Recent reviews by ChiaraStellata

I had a lot of fun with this game at first but as soon as I figured out that I could create patterns for each operator which mapped 8 input belts for each operand onto 8 output belts for each result, and copy them, it essentially became just a very basic math game of finding simple expressions to achieve certain values (a puzzle better suited for computer search than humans), followed by the tedious exercise of hooking things up with 8-wide belts. Some characterize it as an idle game, but really if you do it right there is not much waiting involved. The only other challenge really is managing the space around the central block, but this is more frustrating than fun. You could argue that other factory games have this same problem that designing good blueprint modules can make them boring, but games like Factorio have much deeper tech trees and a lot of environmental complexity that constrain you as well. Cannot recommend.

Update: After playing this more, I discovered the game was even more broken than I originally thought. It is possible to create a circuit where you simply construct each digit of the number separately, multiply them by the appropriate power of 10, and then add them together. By using enough of these in parallel, you can easily generate 12 belts full of any number you desire. This allows any desired goal to be achieved in a matter of a few minutes with little to no effort. I got all achievements and reached level 55 pretty easily in a single day. Once you do the most efficient thing, there is no longer any challenge involved in this game.

Best summary I've seen: "real talk with cute animals." Another summary I've seen: "Adult Fears, the game." One of the best story-based games to come along in years, with dialog and characters that are deeply engaging and take you on a constant emotional rollercoaster. Don't be turned off by the 2D art style and cuteness - although it has its share of original humor, this is not a light-hearted game by any means. These fuzzy animals are people, and in fact are some of the most realistic, relatable people with realistic problems to hit the interactive medium, especially if you've ever lived in a small town. The dream sequences, although only loosely connected to the story, are works of art in their own right, with memorable music and beautiful visual effects. If I had any specific criticism it would be that although you have choices and they can cause you to miss some parts of the game, your choices don't necessarily have meaningful consequences - you're really just selecting portions of a fixed story. But when it's such a good story I feel like that's totally okay. This game is blowing up on YouTube and in the fan community right now and it 100% deserves it. Buy it, play it, love it.