Infinifactory
| Developer: Zachtronics | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Zachtronics | Sound: |
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| Year: 2015 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Puzzle | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 1 | Rating: |
9/10 | |
These days, I’m finding it harder and harder to stumble upon games that actually grab my attention. There are simply too many, and, honestly, finding genuine, reliable reviews? Practically a myth.
So, let’s skip the small talk: Infinifactory is the best puzzle game since Lemmings. If you disagree, feel free to prove me wrong, but come armed—with both arguments and shin guards!
Think of it as a 3D twist on a more abstract puzzle game by the same developer: Spacechem (2011), where you synthesized molecules by running atoms through automated circuits. Its mechanics and layout bring to mind classics like Atomino, Gear Works, Locomotion, or even The Incredible Machine.
Infinifactory takes the assembly line concept and places it in a heavy-industrial, sci-fi setting. The 3D graphics, while no-frills, do a respectable job for a puzzle game. They even put some thought into the staging.
You’re playing as a human stuck on some random space station, ruled by an alien race reminiscent of the Vogons from H2G2. Your mission? Be a good little laborer and churn out whatever materials your extraterrestrial overlords demand by building fully autonomous factories—all by yourself, using conveyor belts, welding robots, rotating plates, pistons, you name it.
After each successful mission, you get escorted back to your tiny cell, then rewarded, notably by means of a kibble dispenser…
Your only human connections come from grim audio messages found near the bodies of less fortunate co-prisoners who failed on earlier assignments. These darkly humorous sequences will likely remind you of Portal.
You play in first-person view, equipped with a jetpack that lets you fly around freely—no accessibility issues here. All you have to do is place blocks, especially those conveyor belts to guide endlessly spawning materials to designated points. Naturally, various tools get introduced along the way, allowing you to disassemble and reassemble all the components in diverse ways.
I said “autonomous” and that’s the key word: everything has to be set up in advance, before you hit the “start” button. You arrange your items, all lying inert, with no constraints (besides gravity, perhaps). The challenge is to picture how this will work in motion—to foresee the endless stream of materials, their paths, and inevitable interferences. Once you think your assembly line is complete, you fire it up and watch. From there, only, does everything come to life, without any possible intervention on your part.
Of course, the first tries will end in spectacular failures (parts assembled backwards, or tumbling off the conveyor, causing catastrophic chain reactions and piles of scrap on the floor). No big deal—just hit a button to power down, rewind to right before your factory goes haywire, and tweak as needed, testing it “in dry dock”, so to speak, until you’re ready to plug it back in with bated breath, as many times as you like.
If we take a moment to consider the game’s core “mechanics”, it ticks all the boxes, in my opinion:
- A simple concept, paired with simple controls, yet with endless possibilities for level design.
- No time limits. This is crucial and a true hallmark of a good puzzle game. There’s no dexterity required, no reflexes—just careful planning (which, by the way, wasn’t exactly the case in Lemmings). You could spend an entire afternoon on one problem, like a five-hour chess game (some might complain, but personally, I can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon).
- Countless ways to succeed (freedom!), which can inspire friendly competitions between players—who can build the most efficient factory, use the least amount of space, or, just for fun, compare the wackiest solutions.
- “Replayability”. The first time you complete an advanced level, it’s after hours of effort, resulting in a convoluted monstrosity. And then, all you want to do is start over! You’ll try for a more elegant solution, optimizing space and cutting down on material waste.
- Constant variety. Maybe I’m biased, but every level felt like tackling a completely new kind of problem (from arranging a compact apartment in a tight space to filling containers by gathering tree leaves or even herding small live animals into a grinder!).
- The level editor. This is really the cherry on top in a game like this; coupled with the Steam Workshop, where players can share their creations, you’ll be on the fast track to developing a serious hair-pulling habit…
And since I have a reputation as a chronic complainer to uphold, let me point out a flaw that’s downright baffling: the general lack of polish. The action bar, for instance, doesn’t have enough slots, despite not taking up the full screen width. Why not make it expandable? Then there’s the fact it took me ages to figure out the meaning of the three charts marking our successes. Why on earth not provide an explanation? And speaking of omissions, why no title screen? You can’t imagine my helplessness when it came to taking screenshots to illustrate this page!
In a similar vein—or, well, not quite, but for those interested: Space Engineers (PC, 2013). And naturally, on the Amiga: Night Shift.
By the way, I recently noticed that the creator of this game also made Infiniminer—the game that supposedly inspired Minecraft.
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