shapez 2 - a more casual factory game

[jztemple2]

This was released into early access on Steam today and is on sale for awhile at 20% off. It is the sequel to the game shapez by the same developer, but it isn't just a sequel. The original game, for which we had a thread on OO, was a 2D game and I felt was more of a puzzle game since the space with which you had to build was somewhat limited and certain solutions worked better than others.

In this version, however, the devs have greatly expanded the eventually available building area with a nice space theme. There is a lot of diverse gameplay which is available later in the game, like the screenshot below.


The devs have pointed out that the game is fully playable and already contains plenty of content. They are looking to get community feedback to determine what features might be added before the eventual 1.0 release which will probably be next year.

I thought the following graphic from the store page really helps to point out the positive points of the game and explains more of what you can expect.


I made a video of three short clips showing gameplay from early in the game, just for a feel of what the 3D looks like. I'll make a video with commentary if there is an interest.

[jztemple2]

This is a pretty good video review of the game:

[Isgrimnur]

[jztemple2]

I put in a couple more hours this afternoon and I've unlocked space platforms, asteroid mining and space conveyor belts. Suddenly there is this whole freaking large map to play with . I'm having a lot of fun with it. The devs have really done a nice job with the blueprint and the cut and paste tools. For those who are power players (which I am not) you can devise staggeringly fast and complex factory layouts. Me, I'm just having fun tinkering with the layouts.

So far, and I think this is true of the rest of the game, there are no "produce X amount of product Y per minute" objectives. It is more of a matter of making X number of product Y and how long it takes is up to the player. There is a lot of depth to the gameplay. Below is an image of the decision point early on when you can decide to keep your campaign at a normal level, which is basically the difficulty, or you can go for the very complex shapes. You keep that decision for the rest of the playthrough, but for subsequent playthroughs you can make the decision of which way to go right at the start.

[jztemple2]

From PCGamesN, Factorio like building game Shapez 2 lands to stellar Steam reception. It also has a "Overwhelmingly Positive" Steam review rating with a SteamDB Rating of 94.38%

Although factory games are a somewhat niche genre, Shapez 2 simply isn’t interested in being limited by classification alone. The new strategy game from tobspr Games is captivating players with its out-of-the-box style, opting for more abstract ways of creation. Despite launching just a few days ago, Shapez 2 is already quickly climbing the Steam charts.

At first glance, it’s pretty clear why Shapez 2 would rapidly climb the Steam charts. The Factorio-adjacent building game removes some of the typical limitations you’d find in other factory games.

Shapez 2 strips out the typically required resource element, as there is no cost to building. It replaces that challenge with creating the correct shapes in the proper colors and setting them on a path precisely where they need to go. Tobspr Games’ latest release is as much a puzzle-solving game as anything and encourages flexing those creativity muscles.
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Despite its initial complexity, especially for newcomers to the genre, Shapez 2 maintains a zen-like atmosphere with a smooth soundtrack and the satisfaction of seeing a well-optimized production line run its course.

Clearly, fans of the building games genre were buzzing about this, as it already has over 18,000 concurrent players on Steam, according to stat tracking site SteamDB. Shapez 2’s all-time peak sits at 18,806 as of writing this, comfortably placing it within the top 100 games concurrently played on Steam.

[jztemple2]

Woohoo, trains!

[Kraken]

I know the title is supposed to be a cute way of spelling "shapes," but my brain insists on pronouncing it "sha-PEZ".

[Unagi]

you are not alone. And I also almost posted about that a long while back, but I had already posted a lot of dumb things that day and held off.

OK
OMG
I didn't mean that the way it sounded.

lol

[Unagi]

I imagine it's a little shocking to think I'm holding back