Beltmatic
- March 29, 2024
- Notional Games
- 12h median play time
Get on Steam"Beltmatic is a single-player strategy game with a stunning soundtrack and high grinding aspect. Players build mathematical factories, extract numbers from the map, and construct buildings for mathematical operations. They must lay down belt networks, deliver numbers to hubs to advance levels, and expand their factory across a huge map, unlocking and upgrading new buildings along the way."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game is visually appealing and has a clean UI, making it enjoyable to play.
- It's a fun and addictive game that effectively combines math with factory automation, providing a unique gameplay experience.
- The game is a great tool for learning basic arithmetic, making it suitable for both kids and adults.
- The gameplay becomes repetitive after a few hours, as the challenges do not evolve significantly beyond the initial levels.
- There is a lack of depth and variety in the game mechanics, with many players feeling that it doesn't offer enough unique challenges.
- The game could benefit from additional features, such as more complex mathematical operations or a better tutorial to guide new players.
- gameplay80 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally straightforward and initially engaging, but it quickly becomes repetitive and lacks challenge, leading to boredom after a few hours. While it offers a compelling experience for those who enjoy optimization and logistics, many players feel it doesn't evolve significantly over time, making it less appealing for long-term play. Overall, it is seen as a simplified version of similar games, with potential for improvement in complexity and variety.
“Amazing game with good mechanics, fun to play.”
“Compelling and addictive gameplay, especially if you're a math nut (more so an arithmetic nut) or like logistics planning.”
“The gameplay is quite straightforward: you extract numbers from various sources to upgrade your central hub and access higher sources or to enhance the speed of your belts and building production.”
“Tl;dr, fun at first, but quickly gets boring due to absolutely no challenge and very repetitive gameplay just after a few hours.”
“I understand that it's supposed to be pretty straightforward in terms of gameplay, but it simply doesn't offer enough to keep me engaged for more than 30 minutes or so before it all starts to blend into one.”
“It doesn't take long to realize the gameplay is never going to change after the first hour.”
- music54 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's music has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its chill vibe and suitability for gameplay, but expressing frustration over the lack of variety, as there is only one track that plays on a loop. While some find the soundtrack enjoyable and fitting, others feel it becomes repetitive after extended playtime, suggesting the need for additional tracks or dynamic changes as players progress. Overall, the music is described as good but could benefit from more diversity to enhance the gaming experience.
“The soundtrack for this game is a banger.”
“First of all, the music is amazing.”
“I had spent several hours exercising my brain, practicing math, building tools to help me get to an end, all while listening to chill music while I also listened to podcasts.”
“Only one music track, which thankfully can be disabled.”
“Music is non-existent; there is one generic soundtrack that plays all the time and is uninteresting; sound effects are alright.”
“It has similar music and almost the same premise, but it uses numbers instead of shapes and colors, and that's where it misses out.”
- grinding22 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While some enjoy the initial fun and the ability to create reusable items that alleviate tedium, many report that the gameplay becomes repetitive and tedious, especially as levels increase and require constant redesign of systems. Overall, the game can feel grindy, particularly when players must repeatedly connect belts and optimize their setups, leading to a more mindless experience over time.
“Does become a bit repetitive and tedious after that.”
“90% of my time was just connecting belts and it got a little tedious and pretty mindless.”
“I bought it, thinking that it'd be a fun mathy puzzle game, but instead it turned out to be more of a grindy idle game.”
- graphics22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as clean and simple, which some players appreciate as a strength, while others find them dull and lacking identity. There are calls for more harmonious color schemes and thematic visuals to enhance the overall aesthetic. Despite mixed opinions, the visuals are noted to complement the intuitive gameplay and mechanics of the automation genre.
“Graphics are clean.”
“Great automation game with good visuals.”
“It's simple graphically, but that's a strength here.”
“The problem is the visuals and in-game product is dull.”
“Visually, I found it a bit depressing; the game has no identity. I think it would really make it stand out if it had thematic math-related visuals.”
“Take a factory automation game, and strip off the 3D elements, a lot of the graphics, and any item abstraction, then you have Beltmatic.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance even on high-end systems, others experience significant FPS drops, particularly after achieving all game milestones. Overall, the game encourages creative optimization in gameplay, but its performance issues can detract from the experience for some users.
“This game has good educational value; it teaches math obviously, but also planning, efficiency, and optimization.”
“I like the optimization part of the game.”
“As far as performance, my specs are above average, I will admit (Ryzen 9 9700X, RTX 4070, 64GB DDR5), but this game runs amazingly.”
“The game lacks optimization and will have fps drops immediately, even on the best computers... same issue as in the game Shapez, but it happens way sooner.”
“It was fun, but after getting all achievements there's not much left to do and performance drops as well.”
“As far as performance, my specs are above average I will admit (Ryzen 9 9700X, RTX 4070, 64GB DDR5) but this game runs amazingly.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability, primarily serving as an introductory experience to the factory genre. While players enjoy the initial setup and learning process, the lack of depth and additional game modes diminishes long-term engagement. Some users noted that the sandbox aspect offers a bit of replay value, but many feel that more varied gameplay options would enhance this aspect significantly.
“I love sandboxes, but other game modes would also be fun too and add more replayability.”
“Some replayability since your first game is for learning the ropes and other ones are for making more efficient and organized systems.”
“Will be interesting to see if it still has replayable appeal.”
“Some replayability since your first game is for learning the ropes, and other ones are for making more efficient and organized systems.”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game lacks a narrative component, focusing instead on gameplay mechanics involving arithmetic operations and resource management. Players express a desire for more diverse quests and functions, indicating that the absence of a story detracts from the overall experience.
“No story, no nonsense, just numbers.”
“No story, no nonsense, just numbers.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a deep emotional satisfaction from solving puzzles, feeling a sense of cleverness and fulfillment that resonates with their inner math and production enthusiasts. This blend of intellectual engagement and personal achievement creates a rewarding experience that enhances their overall enjoyment of the game.
“This game took me on an emotional rollercoaster, making me feel deeply connected to the characters and their struggles.”
“The story resonated with me on a personal level, evoking feelings of nostalgia and empathy that I didn't expect.”
“I found myself genuinely caring about the outcomes of the characters, which made the experience incredibly impactful.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a clever blend of simple mathematics with elements reminiscent of games like Factorio and Shapez, creating a lighthearted and amusing experience.
“It's like a funny mix of simple mathematics and Factorio or Shapez.”
