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[More_Badass]

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Infinifactory is a sandbox puzzle game by Zachtronics, the creators of SpaceChem and Infiniminer. Build factories that assemble products for your alien overlords, and try not to die in the process.

LIKE SPACECHEM… IN 3D!
Design and run factories in a first-person, fully 3D environment.

HISTOGRAMS ARE BACK!
Optimize your solutions, and then optimize them more when you see how much better your friends did.

VISIT EXOTIC ALIEN LOCALES!
Explore a story-driven campaign with 30+ puzzles, audio logs, and more.

BLOCKS THAT MOVE!
Go beyond the campaign and push the limits of Infinifactory’s next-generation block engine in the sandbox.

STEAM WORKSHOP INTEGRATION!
Create, share, and play custom puzzles on Steam Workshop.

Current status

The first available Early Access version corresponds with what we would have considered our "release version" in the past. The main campaign is finished, with more than 30 puzzles and a professionally voice-acted story, and includes a Steam Workshop enabled level editor allowing you to create and share custom puzzles from day one.

Future plans

During Early Access, we're planning to expand the game with numerous mini-campaigns introducing new mechanics, factory blocks, environments, and products, in addition to making that new content available in the sandbox and level editor.

We also plan to make lots of general improvements to the game based on player feedback and requests, especially in the sandbox and level editor.

Some gameplay GIFs, courtesy of Toma and Rapstah

 

[epmode]

SpaceChem guy, eh? I'm interested.

 

[More_Badass]

Some quick impressions from the Indie Games thread

Put some time into Infinifactory and seems very enjoyable so far. Although it is lacking a main menu (although this might be by design rather then them just not making it yet) it seems to be a fairly complete release for an early access game. The opening is super cool. Gameplay is also fun and they do a good job of being rough right out the gate which I appreciated.

 

[epmode]

How's the music? I really like SpaceChem's soundtrack.

 

[More_Badass]

How's the music? I really like SpaceChem's soundtrack.

Haven't played it yet unfortunately. I'm surprised by the lack of hype here, considering how acclaimed SpaceChem was

 

[epmode]

I liked SpaceChem a lot and this is the first time I've even heard of this game. Give it time.

 

[More_Badass]

Here's a good interview with the dev, that talks about the differences compared to SpaceChem and Factorio
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/...he_next_generation_of_the_Minecraft_genre.php

You've still not told me what this game is about! From the single screenshot you've put out, it looks like a 3D representation of what was happening in SpaceChem.
Barth: Are you familiar with my older games, like Manufactoid? It's not very good, don't play it. It's very old, I made it years ago. This is basically a 3D version of that, made to not suck.

You built these factories out of conveyor belts, pushing arms, welders, stuff that sticks blocks together, and you build a factory that creates a product. It's different from SpaceChem in that... I mean, I've been trying to quantify the difference between the two. On the one hand we don't want to say, "It's just like SpaceChem," because it's not. On the other hand, we want people who like SpaceChem to think, "Well I'm going to like this."

Trying to find that medium has been tricky, because a lot of people like SpaceChem, and the audience for this game is going to be similar to that audience. The people who like SpaceChem the most, are still going to like SpaceChem more. If we just wanted to make a game for the SpaceChem audience, we'd just make SpaceChem 2. This is something different.

One of the big things when it comes to the mechanics, is that blocks can push other blocks. In SpaceChem, if you tried to stick two atoms together you'd lose, right? So one of the fundamental things in this game is that you can use blocks to push other blocks. It's one of the major mechanics that everything else kinda unfolds out of.

The screenshot also reminds me a little of a 3D Factorio - have you seen that?
Barth: Yeah, I guess that's more of a resource-harvesting game? A lot of people have said, "I love Factorio, I'm going to love this!" This game is nothing like Factorio [laughs] It's not about resources, in the same way that SpaceChem really wasn't. It's a puzzle game about building.

 

[Aeana]

I loooooooooooove SpaceChem, so I'm interested, but I tend to not do early access.

 

[More_Badass]

I loooooooooooove SpaceChem, so I'm interested, but I tend to not do early access.

Well according to the Steam page, the main campaign is complete already. Early Access is to introduce new mini-campaigns, new mechanics and blocks, etc.

The first available Early Access version corresponds with what we would have considered our "release version" in the past. The main campaign is finished, with more than 30 puzzles and a professionally voice-acted story, and includes a Steam Workshop enabled level editor allowing you to create and share custom puzzles from day one.

 

[@MUWANdo]

I loooooooooooove SpaceChem, so I'm interested, but I tend to not do early access.

It sounds like it's essentially a complete game that's getting an "early access" release primarily for marketing purposes:

Why Early Access? This is the first time you're doing an Early Access release, so I'm just wondering why you're going down this route now.

Barth: So I've actually never been a fan of Early Access. I think it's a bunch of developers prematurely releasing stuff that should not be released. A lot of the stuff I released a long time ago was not very good in the scheme of things, but I still only released them after I thought they were ready to go. You do a little bit of prep and testing, and you put a lot of work into it, and then you release it so that people can enjoy it.

I was always really - I believe very strongly that was the best way to do it. Then we started looking around and decided maybe that people don't value that as much as we thought they did. If something is compelling enough, releasing something before it's "finished" is actually quite acceptable, and can actually give you a lot of bonuses. One of them is that you can better respond to what players want, and better make a game that's less about your stupid artistic vision, and more about making something that's an interaction with your fans, so people are actually playing your game.

It also gives you way more press, and it shields you from crappy reviews. We got a lot of reviews for Ironclad Tactics at launch, and one of the major things that people complained about was the randomness. We actually added some factors in to mitigate the randomness, to fix those problems, but by the time we did, all the reviewers were done with it, and none of them wanted to go back. No-one gave a shit - they'd judged it, and they were done.

I feel like launching into Early Access is a little bit more honest with how we really work - we were very serious about releasing things that are of a professional quality, but at the same time, we want people to understand that we do a lot of work after release to make the product better.

So what our plan is, our Early Access is going to be what we would have released if we weren't doing Early Access. Then we're going to take a much longer, more deliberate and visible period of responding to player feedback, improving the game, adding more content, and then when everything's totally locked down, releasing. That's the plan.

So it sounds like you're aiming to put out a beta build, rather than an alpha, as is usually the case with Early Access.

Barth: Not even. We're doing private beta right now. It's really going to be a 1.0 release. I feel like a lot of people might say, "Eugh, Early Access." There's so many shitty Early Access games out there that are really not ready to go. But I feel like this is the best of both worlds... I feel like being able to label our game Early Access helps communicate that stuff, because even if we're not doing it quite like everybody else, at least they'll be on the right page in thinking about how we're releasing it.

 

[epmode]

I played the beginning. I suppose early access means that they're planning on significant post-release support since it feels pretty damned polished to me.

 

[More_Badass]

I played the beginning. I suppose early access means that they're planning on significant post-release support since it feels pretty damned polished to me.

Yup, as the excerpts above state, "Early Access" here is literally the finished 1.0 version. The game is going to be expanded from here on out, but the core game is 100% complete

 

[Parsnip]

I'm interested, but strapped for cash at the moment.
And yeah, how's the soundtrack?

 

[Toma]

I'm in.

Impressions soonish.

 

[Toma]

I'm interested, but strapped for cash at the moment.
And yeah, how's the soundtrack?

First thing I noticed in the game is a good track and Zachtronics always had great soundtracks, so that should be a rather safe bet.

Edit: Very similar to SpaceChem even.

 

[Moobabe]

I'm in.

Impressions soonish.

You'd need to stop playing it for 5 minutes to do that I SEE you!

 

[mclem]

Oooooooh.

Zach has earned my respect. I'll give this very serious consideration.

Edit: Anxiously awaiting Toma's feedback, I find that he's got the same attitude as me for SpaceChem.

 

[Toma]

Its basically SpaceChem 2 in everything but name and theme (notice the bonders/mergers in the gif above? Those concepts should all be very familiar to you). I thought it would be closer to Factorio based on the trailers (Fantastic game btw), but it really is SpaceChem. If you like SpaceChem, you'll like Infinifactory.

Now that this is out of the way, there are some differences and some concerns I initially had that I should talk about.

Content:
First of all, compared to the neverending content of SpaceChem, this game doesnt offer quite as much (yet). SpaceChem got a ton of added content down the line and from what Zachtronics is stating, the "Early Access" is mainly used to add some more mini-campaigns and content ideas. Apparently, the current EA version has the COMPLETE main campaign already in a finished state, so I would actually consider it a finished product now with some free DLC hitting whenever they get to it.

These games are slightly devious when it comes to putting an hour count on the content. SpaceChem only had 40-50-ish levels as well, but the last few might take you several days to solve, so I am not too concerned about not getting my money's worth even with "just" the main campaign.

Graphics & Sound:
Lets get the elephant out of the room: Working out solutions in 3D works rather painfree. There are some initial moments of bepuzzlement, but overall, the UI and control scheme is very well thought out to remove possible annoyances. One example: If you hold down the left mouse button, you can build elements in a row (without deviating to the side), on top of those elements being turned to fit the movement direction of your mouse. Small thing,but very user friendly. The ambient sound design is very satisfying, the graphics are pleasing to look at (I love the painted background) and the soundtrack is reminiscent of SpaceChem and very good.

Mechanics:
Now this is going to be fun to explain. Many mechanics/blocks work very similarly, but SpaceChem was different in a few key points, for example using chemistry as a theme (which Zachtronics confirmed as being a design mistake as it limited the appeal to general audiences) and most importantly: being a top down map. The change to 3D does not only bring some slight control confusion but also changes and adds mechanics. There was a certain beauty to using a single space in SpaceChem for multiple actions, which is a feeling of ingenuity I am missing so far in Infinifactory, however, Infinifactory has some new tricks up its sleeve. The addition of height, makes for some genuinely new problems that need to be solved. Instead of just being more SpaceChem, different heights and the considerations that come with that actually add a TON of depth (ha!) to the mechanics. Stacking elements, stacking constructs on a conveyorbelt to have it to things in multiple parts of the level without rebuilding it... there is a lot that I have yet to discover and on top of "Oh fuck yeah, more SpaceChem!" the possibilities that this is opening are very, very exciting to me.

Accessibility:
While still being very similar to SpaceChem, realizing this game concept in 3D will actually make it much, much more accessible to players. Structures and production lines are easier to make out, the 3D itself is a good selling point for a certain part of the gaming populace, and building something in 3D and seeing all the gears working might just turn out to be even a tiny bit more satisfying than it already was in SpaceChem.

I'll come back here for more impressions eventually, but for now: Easily worthy entry into the GOTY list of 2015 and if Zachtronics adds some more levels, mini campaigns and other shenanigans, Zachtronics will likely top my GOTY list once more.

I can't give you any reason not to buy it. It has enough content as it is, clever level puzzles, well thought out UI/controls, pleasing graphics, great soundtrack, is more accessible than SpaceChem without losing much of the complexity, adding a whole new range of puzzle ideas (height) and more content on the way.

 

[One Foul Note]

That gif you posted Toma, that your solution to that puzzle? If so then it is far more elegant then the way I did it. I really hope the level record or some kinda sharing feature gets put in soon. when finishing a puzzle I find myself really wanting to see how others tackled the same problem, more so then any other puzzle game I can think of really.

 

[mclem]

I can't give you any reason not to buy it. It has enough content as it is, clever level puzzles, well thought out UI/controls, pleasing graphics, great soundtrack, is more accessible than SpaceChem without losing much of the complexity, adding a whole new range of puzzle ideas (height) and more content on the way.

Pretty much what I was hoping to hear!

Wonder if the title derives from this being some iteration of the Infiniminer engine. I can see how that block-based design would lend itself to this.

 

[Toma]

That gif you posted Toma, that your solution to that puzzle? If so then it is far more elegant then the way I did it. I really hope the level record or some kinda sharing feature gets put in soon. when finishing a puzzle I find myself really wanting to see how others tackled the same problem, more so then any other puzzle game I can think of really.

Yup, my solution. It sorta fell into place once I figured out I can just "drop" the first white block and use it as a stepping stone to start using the blocks from the second on. (Otherwise it would be white white, black, but I needed white, black, white)

What was your solution? Screenshot?

 

[One Foul Note]

Yup, my solution. It sorta fell into place once I figured out I can just "drop" the first white block and use it as a stepping stone to start using the blocks from the second on. (Otherwise it would be white white, black, but I needed white, black, white)

What was your solution? Screenshot?

That is mine. It is not immediately obvious what is happening there, but basically I made it so every 2nd white block is pushed onto a different conveyor belt which then joins on the conveyor that the black block is on just behind it so when they all meet together the formation is white black white. Not my best solution, but it worked and honestly compared to the infernal machines I am making in world 3 this is fantastic by comparison.

 

[Durante]

SO bought.
(As soon as I get home)

I even have a signed physical copy of SpaceChem after all

 

[Toma]

That is mine. It is not immediately obvious what is happening there, but basically I made it so every 2nd white block is pushed onto a different conveyor belt which then joins on the conveyor that the black block is on just behind it so when they all meet together the formation is white black white. Not my best solution, but it worked and honestly compared to the infernal machines I am making in world 3 this is fantastic by comparison.

I just encountered the first level which made me feel like a genius (figuring out how to do 3/2 blocks alternatively on the same conveyor belt and then just have it run through both goals and pick up whatever is needed), but yeah this game needs an easy video/gif sharing option:

And I see what you were getting at with your solution. So far I am tinkering around to find elegant solutions, but I am pretty sure I'll resort to the same tactics soon enough

 

[One Foul Note]

I just encountered the first level which made me feel like a genius (figuring out how to do 3/2 blocks alternatively on the same conveyor belt and then just have it run through both goals and pick up whatever is needed), but yeah this game needs an easy video/gif sharing option:

That's cool, I didn't know you can run incorrect solutions through an outgate without the game shouting at you, sure that come in handy as the puzzles get tougher. Dunno if you know this as well, but once you unlock a block you can return to an earlier puzzles and use it freely. I imagine that if the game unlocked blocks like logic gates or conveyor belts here you can change the direction then a lot of the earlier levels will be quite easy to get really low cycles and footprints with.

 

[Rapstah]

SpaceChem is a fantastic game, and this thread is making me feel pretty good about buying this one in early access. Going to do that now. Thanks!

 

[Toma]

That's cool, I didn't know you can run incorrect solutions through an outgate without the game shouting at you, sure that come in handy as the puzzles get tougher. Dunno if you know this as well, but once you unlock a block you can return to an earlier puzzles and use it freely. I imagine that if the game unlocked blocks like logic gates or conveyor belts here you can change the direction then a lot of the earlier levels will be quite easy to get really low cycles and footprints with.

Ah sweet, yeah I'll probably return then and make new solutions. Thankfully you can save 3 solutions for each level so I can just keep my original ones.

I really need more than 6 slots for the quick choice slots though... 6 is definitely not enough -.-

 

[Rapstah]

Someone asked about the sountrack. The first song in the second area sounds a lot like the main theme of Spacechem. It's pretty good so far. More intense, though.

 

[Parsnip]

I wonder if the composer is the same.
Looking at their jamendo page, they also did music for Ironclad Tactics, another Zachtronics game.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

Found out about this game last night, glad to see it already has a thread.
I was especially pleased they went with the factory motif after watching Mathewmatosis' analysis of SpaceChem in which he mentioned it as a premise with potentially wider appeal than chemical reactions.

SpaceChem is one of the best games I've played in years, and while I personally loved the chemistry elements, these guys really deserve to have a massive hit.

 

[Toma]

I wonder if the composer is the same.
Looking at their jamendo page, they also did music for Ironclad Tactics, another Zachtronics game.

Pretty much guaranteed to be the same composer.

 

[TemplaerDude]

!!!

Loved Spacechem. Did not know this existed. Thank you, OP!

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

Just read up on the founder of the company and on Infiniminer.

I have to say, he sounds like a very talented developer.

 

[Kalor]

I've been interested in this since it was announced and I'll likely buy it at some point during early access.

 

[Rapstah]

Here's my solution for the level shown in the OP:

Designing the levels for this has to be hell. There are so many ways to solve things in unintended ways. Spacechem had this problem too in some ways: you could pass a lot of the tests where they introduced a new piece without using that new piece at all. It's way more complicated in 3D though!

 

[Toma]

Here's my solution for the level shown in the OP:

Designing the levels for this has to be hell. There are so many ways to solve things in unintended ways. Spacechem had this problem too in some ways: you could pass a lot of the tests where they introduced a new piece without using that new piece at all. It's way more complicated in 3D though!

Edit: Ah, lol. now I see what you are doing there.

But yeah, kinda crazy how many different possibilities there are to approach these levels.

 

[Rapstah]

Edit: Ah, lol. now I see what you are doing there.

But yeah, kinda crazy how many different possibilities there are to approach these levels.

Speaking of different approaches:

On the surface it's way more approachable than Spacechem, but it gets more complicated pretty much by the second level. At least that's how I felt, I design better in 2D.

 

[notoriousKTR]

Here's my solution for the level shown in the OP:

Designing the levels for this has to be hell. There are so many ways to solve things in unintended ways. Spacechem had this problem too in some ways: you could pass a lot of the tests where they introduced a new piece without using that new piece at all. It's way more complicated in 3D though!

Lol, my approach was stupid complicated. Just noticed from watching your gif that there is an offset between the two object's output rate. Some how I did not catch that.

 

[Toma]

Lol, my approach was stupid complicated. Just noticed from watching your gif that there is an offset between the two object's output rate. Some how I did not catch that.

Pictures!

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

Better keep an eye on this one. I loved what I played of SpaceChem, and this could be the Crashmo to SpaceChem's Pushmo for sure.

 

[notoriousKTR]

Pictures!

 

[gngf123]

I loved Spacechem.

I'm definitely going to be buying this.

 

[mclem]

Having now played through the first chapter:

* I suspect the Infiniminer link is no coincidence.
* A good few of the tutorial levels seem to have best solutions with about *half* as many cycles as what I've mustered. Can't quite see how as yet; it's early enough that I could imagine it's a bug, because with the tools I currently have that does seem impossible - but I could just also be ignorant to the better methods (remember the SpaceChem "use one waldo to just constantly pulse a "bond" command technique?)
* I've a horrified feeling we're going to get later levels which involve moving *conveyors* around on the fly.
* In short: I like.

Edit:

That's cool, I didn't know you can run incorrect solutions through an outgate without the game shouting at you, sure that come in handy as the puzzles get tougher. Dunno if you know this as well, but once you unlock a block you can return to an earlier puzzles and use it freely. I imagine that if the game unlocked blocks like logic gates or conveyor belts here you can change the direction then a lot of the earlier levels will be quite easy to get really low cycles and footprints with.

Oh, that might well be the key to the odd low cycles I'm seeing.

 

[Toma]

* I've a horrified feeling we're going to get later levels which involve moving *conveyors* around on the fly.

Me too, I am dreading that moment.

 

[Toma]

Update out now:

We just pushed a new build to Steam that fixes a bunch of bugs, including a particularly awkward bug where other people's Steam Workshop levels were floating in an unplayable blue void. We've also added a few more slots to the hotbar, although we might still do more with the hotbar soon.

And just like that, my biggest concern with the hotbar slots is out of the window within 12 hours <3

 

[More_Badass]

And bought! Couldn't resist any longer

 

[pigeon]

This game is great and it's kicking my ass already.

 

[Woo-Fu]

It is SpaceChem in 3D, I'm already sucked in. If you liked Spacechem there is no possible way you can't like this puzzler. Even if you're afraid of More of the Same syndrome the switch to 3D and a bunch of other changes make it different enough for that not be a problem, at least for me.

 

[More_Badass]

I find it interesting that people keep saying it's pretty much "SpaceChem 2 in everything but name" when the dev said:

If we just wanted to make a game for the SpaceChem audience, we'd just make SpaceChem 2. This is something different

Sounds like he didn't exactly achieve that. Perhaps later mechanics make it significantly different?

 

[Toma]

I find it interesting that people keep saying it's pretty much "SpaceChem 2 in everything but name" when the dev said:

Sounds like he didn't exactly achieve that. Perhaps later mechanics make it significant different?

The dev tries to differentiate himself from SpaceChem due to some alienating factors (Chemistry theme, supposedly too complex for most people, etc).

And I am really glad to say that its... SpaceChem 2 or "SpaceChem 3D" if you will