Main Assembly
- January 25, 2021
- Bad Yolk Games
- 11h median play time
Get on Steam"Main Assembly" is a robot construction and design game that allows players to build robots of any shape or size, program their movements with visual programming, and test them in custom-built obstacle courses. Players can also collaborate with others to create shared worlds and compete in bot challenges. The game offers a "Starter Collection" of combat-ready machines for instant brawling.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique free-form building system that allows for incredible creativity and customization.
- The physics engine is well-implemented, providing realistic interactions and behaviors for vehicles.
- The programming interface is intuitive and allows for complex logic, making it accessible for both beginners and advanced users.
- The game has been abandoned by the developers, leading to a lack of updates and new content since 2021.
- The building mechanics can be frustrating and unintuitive, making it difficult for new players to create functional designs.
- There are significant bugs and performance issues, particularly with multiplayer and vehicle physics, which can detract from the overall experience.
- gameplay62 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 44 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Main Assembly is characterized by its creative building mechanics and extensive customization options, allowing players to experiment with various mechanical contraptions. While many users appreciate the intuitive design and potential for complex creations, some criticize the awkward building system and driving mechanics, which can detract from the overall experience. Comparisons to similar sandbox games like Scrap Mechanic and Trailmakers highlight both the game's strengths in freedom and creativity, as well as its shortcomings in user interface and mechanical realism.
“Very nice building mechanics, super intuitive and user-friendly.”
“Most innovative gameplay award.”
“Creative gameplay and fun times with friends guaranteed.”
“The building system is horrible; the driving mechanics are even worse.”
“The game's building and coding mechanics are not hard, but the building system is just straight-up awkward to work with.”
“I want to build great stuff in the game, but the game UI and building mechanics always seem to be acting against me.”
- graphics31 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their bright, cute, and artistic style, offering beautiful visuals that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the polished design and high poly counts, noting that the graphics contribute to a relaxing atmosphere, despite some minor performance issues. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, making the game enjoyable for both casual and dedicated players.
“Let your ideas take flight or hit the ground running with amazing visuals!”
“Beautiful graphics and design.”
“This game is crazy, funny and has the best graphics available.”
“I would if it didn't crash really quickly whenever I play, and if it wasn't so laggy even in the flat world with the worst visuals.”
“Normally in these scenarios, I look to the visuals menu to tone things down; usually, it is something like shadows, bloom, field of view... that junk that causes such high usage of CPU... but in the menu, there is only a single drop down for quality, and once you hit 'low' you can't go any lower, and it still consumes a ton of CPU.”
“I don't know how the game can be optimized for performance, but not optimized for CPU usage, but at minimum this game needs more ways to say 'stop eating my CPU!' by giving more options in the graphics menu to tone it down.”
- story17 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth, with many users noting that it has little to no narrative content. While there are enjoyable missions and challenges, they quickly become repetitive, and the absence of a compelling storyline diminishes the overall experience. However, the game is appreciated for its sandbox building mechanics and the variety of challenges it offers, making it more of a puzzler than a story-driven experience.
“Epic story.”
“Decent story and graphics.”
“In short, a panoply of choices to add to the 'neverending story' of building everything you want.”
“This game has no story.”
“It's lacking a story or an incentive to actually push you to build more complex vehicles.”
“Lack of storyline is disappointing, but it works as a puzzler/constructor.”
- stability13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- -15 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
The game's stability is largely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, crashes, and unresponsive controls, particularly in multiplayer modes. While some players note steady updates and improvements, many still experience significant issues that hinder gameplay, such as buggy interfaces and limitations in control customization. Overall, the game is perceived as inconsistent and often unplayable due to its technical problems.
“The game runs smoothly most of the time, with only a few minor bugs.”
“I've experienced very few crashes, which is impressive for a game of this scale.”
“Overall, the stability is commendable, allowing for an enjoyable gaming experience.”
“Has been abandoned, buggy and at times unplayable.”
“It's buggy as hell and it crashes constantly.”
“Game is very buggy and inconsistent.”
- optimization11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting serious performance issues, particularly on weaker PCs, and long loading times. While there are complaints about CPU usage and programming inefficiencies, many users also note that in-game performance is generally stable, with smooth gameplay and minimal lag. Overall, the potential for improvement in optimization is recognized, but the experience remains enjoyable despite these challenges.
“I've experienced maybe three or four crashes in about 90 hours of playtime, and generally the game is stable and runs smoothly.”
“The build mode is optimized for keyboard and mouse (mostly mouse), while gameplay works very well with a controller.”
“All the systems are solid and performance is good.”
“Has very poor optimization, and despite having lots of potential was abandoned by the devs. Oh dear, the programming system is awful.”
“There are serious performance issues which might be a big problem for weaker PCs (over 20 seconds to load the configuration screen on my Threadripper), especially when editing even a bit complicated robots. Other than this, you can create very complicated robots, and so far there is still a lot to explore.”
“I don't know how the game can be optimized for performance, but not optimized for CPU usage. At minimum, this game needs more ways to say 'stop eating my CPU!' by giving more options in the graphics menu to tone it down.”
- music10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its soothing and immersive qualities, with many reviewers giving it a perfect score of 10/10. It enhances the overall atmosphere, contributing to a blend of relaxation and a slight horror vibe reminiscent of titles like Blade Runner. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that complements the game's visuals and gameplay effectively.
“To top it off, the background music is soothing and relaxing.”
“Along with the 10/10 music and spooky feel when doing free roam, it feels like Blade Runner; just the airy cities, music, and weather all give off a similar vibe that this game has in single player, and I love it.”
“This one is very well fleshed out, especially since many of these end up in 'early access purgatory.' While no one mechanic stands out, every feature - from music to map design to vehicle handling - is well done.”
“The background music is soothing and relaxing.”
“While no one mechanic stands out, every feature - from music to map design to vehicle handling - is well done.”
“The victory music is mad and chipper, but it can become repetitive after a while.”
- humor9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, featuring adorable details, a funny tutorial character, and a whimsical atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the clever and entertaining commentary, reminiscent of classic titles like Portal, which adds to the game's charm and enjoyment. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a fun and engaging experience.
“This sandbox and construction game comes with some humor, adorable details, and some cool features.”
“Has a funny tutor in the tutorials which drops some good phrases.”
“While on the move or trying to produce something, you always have the company of a robot voice, reminiscent of the Portal game, which helps or denotes more humorous comments, depending on what is happening.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding in the game to be excessive and tedious, with some suggesting it requires an unrealistic time investment. The lack of meaningful customization and cumbersome interface further contribute to the frustration, making the overall experience feel laborious.
“There's a lot of grinding involved, but it feels rewarding.”
“You'll need a second life for all the grinding, but it's worth it for the progress.”
“The grinding can be intense, but it adds depth to the gameplay.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“This game would have been my new favorite had it not made things so freaking tedious.”
“The building gets tedious, especially modifying the chassis.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it infinitely replayable, particularly in multiplayer modes, others feel it lacks depth and is only enjoyable for those who have a strong interest in building mechanics. Overall, it appeals to a niche audience seeking extensive replay value.
“Infinitely replayable in multiplayer.”
“Not a huge game, nor hugely replayable, unless you just love building stuff.”
“I think this is the most replayable game I have in my library.”
“Replayability out the wazoo!”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is likened to that of Portal, featuring a humorous tone that contributes to its charm. However, some users feel that the overall atmosphere is somewhat lacking in depth, resulting in a score of 7/10.
“The game mode and the ambience remind me of Portal!”
“The whole atmosphere surrounding this title is based on a humorous sense.”
“Atmosphere - 7/10”
“Although, to me, the atmosphere feels thin.”
“The whole atmosphere surrounding this title is based on the humorous sense of the thing.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy has been criticized as a cash grab, indicating that players feel the game prioritizes profit over player experience.
“This game feels like a cash grab!”
“The monetization system is overly aggressive and ruins the experience.”
“I can't enjoy the game without being constantly bombarded by ads and paywalls.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is hindered by a lack of clarity in interactions, making it difficult for players to gauge when elements are meaningfully connecting or overlapping, which may detract from the overall emotional engagement.
