Craftomation 101: Programming & Craft
- February 19, 2024
- Luden.io
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Craftomation 101: Programming & Craft" is a craft automation game where players program robots called CraftoMates to harvest and terraform a frozen planet. The game offers visual programming and regular updates every 2 weeks, with a discord stream every Friday for community engagement. Players can get involved by filling a form, joining the discord, wishlisting on Steam, or simply following on Twitter, with an optional Pay What You Want support offer available.
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Reviews
- The game features an engaging visual programming system that is intuitive and fun to use, making it accessible for beginners and enjoyable for seasoned players.
- Craftomation 101 offers a unique blend of crafting, automation, and programming, providing a satisfying gameplay loop that encourages creativity and strategic decision-making.
- The game has solid foundations and shows potential for growth, with developers actively seeking feedback and making improvements based on player input.
- The game suffers from significant bugs and performance issues, including crashes and inconsistent UI behavior, which can detract from the overall experience.
- Resource management is overly tedious, with robots consuming energy too quickly and requiring constant manual intervention to keep systems running, leading to frustration.
- Currently, the game lacks depth and content, with limited objectives and repetitive gameplay that may not sustain long-term interest.
- gameplay64 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Craftomation 101 is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its unique blend of crafting, automation, and programming, which fosters creativity and offers a rewarding experience. However, some find it tedious and repetitive, with frustrations stemming from basic mechanics and AI issues. Overall, while the game has solid mechanics and an engaging story, it suffers from some design flaws that can detract from the enjoyment.
“Craftomation's gameplay offers a perfect balance of challenge and reward.”
“In conclusion, Craftomation 101 is a masterfully crafted experience that seamlessly blends crafting, automation, and programming into an addictive gameplay loop.”
“Instead of tedious manual labor, you're empowered to unleash your creativity by crafting and programming these tiny mechanical marvels to perform an array of tasks, from resource harvesting to oxygen production.”
“But the gameplay is bad... too repetitive, but the worst thing is that they use up things you need; they ate a storage?!?”
“In terms of gameplay, it's also lackluster.”
“I wanted to like this, but I found the core gameplay to be a bit tedious and frustrating.”
- stability27 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is currently plagued by significant stability issues, with frequent bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as freezing menus and crashes leading to progress loss. While players appreciate the concept, the overall experience is marred by these technical problems, making it difficult to recommend at this stage. Some users express hope for future improvements, but the current state is described as a "buggy mess."
“But the game is so buggy at this point that I can't recommend.”
“It is very buggy (I crashed 2 times with progress loss and was locked in interface 4 more times in 2 hours).”
“Now, it is a buggy mess at times.”
- grinding18 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often feeling that it detracts from the overall enjoyment. Much of the gameplay revolves around resource management and manual tasks, which can feel like a chore, especially since basic actions are locked behind quests. While there are moments of creativity and fun, the grind often overshadows these elements, leading to frustration.
“Everything relies on fire (2 stone combined, + 1 coal, combine) which is extremely tedious and you need to devote the majority of your robots to just produce batteries and fire.”
“Feels like a tedious (even when automated somehow) and repetitive version of a supply chain game that leaves only a very thin margin for your creativity.”
“Also, even basic actions are locked behind quests, which means that you cannot automate anything properly without first grinding semi-manually.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, featuring a charming art style and retro visuals that enhance the meditative gameplay experience. While some users note that the graphics are pleasing and suitable for indie fans, there are suggestions for improvement, particularly regarding the readability of the programming interface. Overall, the visuals are considered good, with a score of 8/10 reflecting a solid but not flawless execution.
“Nice, meditative gameplay with pleasant graphics.”
“With charming retro visuals and a fitting soundtrack, this game is a gem worth exploring for any fan of indie titles.”
“Graphics 8/10 has good graphics, not much to really be disappointed about here.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for poor frame rates and stuttering, particularly in the full version compared to the demo, with performance issues exacerbated by the number of bots present. While there are engaging optimization puzzles, players may find themselves frustrated by the lack of progress due to these technical problems. Additionally, the requirement for internet access raises concerns about its impact on performance.
“There are a lot of simple scripting puzzles and one pretty interesting optimization puzzle that appears in both 'fire' and 'water' tending tasks.”
“But again, if you like optimization and logic games, you could be entertained for hours without making much progress on that content.”
“Very bad FPS and stuttering in the full product and not in the demo.”
“Once I had a performance degradation when I reached a certain number of bots.”
“The game also asks for internet access, which I blocked, and I am unsure if this causes the stuttering issue.”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a captivating story that enhances the gameplay experience, complemented by intuitive mechanics and creative possibilities. Players appreciate the engaging narrative intertwined with various missions and unique frozen ground mechanics, making it a standout title.
“With its captivating story, intuitive mechanics, and endless possibilities for creativity, it's a must-play for anyone seeking a truly unique gaming experience.”
“All coupled with an interesting story and frozen ground mechanics.”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game is noted for being somewhat repetitive, yet it complements the charming retro visuals and enhances the overall experience, making it appealing for indie game enthusiasts.
“With charming retro visuals and a fitting soundtrack, this game is a gem worth exploring for any fan of indie titles.”
“Music gets repetitive”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with multiple users highlighting its comedic elements and overall funniness. Despite initial attempts at humor being self-referential, the game is recognized for its genuine comedic value, warranting positive reviews.
“This is a funny game.”
“This is a funny game.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game currently suffers from low replayability due to a lack of content, with multiple users expressing concerns about its limited appeal for repeated playthroughs.
