Original by Sebastian Standke, translation by Josefiene Pertosa
Click here for the German version.

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Factorio is a game turned into a symphony whose rhythm is brought to life by the enjoyment of automatization and efficiency. The hammering of steam motors is its beat and I am its conductor. It is just wonderful!

“Use your imagination to design your factory, combine simple elements into ingenious structures, apply management skills to keep it working and finally protect it from the creatures who don’t really like you.”

(factorio.com)

The premise is rather simple: Our characters survive a disastrous crash with their space ship and end up on a foreign planet full of enormous forests, iron and copper ore, large stone lumps as well as coal and oil reservoirs. In the beginning, we are faced with a huge amount of resources that have to be processed and combined manually. If I want to have a single piece of coal, I have to run to the coal field and give my pickaxe a workout by holding the right mouse button. The same goes for the other resources.

Once a fair starting assortment of resources has been collected, steam-powered drills that are run by burning wood or coal can be constructed. The first semi-automation is noticeable: Even though I have to manually supply the drills with fuel, the mining of the ores happens automatically. If the stones are then combined into furnaces, the production of iron and copper plates as well as bricks becomes possible.

Using plates and bricks, we can now construct a whole new range of buildings and contraptions: Boilers and steam engines to produce electricity, automated transport belts and grabbers, whole factories and much, much more.

We can even build independent laboratories dedicated to the research of new technologies which, in turn, open up even more possibilities. Sometimes this is simply a productivity upgrade to already existing machines (faster transport belts, more efficient furnaces, etc.) and sometimes a new discovery has a nearly revolutionary potential and changes my whole playing strategy. I will never forget the moment I first came into contact with trains. I was suddenly able to connect far off places with each other, use their resources and – of course – travel across the whole world at a dizzying pace. Every minute invested in the game, the amount of work put in and the careful management of resources paid off in those moments.

But what is the goal in Factorio? The goal – at least in the main campaign – is to escape from the foreign celestial body. Because: We are not alone. From very early on, we come into contact with hostile, aggressive creatures. Some of them look reminiscent of mutant worms or like wild boars with rabies. As soon as they have visual contact, they start pursuing our character.

Even though Factorio worships automatization and efficiency in terms of game mechanics, it is aware of the consequences – it is not a vapid, naïve declaration of love to the idea of progress. After all, the exhaust fumes and toxic substances produced by the machine complex are a serious problem for the environment. The pollution is not tolerated by the planet’s native inhabitants. Hence, a high output of smog and the wind blowing in the right direction can easily attract them from their far-off home bases, culminating in a raid that leaves everything in ruins. Thus, the research of environmentally-friendly technologies is not only a warm-hearted sentiment, but a smart decision for survival. The alternative is a large-scale military operation that – if executed poorly – can have fatal consequences.

Apart from the campaign, the game offers a sandbox mode – the perfect place to celebrate the application of creativity to organization and automation. I cannot exactly say how many sleepless nights I have spent thanks to Factorio. The game is incredibly fascinating and engaging. The five person development studio Wube Software, located in Prague, has done an excellent job since their Indiegogo-campaign (February 2013). Every Friday, there is a status update with small news regarding the development status, what is currently being worked on, etc. At the moment, the first release version is expected in summer 2015. Until then, they are looking to implement a stable multiplayer environment as well as more real-time-strategy elements. Up until now, more than 70.000 people have purchased the alpha version. Most – including myself – had very positive, nearly euphoric comments about the game. So: Buy it! Play it! It really is worth every cent. For those of you who are still unsure, you should try the free demo. But really? This should not be necessary anymore.