FACEMINER

About

FACEMINER is a single player management game. It was developed by Wristwork and was released on February 27, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

DEMO NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD BELOW! OR PLAY ON STEAM FEEDBACK? JOIN OUR DISCORD SERVER! FACEMINER is a narrative-driven strategy game set in an alternate technological past. Classify biometric data, manage data-mining infrastructure and shape the world's fate in this devastating portrait of white-collar destruction told through the medium of 90s corporate software. WORKLOAD Manage data-s…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 875 reviews

story79 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay with a unique blend of resource management and incremental mechanics, keeping players actively involved.
Excellent soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, creating a nostalgic and immersive atmosphere.
Thought-provoking narrative that critiques corporate greed and environmental issues, resonating with current societal concerns.

Short playtime of around 2-3 hours, which may leave players wanting more content and replayability.
Gameplay can become repetitive and tedious, especially in the later stages as the mechanics plateau.
Heavy-handed messaging that may feel overly simplistic or clichéd to some players, detracting from the overall experience.

story
243 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
63%
4%
The game's story is a mix of dystopian themes centered around global warming, AI, and corporate greed, delivered primarily through corporate emails and messages. While some players found the narrative engaging and relevant, others criticized it for being thin, predictable, and lacking depth, with a heavy-handed moral message. Overall, the storytelling method received mixed reviews, with some appreciating its unique approach while others felt it detracted from the gameplay experience.
- “The story and its message stand out the most; I believe they’re extremely relevant to what we’re experiencing right now, just on a larger scale.”
- “Storytelling unfolds through corporate emails, internal messages, and fragmented reports that reveal tensions within the company and hint at darker motivations behind the project.”
- “Incredible short story with a theme that really hits hard because of its masterful use of ludonarrative synergy.”
- “The story is lackluster, especially since I expected it to make up for the boring gameplay.”
- “The story is very basic and makes it seem as if there is a conspiracy to be revealed or massive plot twist, but there isn't any.”
- “The story was very shallow; it felt like a B plot leading into some big conspiracy and then the game just ended, leaving you wanting more.”
music
168 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
49%
2%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its excellent quality and how well it complements the game's atmosphere and aesthetic. The soundtrack, often described as a mix of electronic and drum and bass styles, enhances the immersive experience and is considered a standout feature, with some players expressing a desire to listen to it outside of the game. While a few comments noted some repetitiveness, the overall sentiment is that the music significantly elevates the gameplay experience, making it a key highlight for players.
- “The soundtrack is tremendous - this is one of those games where you'll catch yourself sitting at your desk with the music dimmed and your significant other will jump scare you because you're so locked in.”
- “This game also has one of the best soundtracks of all time, and is on its own worth the price of the game.”
- “The music adds to the vibe and is the absolute highlight of this game, treat it more like an album with a game attached.”
- “Music: 6/10 (you'll put on your own music anyways).”
- “Wish there were more songs or the ability to add your own in; I have a bunch of stuff both locally and downloadable through YouTube I'd love to have in here.”
- “The additional .1 hour of my 2.5 hour gameplay was during the end screen trying to figure out how to turn off all the audio (which was mostly explosions, glitching noises, and background music set to max volume) so I could read my stats in quiet, but it seems that the SFX and music in the end screen are not connected to the in-game audio levels in any way.”
gameplay
151 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
60%
8%
The gameplay of *Faceminer* is characterized by a simple incremental/clicker structure that initially engages players with its mechanics and aesthetic, but many reviews note that it becomes repetitive and tedious as the game progresses. While some players appreciate the depth of resource management and the thematic integration of gameplay with its narrative, others criticize the lack of new mechanics and the short overall experience, leading to a sense of stagnation after the first few hours. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable moments and frustrating limitations, making it a polarizing experience among players.
- “Gameplay-wise, the early game into the mid-game is very interesting and engaging as you juggle upgrading your rig and improving your automated face mining abilities.”
- “The gameplay itself is fantastic; it's the perfect balance between idle and active gameplay, with awesome music and stellar UI design.”
- “Really addictive gameplay loop where you spin a ton of plates to upgrade your system and infinitely build your profits.”
- “The core gameplay loop isn't engaging, the new systems that get unlocked don't really change anything, and the storyline is trite.”
- “But the gameplay automates almost immediately and never evolves, creating an incremental idler that plateaus within an hour.”
- “Way too short with no new mechanics introduced after the first 30ish minutes.”
graphics
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
52%
3%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their nostalgic 90s aesthetic, effectively capturing the look and feel of old Windows operating systems, which enhances the overall experience. Many players appreciate the unique art style and engaging soundtrack, noting that the visuals contribute significantly to the game's charm, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay depth and content. Overall, the aesthetic is considered a standout feature, making the game appealing to fans of retro design.
- “The overall aesthetic really draws you in, and the management between systems keeps you hooked.”
- “The graphics are stylized and very nice-looking; some details it took me a while to notice.”
- “Genuinely one of the best incremental clicky click games, fantastic music and visuals, along with a pretty cool story.”
- “Only thing it had going for it are the aesthetics, but it isn't enough to recommend this game.”
- “The world building is non-existent with the 1990's aesthetic being just that, an aesthetic choice with no meaningful purpose or impact to your actions in the game's world.”
- “Food for thought: at some point I turned off the visuals for the face mining because it was flashing by way too fast and I had no reason to look at it.”
atmosphere
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
15%
14%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive sound design and engaging music, which significantly enhance the overall experience. Many players appreciate the nostalgic 90's vibe and the unique blend of industrial techno and jungle sounds that complement the gameplay. However, some critiques mention that the story can be overly intrusive, potentially detracting from the otherwise captivating atmosphere.
- “Sound design further amplifies the game’s atmosphere.”
- “The soundtrack is also phenomenal, and helps build the atmosphere and make the experience more enjoyable.”
- “Faceminer is an amazing little nostalgia trip into the 90's era and its atmosphere and immersive UI are some of the major focal points that originally drew me in.”
- “The ending was strong; it made my spine crawl with the sound design and atmosphere.”
- “Silky smooth industrial techno and jungle that complement the pace, time period, and atmosphere of the game to a T.”
- “I'm an addict for clicker and idle games, so of course a brand new one off the block with a 90's style atmosphere attracted my attention.”
humor
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its dark, twisted, and satirical elements, particularly through hilarious text-to-speech messages from coworkers and amusing emails that resonate with corporate culture. Players appreciate the nostalgic interface and the clever juxtaposition of funny content against a dystopian backdrop, making the experience both entertaining and thought-provoking. Overall, the game's comedic approach effectively enhances its engaging gameplay, keeping players amused throughout.
- “The nostalgic interface of a pre-2000's computer desktop, synth-wave 'music player' soundtrack, and the dark-humored comedic content bundled within the game are highlight features.”
- “Bonus points to everyone who works in corporate - you will roll on the floor laughing from the company messages.”
- “That was fun, humorous, dark, and twisted.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
6%
88%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, especially in the mid to late game where new discoveries become scarce. While some appreciate the addictive nature and world-building elements, many feel that the gameplay can become overly grindy, requiring significant time investment for minimal rewards. Overall, the grind is seen as a double-edged sword, with some enjoying the challenge while others find it detracts from the experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Game tends to be extremely tedious and boring, doomslop.”
- “I tend to find them tedious, especially near the mid and end game as new discoveries become rarer and rarer as you watch a number climb higher and higher.”
- “You just keep grinding the number bigger until everyone dies, I guess.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
23%
44%
Overall, the game's replayability is generally viewed as limited, with many players noting its short length and lack of engaging content for multiple playthroughs. While some appreciate the potential for achievement hunting and an endless mode, the gameplay loop tends to become repetitive quickly, leading to a consensus that it may not offer significant replay value for most players.
- “Initial playthrough is short, but there is replayability for achievement hunters and an endless mode.”
- “I adore the premise and the story was cool, but as an idle/incremental game, I was expecting more replayability.”
- “It's got some good, but limited, replayability.”
- “Still, it falls short because of its short length and lack of replay value, as it doesn't really build on itself beyond a solid, one-time play-through.”
- “Cool idea and aesthetic but the gameplay loop gets boring quick and there is no replay value despite the multiple endings.”
- “3 hours, game done, no replayability, that's it.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is generally good, though players report some bugs, particularly towards the end, which can hinder progress. While the experience remains enjoyable, issues like glitches and a lack of integration of certain features detract from the overall polish. Some users feel the game is slightly overpriced given its stability concerns.
- “No bringing you back to the main menu feels like either sloppy design or buggy as hell.”
- “It just feels like such a huge missed opportunity to not even use the faces in the face mining software for any storytelling whatsoever and relegating the little bit of stuff that isn't a face in it to just simple glitches or weird pictures of cats and fish.”
- “My only real criticism with the game is at one point one of the messages talks about how many issues the faceminer software has and I would have liked to see that reflected somehow in screen glitches or something.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's optimization mechanics are both engaging and frustrating, as players find themselves challenged by misleading in-game tools and the hidden costs of exponential growth. This complexity transforms optimization into a balancing act, blurring the lines between traditional gameplay and performance art. Overall, while the game offers a unique take on optimization, it can be difficult to navigate effectively.
- “They're really hard to put into a genre and blur the lines between game and performance art piece.”
- “I'm fairly certain the in-game tool to predict upgrade performance is intentionally misleading and bad.”
- “These systems force the player to confront the hidden costs of exponential growth, turning optimization into a balancing act rather than a straightforward path toward infinite profit.”
- “I realized this game was great when I got annoyed that the apocalypse kept interrupting my optimizations.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively evokes strong emotions by addressing pressing environmental issues and the implications of unchecked technological advancement, prompting players to reflect on their impact on the world. It skillfully utilizes moments of tension and chaos to challenge players emotionally, although some felt these elements fell short of delivering a fully satisfying experience. The immersive soundtrack further enhances the emotional depth, creating a compelling atmosphere that resonates with the game's themes.
- “The game is masterfully touching upon what will happen in our world in the foreseeable future if we let companies like OpenAI keep building data centers at the cost of the health of the Earth and its inhabitants.”
- “Traits inherent to the genre, like those little moments of downtime as you wait for money to build up, or the overwhelming chaos of the end state of a run, are used to really challenge the player emotionally in ways many equivalent titles just don't.”
- “Absolutely awesome soundtrack and sound effects too, made me feel like I was in the matrix; also, the subject matter (relates to AI, no spoilers) is super interesting.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While some players appreciate the developers' efforts, many feel that the game's pricing is too high relative to its content, leading to concerns that it may be perceived as a cash grab.
- “I really appreciate what the devs did here, and I'm not going to unjustly call this game a cash grab, but it's just too expensive for what it offers.”
- “The monetization model feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending a lot of money.”
- “It's frustrating that so many features are locked behind paywalls, which detracts from the overall experience.”