are able to start expanding your CPU with new computer components. More CPU power allows you to do research.
Get into a tech tree type situation.
Eventually able to bulid copies of new 3d printers. Then that grows exponentially until the whole plaent is covered in 3d printers.
Then lots of ways to develop form there.
Maybe build dyson spehre around the sun you are orbiting? Maybe start building computonium. Maybe start colonising the galaxy. Maybe other planets have different resources, which allow different types of tech.