FACTORIO: THE FACTORY MUST GROW, AND SO MUST YOUR HOURS
9.5 of 10 bananas. Wube Software's 2020 factory builder: crash on an alien planet, then automate mining, belts, trains, and science until you launch a rocket. One of the deepest building games ever made; it can eat your life, and the price never drops.
By the Alpha. Steam listing. Updated Nov 3 2026.
Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: PC on Steam (Windows, Mac, and Linux), plus Nintendo Switch (developed and published by Wube Software, full release August 14 2020). The button is the Steam page, 35.00 dollars at my Nov 3 2026 check. Wube famously does not run sales. I did not verify a fair US Amazon listing, so Steam is the only button.
Get Factorio on SteamSit with me a moment. I sat down to build one iron smelter. I looked up and the sun had set twice. That is Factorio, and every engineer in the troop has the same story.
What It Wants To Be
Factorio is a factory building and automation game. You start by mining ore by hand, then build drills, furnaces, conveyor belts, and assembling machines, and slowly automate everything, up to trains, oil processing, and robots. Native creatures attack your pollution, so you defend too. The goal is to launch a rocket. The 2024 Space Age expansion adds new planets.
What Works
It is a masterpiece of systems. Steam shows a Metacritic score of 90, and Steam user reviews have stayed near the top for years. Every problem you solve reveals a bigger one, and fixing a messy factory is deeply satisfying. Multiplayer, mods, and the clean performance even with giant bases keep it alive.
What Breaks
Listen well. The learning curve is steep, and the early hours can feel like homework. It is easy to lose whole weekends. The art is plain and functional. At 35 dollars with no sales, and with the paid Space Age expansion on top, it costs more than many indie games.
Who Should Play
Play it if you love logistics, puzzles, or Minecraft redstone. Skip it if you want story or action first.
STRENGTHS
- Deep, endlessly satisfying automation
- Rock solid performance
- Great multiplayer and mods
- Years of support
HONEST COSTS
- Steep learning curve
- Eats your free time
- Never on sale
Store note: the troop still needs an Amazon referral for this one. I did not verify a fair US Amazon listing for Factorio. Steam is the only button until a fair listing is real. This is not an affiliate link.