The game
A first-person factory on an alien planet. Mine, smelt, belt, automate, repeat at increasing scale. Co-op lets four engineers ruin the same factory together. It is the game most likely to make you look up and find it is 2 a.m.
The rhythm
An hour is one production problem solved. An evening is an expansion you regret. It has no session design at all; it is your responsibility to stop.
What it costs
| Base price (US store) | $39.99 | €39.99 / £32.99 |
| Extras | None sold | |
| Subscription | None | |
| First-year estimate | $39.99 | base |
| Hours we logged | 120 | two accounts, three weeks minimum |
| Cost per hour | $0.33 | first-year estimate ÷ hours |
Prices checked 25 September 2026 on the US store, standard edition, before sales. Regional prices and platform stores differ.
What you pay for
One payment for a complete 1.0 release after years of early access, with nothing sold inside. Every update has been free and has stayed free.
What it asks of you
A tolerance for spreadsheets, spatial planning and the sunk cost of a factory you built wrong. Time respect is the honest weakness: it fills every hour you give it.
The strengths
- A finished 1.0 with no shop
- Building and logistics are exceptional
- Co-op that scales with ambition
The trade-offs
- No natural stopping point
- Later tiers require real planning
The factory must grow, and it does not charge you for it.