Dyson Sphere Program
Easily my game of the year. In my decades of gaming, never have I encountered a game this satisfying.
It’s basically Factorio in space, but there are 2 major differences: the end goal, and the visuals.
In Factorio, your goal is to launch a rocket.
In DSP, it’s to plan and build your very own fully customizable Dyson sphere.
Factorio’s moment-to-moment gameplay is a bit more engaging and interesting, but as soon as you put your first solar sail into orbit around your home star, you’ll know this game is something special.
– Real player with 649.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Space Base Building Games.
Pros:
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Visually stunning
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Straightforward tech & production graph
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Planets
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Strip mining planets
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Good early to mid game performance
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Feels more accessible than Factorio or Satisfactory
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Modding (can help with the cons below)
Cons:
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Late game performance and file sizes can become horrible
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Tedious editing of the titular Dyson Sphere
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Boring and repetitive placing of mining equipment and factories late game
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Not much replay value beyond going for certain achievements
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Late game is practically waiting for hours for research/mining/achievement progress
– Real player with 577.4 hrs in game
Astro Colony
Astro Colony is an endless simulation focused on exploration, automation and management.
Traverse the universe full of unexpected events and discover unknown grounds.
Construct unique transport systems using conveyor belts and pipes.
Recruit new Astronauts and fulfill their needs by providing food and shelter.
Research over 70 unique technologies to progress in colony development.
Move stations, dock them and create a galaxy network no one have seen before!
But be aware, the danger is lurking around the corner!
Read More: Best Space Resource Management Games.
Solar Baron
Solar Baron is a real-time tycoon resource management and logistics game. The game is set in a seamless, randomly-generated solar system with a range of resources to gather, pump and mine for maximum profit.
The world faces a resource shortage. In desperation, the world government has privatized the under-performing global space agency in the hope that profit-driven individuals will find a way to tap the vast amount of resources available on other worlds and deliver them back home.
You are one such profit-driven individual.
LIFE-SIZED SOLAR SYSTEM
Solar Baron features a vast, life-sized solar system of procedurally generated planets and moons. You’ll need to solve the logistical challenges associated with transporting tons of valuable resources across billions of kilometers of space by constructing a network of strategically-placed orbital and surface depots.
SPACECRAFT AND SPACEPORT DESIGN
Research new technologies and design spacecraft capable of carrying out specific missions. With a range of available engines, fuel types, and other components, you will be challenged with designing spacecraft that strike a balance between maintenance requirements, production time, mass and – of course – cost.
Design spaceports from a range of modules to serve as fuel depots, research stations, tourist destinations or any combination of these. Just remember that each module must be launched into orbit, so design with caution.
ORBITAL MECHANICS AND MISSION PLANNING
Solar Baron simulates realistic orbital mechanics as well as real-world orbital maneuvers. However, you don’t need to figure out the gritty details yourself – you pay people to do that for you. The game features a streamlined mission design system, which will calculate every detail of a spacecraft’s mission from a list of actions to perform created by the player. This leaves you to do more important things: creating a strategy, setting goals, planning missions and watching the bottom line.
Read More: Best Space Resource Management Games.
InfraSpace
Lots of reviewers are throwing out comparable games. The first thing that came to mind for me was Anno 2070 but with actual traffic and less frustration. I loved that game, so this is a plus. I also got a huge whiff of Surviving Mars, again with actual traffic and less frustration. I was not a fan of that game, so I’m happy to say I enjoy InfraSpace more. If you liked either game, you’ll very much like InfraSpace.
If you enjoy solving traffic problems or even just watching traffic in Cities Skyline, then this will appeal to you. If you enjoyed solving logistic problems in Shapez.io, this is a must have. If you strive for logistical efficiency and optimization, well that’s most of the game.
– Real player with 77.5 hrs in game
At this time, I DO recommend this game, but, there are still lingering issues that I’ve found. See bottom of post for my “rant”.
[EDIT-Seems as though the #48 news corrected the issues I was experiencing. Everything else looks to be “my” problem with the routing and design of the roads]
Things I like:
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I like having a system that I have to continuously replenish, such as the residential zones.
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I like how in order to grow the residential, you need different components to create more dense areas
– Real player with 42.9 hrs in game
Rebots
Experience a galactic adventure with your crew of robots
You are working as a middle manager for the Rebots Corporation who specialise in climaforming inhospitable asteroids for aliens. Your character’s aspiration is to become “The Best Employee Ever” but there is a long journey from the bottom to the top. Climb the ranks of the Rebots Corporation, making friends and rivals along the way, as you follow in the footsteps of your mother to become employee #1.
Program robots
To make your robots work, you need to program them. Or rather, you need to instruct your robot managers (supervisors) to instruct your robot workers. Hence, you learn how to program by creating your code and instructions directly in the world and seeing your robot operation automatically carrying out your carefully designed program in real-time.
Build and balance delicate ecosystems
Each alien race has specific requirements for habitats, meaning you need to transform and design ecosystems while dealing with the local fauna and flora that might condone your lease on the land. You are changing the climate of existing ecosystems (climaforming) so you experience first-hand the effects of climate change and migration.
Build relationships with the alien factions you meet
Some aliens enjoy sweltering hot, some live in a swamp, while others like chilly weather. Get to know multiple factions throughout your adventure and learn their preferences to become the best employee of the Rebots Corporation.
Solve challenges in unique ways
Use your ever-growing programming skills with your robots to solve challenges in a variety of ways. Use the available resources to your advantage and leverage the local fauna, flora and resources to assist you in completing your job.
Cyber Factories
Cyber Factories is an Automation and Base Building game in a cyberpunk universe.
On post-apocalyptic Earth, all cities and settlements have been ravaged by pollution, war and a hostile biosphere.
Humanity as a species hasn’t adapted well and only a small fraction of them remain. Fortunately, humans recently discovered a new technology allowing them to transcend death. This discovery consist of transferring human soul to a new synthetic cyber-body receptor. These new humanoid robots can now endure thousands of years of light speed travel!
With this new hope, you lead a colony of human remnants. Help them survive, expand and gather enough resources to leave Earth for their new home planet..
Tiny Planet Protectors
Welcome to the Tiny Planet Protection Agency!
Your assignment: Protect, Clean, and Discover. Collect resources and encounter the inhabitants of nearby galaxies as you also fill your home planet with alien plants, futuristic tools, and uncover the greatest threat to the universe.
Tiny Planet Protectors is a Free To Play game that allows all players to try out the game by exploring the Hearth Galaxy but all other and future galaxies are available to explore through paid DLC. Tiny Planet Protectors plans to launch in 2021 but make sure to Follow and Wishlist today to find out when you can begin your work as an agent!
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Explore a procedurally generated universe! Explore endless planets across multiple galaxies each with unique plants and lifeforms to study and collect. Complete calming and satisfying tasks to rebuild the universe planet by planet.
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Farm, craft, and shape your home planet Return your collected items and resources to your home planet to craft your ideal home.
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Uncover the greatest threat to the universe! Meet other TPPA agents and discover a mystery that may lead to a galactic divide.
Outerverse
Outerverse is an exciting, quest driven, automation adventure game. Build automated farms, machines, and weapons then use them to travel across the universe, beat massive titans, and advance your technology while experiencing cosmic events.
Defeat Massive Titans
Defeat massive titans using the automation systems. One moment you will be launching rockets into a massive golem, the other you will be building automated destruction systems to stop a massive underground plant from spreading!
Build Automated Machines & Farms
Automate unique machines and farms using logic, transportation, and spawning systems inspired by Redstone & Minecraft Automation. Design your own custom machines, or use pre-made schematics for simplicity!
Pursue Engaging Quests
Follow a questline that will fully guide your adventure. Progress to unlock better equipment and new space travel technology. From starting out and learning the basics, to defeating the most massive titans, the questline will guide you through the whole way.
Survive Cosmic Events
During the questline you will explore the beautiful space and experience exciting cosmic events in unforgettable locations.
One Time In Space
Survive and Explore.
Character
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Customize your character’s looks and wager what advantages and weaknesses your character will have.
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Prevent oxygen depletion at all costs.
Build Ships
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Build the hull, maintenance, flooring, and wall layers of a ship to make it functional and free of oxygen leaks. Place wires, pipes, and cables on the maintenance levels to implement connectivity amongst machinery across the ship.
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Create and incorporate machinery to make your ship functional.
Resources
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Mine asteroids for different resources to run your ship. Maintain an abundant supply of oxygen so your character doesn’t suffocate. Manufacture fuel to propel your ship.
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Manage power through a connection of wires directed to your machines.
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Craft resources into machinery and expand your ship.
Machinery
- Build machines to help run systems in your ship. Oxygen harvesters make a sufficient supply of oxygen for the crew. Storage tanks contain fuel to be used in thrusters. Computers allow the player to navigate their ship through space. Conveyor belts connect to machines to make automated systems. Energy storage units hold energy to power the ship and its components.
Exploration
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Navigate your way through deep space.
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Find all the resources you need to survive by mining asteroids.
Infinifactory
Infinifactory is the best puzzle game I’ve ever played. It takes something truly compelling for me to spend hours, sometimes days at the end, perfecting a single puzzle, and yet I have never felt frustrated. This is a game that truly earns the description ‘engaging.’
Everything that happens in this game is because you made it, and you need to have your brain firing on all cylinders to make it through. But fear not, any new players considering this game: the mechanics are easy to approach and you’ll be hooked in no time. Players who have enjoyed any other game by Zachtronics (like Spacechem or TIS-100) or who like similar games with similar mechanics (Factorio, Big Pharma, even the city-builder games by Impressions) will absolutely love Infinifactory, but I think anyone willing to giving Infinifactory a chance will love it too.
– Real player with 574.9 hrs in game
This game puts you in the position of an alien abtuctee that is tasked with manufacturing various constructions from supplied materials for your new masters. Your role is to design and construct the “factory” to make each construction. In order to prove that your process works, you must deliver 10 perfect copies of the requested item to a “scanner” that validates that each copy delivered is correct. As you progress, you are given additional tools, more challenging conditions/restrictions and more complicated items to assemble.
– Real player with 181.1 hrs in game