Summary
Factory automation games give you the pleasure of creating your own factory flow that, as the name implies, is often automated. Games like this tend to be extremely satisfying, especially after a long period of time of setting something up or gathering materials. New to the genre? Don’t worry, we’re here to help.
In this list, you’re able to check out some of the best factory automation games out there. These will satisfy your factory-itch, providing tons of content for you to play through. Additionally, these games will cover a variety of subgenres, so you are bound to find what you are looking for.
Multiplayer?
Yes
First, we have Factorio. This is an absolute classic in the factory automation world, bringing you the satisfaction ofmaking your own complicated factory in a 2D worldthat is seemingly infinite. Overall, your goal is to expand your factory, but there are a few other tasks that you may complete, such as mining and exploring.
Something about Factorio will keep you coming back for more. It’s very easy to get lost in factory creation for hours at a time. Maybe you’ll tell yourself, “I’ll stop after I just do this one thing”, and then that ‘one thing’ turns into numerous tasks spread over the next few hours.
Satisfactory is another icon in the factory automation world. Rather than being set in a 2D world like Factorio, Satisfactory is a first-person set in a 3D world. In this open world, you will need to build your factory, of course, but you can also explore the surface, which is quite huge (at a whopping 30 km2!).
At first, your main goal is to build a space elevator and send supplies up, but this isn’t as easy as it seems. Many have described this version as a 3D Factorio, but both games are unique enough that we recommend checking out each one.
No
Dyson Sphere Program takes the idea of a Dyson sphere and implements it into a video game. As a quick recap (or first lesson), a Dyson sphere is a hypothetical structure that surrounds a star, causing it to capture the solar output. This captured energy would then be used to power a civilization.
So, with this in mind, Dyson Sphere Program is a game that requires you to harness star power in order todevelop a large factory in space. As a simple space engineer, you’ll need to figure out how to do this to power the CentreBrain.
Infinifactory is a straightforward factory automation game in which you need to build to appease your alien overlords. Rather than just creating through, Infinifactory involves quite a bit of puzzle-solving. Some of these puzzles can be quite challenging though, leaving you completely stumped.
This game was created by the same developer behind SpaceChem. While this isn’t a factory automation game, it involves similar puzzle mechanics. If you are a fan of Infinifactory, be sure to check out SpaceChem as well!
The Planet Crafter combines factory automation with the survival crafting genre.After figuring out how to survive on an alien planet, you will then need to build up your base and set up machines to automate production for you.
Although The Planet Crafter is asurvival game, there are no hostile enemies that you will need to face. Your main ‘enemy’ is the harsh environment. If you’re able to conquer it though, you can create the automated base of your dreams!
Shapez strips away impressive 3D graphics from the factory automation genre, leaving you with just the basics. Various metals and rare items? Toss those aside and focus on simple shapes. Rather than creating certain items in your factory, you’ll be processing a variety of shapes instead.
The game starts simple enough, but as you progress, it can become quite challenging. Throughout the entire experience though Shapez maintains a cozy and relaxing atmosphere while your brain works way to figure out how to produce more.
In Nova Lands, your goal is to explore and upgrade an island with your automated factory machines. Self-described as being similar to Factorio, Satisfactory, and Forager, Nova Lands brings a cute, pixel-look to factory automation.
Overall, Nova Lands isn’t as complex as many of the games on our list. If you are new to this genre though, Nova Lands may be a perfect fit for you. This game is the perfect middle point for survival games and automation games like Factorio.
Lastly, we have Little Big Workshop. In this game, your factory will be managed by workers across a variety of stations rather than just yourself. As such, it’s a bit of a combination between a factory automation game and amanagement sim.
The factory itself is located right in your living room, and is described as ‘magical’. We can get behind magical factories to automate production while fending off disruptions from a ‘rival CEO’. With cute graphics and practical issues, Little Big Workshop is also a great choice if you are new to the genre.
