One of the best games I've had the pleasure to play. It's one of the few games that I will invent reasons to keep playing even long after I've finished it. The creators were inspired by many engineering mods in Minecraft, so if you happened to enjoy that experience you definitely should give it a try.

As many have mentioned, the game can challenge you to continously solve logistic problems ranging from simple to quite complex, but I think the game can be enjoyed at a variety of levels. If you intend to "beat" the game by launching the rocket, it can be done without too much complexity or optimization. Even if engineering is totally not your thing, I think the game is still quite enjoyable using the in-game blueprint system with designs found online.

PROS: Very well optimized, unique, and fun for a decent number of hours (20-30ish). Can be extended way further by achievement hunting and/or mods. Creating large train networks with automated trains is super enjoyable.

CONS: Biters (as your common foes are often called) have a rather unique system by which they get stronger. It can be from pollution emitted from your Factory, killing their bases, and also slowly over time. By all accounts this system is pretty well balanced to give you a decent gradual challenge, but most people are only able to deal with them in one of two ways: Tricking the AI to not rebuild their base by placing "victory poles" on defeated bases or building a large wall around your pollution zone and line it with turrets. The earlier feels a bit cheaty to me, while the latter is incredibly tedious and time-consuming. Fortunately, biter settings can be completely customized in the settings, but I still have yet to find a setup that I find challenging without being overly annoying. If you'd like to enjoy learning the game without a time limit, consider turning them off on your first play-through.

Also, in case you're wondering, it never goes on sale but it's well worth the listed price.

One of the best games I've had the pleasure to play. It's one of the few games that I will invent reasons to keep playing even long after I've finished it. The creators were inspired by many engineering mods in Minecraft, so if you happened to enjoy that experience you definitely should give it a try. As many have mentioned, the game can challenge you to continously solve logistic problems ranging from simple to quite complex, but I think the game can be enjoyed at a variety of levels. If you intend to "beat" the game by launching the rocket, it can be done without too much complexity or optimization. Even if engineering is totally not your thing, I think the game is still quite enjoyable using the in-game blueprint system with designs found online. PROS: Very well optimized, unique, and fun for a decent number of hours (20-30ish). Can be extended way further by achievement hunting and/or mods. Creating large train networks with automated trains is super enjoyable. CONS: Biters (as your common foes are often called) have a rather unique system by which they get stronger. It can be from pollution emitted from your Factory, killing their bases, and also slowly over time. By all accounts this system is pretty well balanced to give you a decent gradual challenge, but most people are only able to deal with them in one of two ways: Tricking the AI to not rebuild their base by placing "victory poles" on defeated bases or building a large wall around your pollution zone and line it with turrets. The earlier feels a bit cheaty to me, while the latter is incredibly tedious and time-consuming. Fortunately, biter settings can be completely customized in the settings, but I still have yet to find a setup that I find challenging without being overly annoying. If you'd like to enjoy learning the game without a time limit, consider turning them off on your first play-through. Also, in case you're wondering, it never goes on sale but it's well worth the listed price.