Gadgeteer

About

Gadgeteer is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Metanaut and was released on August 27, 2020. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Gadgeteer" is a highly praised physics-based puzzle game where players create complex contraptions in a sandbox mode, with a community raving about its addictive and relaxing gameplay, simple yet challenging levels, and frequent updates adding new cubes and colors. The satisfaction of building a working machine and the emotional end scene have earned it high praise, making it a must-have game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 103 reviews

story4 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

Gadgeteer offers a fun and relaxing experience, allowing players to creatively build Rube Goldberg machines in a physics-based VR environment.
The game features a well-designed campaign with 60 puzzles that progressively increase in difficulty, providing a satisfying challenge for puzzle lovers.
The sandbox mode allows for endless creativity, enabling players to construct elaborate machines without the hassle of cleanup, making it a great outlet for imaginative play.

The controls can be frustrating, as players are limited to using one hand for manipulation, making precise adjustments difficult and uncomfortable over time.
Some players have reported bugs and performance issues, particularly with the physics engine, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to inconsistent results.
The selection of objects and gadgets is somewhat limited, which may hinder creativity for those looking to build more complex machines.

story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
29%
14%
The story in the game is praised for being well-crafted and emotionally engaging, seamlessly integrated with the puzzle-solving experience. Players appreciate the exploration of a small lab/flat that reveals clever lore and narrative elements, enhancing the overall immersion. Additionally, the story mode serves as an effective tutorial while offering a variety of pre-made puzzles that encourage creativity and experimentation.
- “Extremely well put together, difficult puzzles, and a surprisingly touching story.”
- “The fact that it's all tied together by exploring a small lab/flat which includes clever little tidbits of story and lore just adds to the magic.”
- “Beyond the puzzles there's also a hint of a story and a cool world beyond the house you are in.”
- “The story mode gives you pre-made puzzles with plenty of different ways to complete them.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's graphics are generally well-received, described as nice and visually appealing, though some find them a bit bland. They effectively enhance immersion and creativity, with soothing aesthetics that complement the gameplay. Performance is also commendable, running smoothly on mid-range hardware.
- “The graphics are soothing, calming, appropriate, and beautiful, and so is the background music. I'm planning on buying the soundtracks in the near future to use as a sleeping aid.”
- “The difficulty curve is also planned out nicely and encourages creativity. The visuals look good where they need to be, and it's entertaining to watch your ideas succeed or fail.”
- “The graphics of the game look nice, if a little bland.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report that while the game is enjoyable and showcases the developers' effort, it suffers from occasional bugs and glitches, particularly with controls and item interactions, especially when using the Oculus Rift. Some players attribute these issues to their hardware, but stability remains a concern.
- “I can tell that the developers put a lot of time into this game, but in my opinion, the controls are annoying and buggy.”
- “There have been some glitches in the game, but I do believe it might be my headset that was lagging.”
- “When it tries to teach you to freeze items in mid-air, it glitches and won't let you pick up anything.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The gameplay is highly suited for VR, featuring intuitive hand-based controls and effective mechanics for puzzle-solving. A concise and polished tutorial efficiently teaches players the necessary skills for both puzzle challenges and sandbox mode, utilizing a straightforward drag-and-move mechanic to navigate the environment.
- “Gameplay is well suited for VR: you put every piece of the chain reaction machine by hand.”
- “It has simple controls and really good mechanics for this puzzle game.”
- “There's a short yet polished and interactive tutorial that explains the mechanics, designed so that you will go through it only once and quickly learn all that you'll ever need to know to solve the puzzles or to build your machines in sandbox mode.”
- “The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks depth, making it hard to stay engaged for long periods.”
- “The controls are clunky and unresponsive, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “There are significant performance issues that lead to lag and stuttering during gameplay.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game's optimization is generally acceptable, but users report that it can be demanding on CPU resources, particularly due to physics calculations, leading to occasional performance drops, stuttering, and reprojection issues, even on high-end systems.
- “Performance isn't bad, but do take note that physics are calculated using the CPU and may require a somewhat powerful CPU, unless you're like me and are fine with occasional performance drops.”
- “I have a high-end system and headset, where I shouldn't be experiencing any performance issues, but this game pushes it to the limit after a while. I think it's probably the physics calculations, I'm guessing.”
- “One downside is that after playing for a while, I would get performance issues through reprojection and stuttering.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is described as light and calming, complemented by soothing background sounds like birds chirping and dogs barking, which enhance the overall atmosphere. Reviewers appreciate the soundtrack's ability to create a tranquil environment, with some even considering purchasing it for relaxation purposes. Overall, the audio elements contribute significantly to a pleasing and immersive gameplay experience.
- “As for the audio, there is some light, calming music and background noises of birds chirping and dogs barking, which creates a nice atmosphere as if you're doing it in your home.”
- “The graphics are soothing, calming, appropriate, and beautiful, and so is the background music. It's so enjoyable that I'm planning on buying the soundtracks in the near future to use as a sleeping aid.”
- “The interactions with the items, and the feedback to the player (visual and audio), alongside the excellent soundtrack, create a calming atmosphere and a pleasing world to play in.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a calming and immersive environment, enhanced by soothing music and natural background sounds like birds chirping and dogs barking. Players appreciate the engaging interactions and feedback, which contribute to a pleasant and inviting world.
- “The interactions with the items, and the feedback to the player (visual & audio), alongside the excellent soundtrack, create a calming atmosphere and a pleasing world to play in.”
- “As for the audio, there is some light, calming music and background noises of birds chirping and dogs barking, which gives a nice atmosphere like you're doing it in your home.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a surprisingly touching story that resonates emotionally with players, complemented by its well-crafted design and challenging puzzles.
- “Extremely well put together, difficult puzzles, and a surprisingly touching story.”