hello i think this might be an ot but i dunno for sure btw i am a very normal poster nothing suspicious here
lmk if i've missed anything cool or updates happen or whatever
Shapez 2
sequel to a very popular "casual" automation game which improves on its predecessor in virtually every way. even music. omg!
had a demo that ran Jan-Feb 2024, Early Access possibly this year based on feedback/testing. also check out the original Shapez
Dyson Sphere Program
notes: very strong EA launch in 2021, devs been adding a lot of good QoL and the first half of a Combat Update and currently working on the second half (space combat) while prototyping stations and spaceships.. very technically impressive as every single planet you visit and exploit is physically 'there' alongside the dyson structures powering it all in a galaxy-spanning map with an insane sense of scale.
Satisfactory
notes: been in early access for a fair bit, major updates maybe twice a year, possibly the most time-consuming out of this entire list because of the cosmetic possibilities as of update 5 and blueprints as of update 7
Update 8 live now on EA, 1.0 planned 2024, private beta underway.
Foundry
View: https://store.steampowered.com/app/983870/FOUNDRY/
notes: best description i can come up with is a game from an alternate timeline if factorio never happened off the back of minecraft mods and spawned its own entire genre. voxel based, differs in that there's a lot of digging and setting up underground mining operations and working towards building really large modular structures. also lots of cosmetic options
game launched on Steam in Early Access on May 2nd
Factory Town
notes: one-man project, made it all the way to 1.0 and beyond. rather than a city builder with automation elements i think its best described as an automation game using settlement-builder precedents for its framework and tech tree/setting
has a spinoff idle game that borrows a lot of assets/concepts
Factory Town 2 is in planning stage
Dream Engine: Nomad Cities
notes: best way to describe it is automation/ARPG (something riftbreaker advertised itself as and was disappointing at) where you land somewhere, build up your base and get as much resources as possible while teching up and defending from increasingly strong hordes before you have to take off with part of your base and move on. (this predates Astro Colony regardless what Astro Colony's kickstarter says)
1.0 launched on May 9th
Autonauts
notes: possibly the only non-conveyor entry i'll list, because building bots that make more bots that make even more bots before something or another goes wrong is a hilarious take on automation. also programming. has a different spinoff game with enemies called Autonauts vs Piratebots also worth checking out. great QoL updates recently as of end of 2022
Techtonica
notes: devs describe it as satisfactory + subnautica, handcrafted world. really great worldbuilding and narrative/exploration
out on Early Access on steam. Cosmetic update is out, QoL for belts 'soon'
having played a fair bit of it, my own personal honest opinion is the game stumbles a little on the factory automation side due to a combination of incredibly obtuse byproduct loops thrown into the game too early on, a lot of mundane make-work, and incredibly frustrating non-integer 'just stuff belts full of shit' trial and error recipe/maths that's anathema to the way i generally approach automation games
but oh boy it makes up for it with its vibe and exploration/story and cosmetic/base building mechanics to end up a net positive game i'm eagerly anticipating updates for
Update 4 is out (new modes, game settings etc)
Voxel Tycoon
notes: i generally hate automation games that have $$ as a central resource because i feel it limits the goals of having production lines for different reasons and everything funnels back into how to make the most money, but i make an exception for this because i love me some TTDX. early access progress has been incredibly slow; it really, really scratched that itch for a good few runs, but i have no reason right now to start another new run because the game is rather light on replayability as is. the dudes working on it are really nice.
Captain of Industry
notes: out in Early Access now, with Update 2. I think a good description is "tropico with the humor replaced with automation shenanigans" because you're basically juggling a population and their needs and doing so via production chains. Pretty good so far, but progress can be painfully slow if not completely deadlocked, if you fall into any of the half-dozen gotyas
Update 2 out, new map, vertical belts, decals/cosmetics for surfaces, more game options to make the game less or more (lol) hardcore
Astro Colony
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/
notes: is out on Steam Early Access as of Nov 2022! seems a little unrefined in terms of user experience but has a solid concept. One to watch as EA progresses
Factorio
notes: factorio
also has an expansion based on mining asteroids or something in the works i dont know
lmk if i've missed anything cool or updates happen or whatever
Shapez 2
shapez 2 on Steam
Dive into a factory-building game where the focus is on just that — building huge factories! Construct sprawling multi-level factories and min-max your layouts without limits. Shapez 2 is tailor-made for enthusiasts who crave the thrill of optimizing production lines and perfecting automation.
store.steampowered.com
sequel to a very popular "casual" automation game which improves on its predecessor in virtually every way. even music. omg!
had a demo that ran Jan-Feb 2024, Early Access possibly this year based on feedback/testing. also check out the original Shapez
Dyson Sphere Program
Dyson Sphere Program on Steam
Build the most efficient intergalactic factory in space simulation strategy game Dyson Sphere Program! Harness the power of stars, collect resources, plan and design production lines and develop your interstellar factory from a small space workshop to a galaxy-wide industrial empire.
store.steampowered.com
notes: very strong EA launch in 2021, devs been adding a lot of good QoL and the first half of a Combat Update and currently working on the second half (space combat) while prototyping stations and spaceships.. very technically impressive as every single planet you visit and exploit is physically 'there' alongside the dyson structures powering it all in a galaxy-spanning map with an insane sense of scale.
Satisfactory
Satisfactory on Steam
Satisfactory is a first-person open-world factory building game with a dash of exploration and combat. Play alone or with friends, explore an alien planet, create multi-story factories, and enter conveyor belt heaven!
store.steampowered.com
notes: been in early access for a fair bit, major updates maybe twice a year, possibly the most time-consuming out of this entire list because of the cosmetic possibilities as of update 5 and blueprints as of update 7
Update 8 live now on EA, 1.0 planned 2024, private beta underway.
Foundry
View: https://store.steampowered.com/app/983870/FOUNDRY/
notes: best description i can come up with is a game from an alternate timeline if factorio never happened off the back of minecraft mods and spawned its own entire genre. voxel based, differs in that there's a lot of digging and setting up underground mining operations and working towards building really large modular structures. also lots of cosmetic options
game launched on Steam in Early Access on May 2nd
Factory Town
Save 60% on Factory Town on Steam
Build, automate, and optimize a giant factory on 3D terrain using conveyor belts, trains, chutes, pipes, and airships. Sell your goods to nearby villages to expand their borders, increase happiness, and unlock even better technology!
store.steampowered.com
notes: one-man project, made it all the way to 1.0 and beyond. rather than a city builder with automation elements i think its best described as an automation game using settlement-builder precedents for its framework and tech tree/setting
has a spinoff idle game that borrows a lot of assets/concepts
Factory Town 2 is in planning stage
Dream Engine: Nomad Cities
Dream Engines: Nomad Cities on Steam
A survival city-building game with flying cities. Build, automate, and defend a flying city that travels between procedurally generated maps to survive in a wacky, nightmare-infested, post-apocalyptic world full of strange science and dreams.
store.steampowered.com
notes: best way to describe it is automation/ARPG (something riftbreaker advertised itself as and was disappointing at) where you land somewhere, build up your base and get as much resources as possible while teching up and defending from increasingly strong hordes before you have to take off with part of your base and move on. (this predates Astro Colony regardless what Astro Colony's kickstarter says)
1.0 launched on May 9th
Autonauts
Autonauts on Steam
In Autonauts you must build, create, and automate. Start by establishing a colony, crafting bots and teaching them via Scratch-style programming to build an ever evolving autonomous paradise of agriculture, industry and enlightenment.
store.steampowered.com
notes: possibly the only non-conveyor entry i'll list, because building bots that make more bots that make even more bots before something or another goes wrong is a hilarious take on automation. also programming. has a different spinoff game with enemies called Autonauts vs Piratebots also worth checking out. great QoL updates recently as of end of 2022
Techtonica
Techtonica on Steam
Techtonica is a first-person factory automation game set beneath the surface of an alien planet. Work alone or in co-op to build factories, gather resources, research new technologies, mold the destructible terrain, establish a base of operations, and uncover long-forgotten secrets.
store.steampowered.com
notes: devs describe it as satisfactory + subnautica, handcrafted world. really great worldbuilding and narrative/exploration
out on Early Access on steam. Cosmetic update is out, QoL for belts 'soon'
having played a fair bit of it, my own personal honest opinion is the game stumbles a little on the factory automation side due to a combination of incredibly obtuse byproduct loops thrown into the game too early on, a lot of mundane make-work, and incredibly frustrating non-integer 'just stuff belts full of shit' trial and error recipe/maths that's anathema to the way i generally approach automation games
but oh boy it makes up for it with its vibe and exploration/story and cosmetic/base building mechanics to end up a net positive game i'm eagerly anticipating updates for
Update 4 is out (new modes, game settings etc)
Voxel Tycoon
Voxel Tycoon on Steam
Voxel Tycoon — a management sim set in the infinite voxel world. Mine resources and process them into goods on your custom factories. Set up supply chains and passenger routes with a huge fleet of trains, trucks, and buses, and turn small towns into prosperous megacities with a thriving economy!
store.steampowered.com
notes: i generally hate automation games that have $$ as a central resource because i feel it limits the goals of having production lines for different reasons and everything funnels back into how to make the most money, but i make an exception for this because i love me some TTDX. early access progress has been incredibly slow; it really, really scratched that itch for a good few runs, but i have no reason right now to start another new run because the game is rather light on replayability as is. the dudes working on it are really nice.
Captain of Industry
Save 20% on Captain of Industry on Steam
Land your crew of survivors on an abandoned island and survive! Mine raw materials, grow food, build factories, manufacture products, research new tech, and trade with others. Become an industrial superpower! But this is no easy task, you will be put to the test to keep your settlement alive.
store.steampowered.com
notes: out in Early Access now, with Update 2. I think a good description is "tropico with the humor replaced with automation shenanigans" because you're basically juggling a population and their needs and doing so via production chains. Pretty good so far, but progress can be painfully slow if not completely deadlocked, if you fall into any of the half-dozen gotyas
Update 2 out, new map, vertical belts, decals/cosmetics for surfaces, more game options to make the game less or more (lol) hardcore
Astro Colony
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/
notes: is out on Steam Early Access as of Nov 2022! seems a little unrefined in terms of user experience but has a solid concept. One to watch as EA progresses
Factorio
Factorio on Steam
Factorio is a game about building and creating automated factories to produce items of increasing complexity, within an infinite 2D world. Use your imagination to design your factory, combine simple elements into ingenious structures, and finally protect it from the creatures who don't really...
store.steampowered.com
notes: factorio
also has an expansion based on mining asteroids or something in the works i dont know
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