GearBlocks

About

GearBlocks is a single player simulation game. It was developed by SmashHammer Games and was released on November 9, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

"GearBlocks" is a single-player simulation game that takes 680 hours to complete. It is an open-ended sandbox for mechanically-minded builders, allowing you to construct cars, parkour courses, and more with over 200 parts. Interact with your creations, learn to build with tutorials, and explore example constructions, all with realistic physics simulations.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 566 reviews

gameplay52 positive mentions

stability12 negative mentions

The building mechanics are deep and allow for a high level of creativity, making it a great game for those who enjoy mechanical engineering.
The game has a lot of potential and is actively being updated by a dedicated developer, which excites players for future content.
Once players get used to the controls, they find the game to be very rewarding and fun, with endless possibilities for building and experimenting.

The controls and user interface are clunky and unintuitive, making the building process frustrating for many players.
There is a lack of content, such as missions or challenges, which can make the gameplay feel aimless after the initial building excitement.
The game suffers from bugs and performance issues, which can detract from the overall experience, especially in its current early access state.

gameplay
206 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
52%
23%
The gameplay of this mechanical sandbox game is praised for its depth and complexity, allowing players to create intricate mechanical systems and vehicles. While the building mechanics can be challenging and have a steep learning curve, many players find the experience rewarding and creatively fulfilling, especially if they have a background in mechanical engineering or similar games. However, some users note issues with controls and physics that detract from the overall experience, suggesting that the game still requires refinement.
- “This game truly inspires creativity, with complex but learnable mechanics you can practically build just about anything.”
- “If you are a vehicle builder, driver, crash test enjoyer, mechanical contrivance enjoyer, or anything involving moving parts and building, this is an awesome game. You can make it as simple or as complex as you want.”
- “There's a steep learning curve, but this is easily the best game out there for making complex mechanical systems.”
- “They make the experience of building mechanical creations tedious and annoying, which is why I've unfortunately requested a refund for this game.”
- “Game tries to emulate the Scrap Mechanic style of construction, but fails to bring the same functionality and ease-of-use since this game is 10 times more complex.”
- “This game is not for the faint of heart; the building mechanics are really hard and to just build basic stuff requires a lot of mechanical knowledge, and I struggled a little despite considering myself decently knowledgeable.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while some users report significant bugs and frustrating collision issues that require extensive troubleshooting, others praise it for being less buggy than similar titles. The game features complex mechanics that may lead to glitches, but many players appreciate its relative stability compared to other sandbox games.
- “15 hours troubleshooting just to find out one part was secretly hiding beneath another with collision on causing it to fly a million miles away.”
- “This game is like Scrap Mechanic but only 10 times less buggy and way more mechanical.”
- “And those constructions in promotional screenshots were created with various glitches and complicated techniques you'll need to learn.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The reviews indicate a lack of a compelling story, with users expressing a desire for challenges, scenarios, and missions that would enhance the gameplay experience. Without these elements, the narrative aspect is perceived as absent or insufficient.
- “No story.”
- “No story.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Users report that the game features good graphics, with one player noting that it runs well even on older hardware, specifically a Core 2 Duo with 8 GB of RAM and a 2 GB graphics card.
- “The graphics are impressive, especially considering my setup.”
- “Good graphics.”
- “The visuals are stunning and enhance the overall gaming experience.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Overall, the game's optimization appears to be a mixed bag; while some users report smooth performance and reliable interactions, others express concerns about potential performance issues related to the simulation of aerodynamics. Despite these challenges, the game's current optimization is generally viewed positively.
- “If anything, it seems to be rather well optimized and running smoothly, even interactions between the titular gears happen (as far as I observed) reliably.”
- “Horrible performance”
- “To be fair, aerodynamics are difficult to simulate at least somewhat accurately, and their inclusion could cause performance issues, but since propellers are already in the game, some cars would really benefit from their addition.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often describing it as a burdensome experience that detracts from enjoyment. This has led some to consider refunds, indicating a significant dissatisfaction with the time investment required for progression.
- “Doing this while you're a character in the world is tedious and frustrating.”
- “They make the experience of building mechanical creations tedious and annoying, which is why I've unfortunately requested a refund for this game.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with users highlighting the tutorial as particularly funny and engaging.
- “The tutorial is great and filled with humor, making it very entertaining.”
- “The humor in the game adds a delightful touch to the overall experience.”
- “I love how the game incorporates funny elements throughout the gameplay.”