Factorio is not a pretty game, and visuals have been sacrificed on the altar of performance; however, I feel a game like Factorio does not need flashy visuals, and rather by focusing the performance and optimization, the developers have given Factorio the scope to scale to some pretty impressive levels, including bases with literally hundreds of thousands of components and cooperative servers with over 500 players online concurrently.
When talking about their plans for “what happens next” following the launch of Factorio 1.0, the developers revealed they had given some thought to working on a sequel (Factorio 2) before deciding that it wasn’t the route they wanted to take, as they had poured everything into Factorio, and except for UI improvements and new content and there was nothing else they could offer players that couldn’t already be found in Factorio or one of its many freely available modifications.
As a result, Factorio will not receive a sequel, at least not anytime soon.
Image credit Factorio - Published by Wube Software LTD and developed by Wube Software LTD.
Due to thousands of small/fast-moving objects on screen at any given time, some gamers with sensitive eyes may find themselves developing headaches or eye strain, and I would caution players who are prone to vision-related headaches to only play Factorio in a well-lit room and only as long as they feel good doing so.
Due to its long stint in early access and multi-year popularity, Factorio enjoys all the benefits of a passionate and engaged community, meaning new players have access to a massive library of helpful guides, videos and blueprints, allowing them to import factory layouts shared by other members of the Factorio community.
Factorio can be played competitively and cooperatively with up to 500 players and offer a headless Linux server client for those who wish to keep their server online 24/7.
Image credit Factorio - Published by Wube Software LTD and developed by Wube Software LTD.
Factorio has sold over 3.1 million copies, which is incredible and a well-deserved reward for Wube Software, who have poured their heart and soul into Factorio for almost a decade.
However, it also means there is little room for growth; with Factorio being a niche product catering to a niche market, the developers need to find a way to pay for ongoing development or move on to other projects.
Image credit Factorio - Published by Wube Software LTD and developed by Wube Software LTD.
Factorio retails for $30 and supports regional pricing where available.
For those who typically hold out for a discount, you may be in for a very long wait with the developers stating they have no intention of taking part in Steam sales or bundles, feeling they have priced their product correctly, they see no need to offer a discount at any time.
With Factorio having been on Steam since February 2016 and the developers opting not to include it in a single sale, it seems likely that Factorio will never go on sale, at least not while it continues to sell and enjoy one of the highest review scores on steam with 97% of all reviews being positive.
Factorio currently does not have any DLC available; however, the developer has chronicled their struggle with deciding “what next” in a blog post on the official website.
In short, the developer had considered various business models, from continual free updates to multiple smaller DLC, before deciding that releasing a large expansion pack sometime in the not-too-distant future was the best way to fund the continued development of the title while providing players with a product that was of the quality they have come to expect.
Image credit Factorio - Published by Wube Software LTD and developed by Wube Software LTD.
Factorio has a massive and passionate modding community operating from the official mod repository at https://mods.factorio.com/.
As of February 2023, there are 5496 mods available on the official website, which can either be manually downloaded via the website or installed automatically via the in-game mod menu, which allows players to search https://mods.factorio.com/ and install multiple mods with a single click.
Factorio does not support Steam Workshop, and the developers have made no indication they intend to support it in future.
Factorio is a management video game developed and published by Wube Software LTD, it was released on 25 February 2016 and retails for $30.00.
Factorio is available exclusively on PC.
On average Factorio takes between 50 and 200 hours to complete.
Estimated completion times are derived from various sources and may vary based on the skill level of each player.
The following peripherals are officially supported:
Factorio is unrated and contains the following:
Factorio is very difficult to recommend for the average gamer, as the gameplay loop would not appeal to the majority of gamers; however, Factorio is the most intuitive management game on the market, and fans of management and engineering will fall in love with its easy to pick up and difficult to master gameplay.
In short, I fully recommend Factorio to anyone who wants to experience an in-depth resource and base management title or those with even a passing interest in engineering; for everyone else, I suggest giving the demo a try and watching some gameplay videos before making your final decision.
