Gunsmith

About

Gunsmith is a single player casual strategy game. It was developed by SCT and was released on May 25, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Gunsmith is a single-player strategy game where you manage your own arms manufacturing company, starting with a small factory and gradually expanding by unlocking machines and technologies. The game offers a variety of production choices, with over 30 products, 35 machines, and 20 clients, as well as dynamic marketplace and automated buying/selling systems. However, it has lots of grinding and is prone to bugs."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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77%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,330 reviews

gameplay40 positive mentions

stability44 negative mentions

Highly addictive gameplay with a unique concept of arms manufacturing.
Active developers who listen to community feedback and regularly update the game.
Great graphics and a satisfying production line experience.

Limited content currently available, leading to repetitive gameplay.
Performance issues, especially with frame rates dropping significantly during production.
Lack of a pause or speed-up feature, making it tedious to manage production lines.

gameplay
238 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
75%
8%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the complexity of setting up production lines and managing resources, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking depth. Many users have noted issues with the mechanics, particularly regarding the AI of maintenance workers and the impact of recent updates that have disrupted core gameplay elements. Overall, while the game shows potential with its foundational mechanics, it currently suffers from bugs, a slow update schedule, and a lack of engaging content.
- “Enjoying the active and constant gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is basic enough that it's not too hard to set up lines, but also deep enough that you can lose hours building an optimized assembly line in an attempt to achieve maximum production.”
- “I really like this game, the gameplay is fun, the mechanics of it are fresh and feel different.”
- “Extremely slow update schedule, mediocre content and gameplay, and the studio's last action was to toss the game to a developer who looked at a factory management sim and said 'this looks like a paradox strategy game', got roasted, and then went radio silent ever since.”
- “Seems like the game has really missed its main appeal and the gameplay is just sort of a standard factory game, except worse and not particularly gun-focused.”
- “The new update messed up a lot of the core mechanics, but checking the Discord shows the devs are hard at work trying to get everything working again.”
optimization
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
56%
17%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players noting significant improvements after updates, while others still experience performance issues, particularly when managing complex production lines. Many appreciate the satisfying assembly mechanics and graphics, but there are calls for further quality of life enhancements and better optimization to accommodate a wider range of hardware. While some players report smooth performance, others with older systems suggest waiting for additional optimization before diving in.
- “The gameplay is basic enough that it's not too hard to set up lines, but also deep enough that you can lose hours building an optimized assembly line in an attempt to achieve maximum production.”
- “The bones of this are good, the graphics are great, and there's something extremely satisfying about tweaking a manufacturing line until it's optimized, then further adding other production lines and having certain machines do the work of both lines so you can eliminate waste.”
- “For an assembly style game, the aesthetic feels great, the engine is not taxing on the computer, and the overall assembly process feels great with plenty of room for individual optimization and creativity.”
- “Performance is currently poor.”
- “Got up to the point I was mass producing all sorts of military fashion and also some 9mm bullets, but after that the game really slows to a crawl performance-wise.”
- “Currently the game is fun and to a point where I can dump many hours into it designing the more efficient factory, however at no more than 5 hours in I finished making a machine which makes hundreds of clothing items per minute (every piece of clothing in the game) and the game has proven to lag quite a bit due to poor optimization.”
graphics
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
32%
11%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the shiny, detailed visuals and realistic 3D design compared to similar titles, while others criticize certain aspects as bland or poorly executed. Some players report performance issues, such as stuttering, which can be mitigated by adjusting settings. Overall, the graphics are generally considered good, with room for improvement in specific areas like the research tree and certain aesthetic choices.
- “The visuals keep getting better, the mechanics have certainly improved and there's still plenty left to evolve.”
- “Amazing graphics and decent optimization for the current state of the game.”
- “The graphics are nice without being cartoony or over-done.”
- “The graphics are awful - bland and dull.”
- “Gameplay is a bit clunky with a few graphical glitches.”
- “The research tree is terrible graphically.”
stability
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
81%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with some players reporting a bug-free experience while others encounter various glitches and performance issues, particularly in early access. Many users acknowledge the presence of minor bugs but find the game generally enjoyable and playable, especially with ongoing developer support and updates. Overall, while some recommend waiting for further fixes, others feel it is polished for an early access title.
- “Also bug free, I've never seen one in 50 hours of playing.”
- “If you enjoy these types of games, you can comfortably add this to your list :) The developer is still active and listening, but enjoyable and bug free (zero bugs for me) as is.”
- “Keep up the good work, pretty much bug free and very addictive.”
- “I have sewing machines that are backed up and no reason they should be other than this game is buggy as hell.”
- “Game is really buggy at the moment, I say wait till it's fixed before you buy.”
- “Still buggy - wait for release.”
grinding
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and monotonous, with players noting the repetitive nature of tasks and the slow pace of production. Many reviews highlight the frustration of having to repeatedly complete tutorials and manage orders, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some find the game rewarding in its complexity, the overwhelming grind often overshadows its potential for creativity and fun.
- “The fact that you have to repeat the same tutorial for every single scenario is tedious as hell.”
- “To be perfectly honest, the tedious wait to produce 1800 items to fill an order is just asinine.”
- “No matter how many orders you fulfill, your balance just gets lower and lower, making the game tedious and broken.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
72%
17%
The game's story is considered underdeveloped and lacking depth, with players expressing a desire for more engaging narrative elements, particularly involving henchmen and their roles in missions. While the storyline shows promise and is a work in progress, it requires further balancing and polishing to enhance the overall experience. Players noted that the main campaign could benefit from a more substantial narrative to complement the gameplay.
- “☯ story ☯”
- “☐ few hours (10 - 20 hours) [if you focus on the main story]”
- “Whilst there is a storyline, it is certainly lacking and would have been an interesting feature in the main campaign.”
- “It needs a little more play balancing and polishing with its storyline, but for an alpha, it is quite promising.”
- “I assumed having more henchmen increased how many laundering missions you could have running at once; unfortunately, it is limited to one mission at a time, which makes having multiple henchmen pointless.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating the relaxing and fitting soundtrack. However, some users note that the tracks can become repetitive over time, and there is a desire for an option to play personal music. Overall, while the music enhances the gaming experience, it may not hold up for extended play sessions.
- “The background music is nice (an option to play your own would be awesome!).”
- “Not something I'm usually picky about is the music in a game, but they've got the perfect soundtrack for it, I think it really fits the game well.”
- “You wouldn't think it, but the music is soft, and listening to the machines run is my favorite way to relax.”
- “Music track gets a little repetitive.”
- “You wouldn't think it, but the music is soft and listening to the machines run is my favorite way to relax.”
- “That being said, this is an alright game to just kill time and listen to music to.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
60%
30%
Overall, players express skepticism about the game's replayability, citing concerns over recent changes that complicate gameplay and hinder the enjoyment of building efficient production lines. While some believe the foundational elements for a more engaging experience exist, the current state of the game leaves many feeling that it lacks sufficient replay value.
- “Now, this is alpha so don't expect things to work perfectly but after a couple of days with the game, the basic components are there for something with a lot of replay value and something that appeals to those that like the factory and business simulations.”
- “Despite having a few game scenarios, I question the replayability, although I'm glad it isn't simply 'make gun > now make this gun.'”
- “I still hold my doubts that there's any replay value here, even with a finished product.”
- “I did love this game, but it's becoming more and more unplayable for me instead of becoming more playable as development goes on. The most recent change to the belts was its nail in the coffin, so to speak, as it's so much more difficult to get a tidy-looking production line now, and every time you want to move a machine, you have to delete the entire belt and start over.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The monetization of the game has drawn criticism, with users labeling it as a cash grab due to the developer's shift in focus towards unrelated projects and perceived abandonment of the game. Despite initially low advertising, the developer's actions have led to concerns about the game's future and integrity.
- “Surprisingly a very good game for little to no advertising.”
- “Developer became shady and started leaving development to make other things, is now all but abandoning the project for another unrelated cash grab, then copy/pasting that game back into this one, one day, maybe.”
- “This game is a cash grab.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the inclusion of amusing targets at a firing range designed for researchers to test and improve weapon designs, adding a lighthearted twist to an otherwise serious setting.
- “A firing range for researchers to test and improve weapon designs... with funny targets!”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is positively highlighted, with users praising the graphics and the immersive gun factory theme, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience without technical issues.
- “The graphics and the gun factory theme create an incredible atmosphere that really immerses you in the game.”
- “The atmosphere is fantastic, enhancing the overall experience without any crashes.”