Microbes and Machines

About

In "Microbes and Machines," players manage a microbe factory, balancing resource production and machine upgrades while navigating an immersive narrative with multiple endings. Strategically design machines, optimize resource allocation, and make story-altering decisions in this unique blend of factory simulation and text-based gameplay. Your choices directly impact the development of your microbe colony and its inhabitants' fate in this innovative gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 54 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game offers great value for its price, providing over 5 hours of gameplay for a low cost.
It features enjoyable core mechanics and a cute art style, making it a fun and charming rogue-like experience.
The game has good replayability and progression mechanics, allowing players to improve with each run.

The game suffers from repetitive gameplay, with limited enemy variety and boring room designs.
There are significant bugs, including issues with dungeon generation and UI glitches that disrupt gameplay.
Upgrades feel minimal and often do not enhance gameplay, leading to frustration with the difficulty scaling.

gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
The gameplay is characterized by enjoyable progression mechanics and a satisfying core loop that encourages replayability, despite some repetitiveness and a lack of impactful upgrades. While the procedural system is well-received, players feel the game could benefit from a unique defining mechanic to elevate it further within the roguelike genre. Overall, the mechanics are solid, making it a fun experience for fans of the genre.
- “The core gameplay loop is satisfying and fun for repeatedly coming back to chip away at it.”
- “I really enjoyed the difficulty and replayability of the game; I think the mechanics are good and lead to plenty of replays trying to get further in the levels.”
- “I'm a big fan of roguelites that focus on mechanics over in-run progression, and this is very good at doing that.”
- “The upgrades don't enhance gameplay elements in any way, so what's the point of adding upgrades if the enemies are just going to be made harder?”
- “The only major thing holding this game back is a key defining mechanic that is unique to this game only and no other roguelikes. This is a really good foundation that only needs one more major unique mechanic to be a really quality roguelike.”
- “Short and simple with enjoyable base mechanics, if a bit repetitive at times.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The music in the game is well-received for its suitability to the atmosphere and themes, with different tracks for each level. However, reviewers note a lack of variety and suggest that more defined themes and level-specific background elements could enhance the overall experience. While the music is described as cute and simple, it is also mentioned that the bosses could be more challenging.
- “The music of this game is really good; it suits the atmosphere and themes really well.”
- “To add to this, the levels have different music and sprites, but it would be nice if they had a more defined theme.”
- “The levels have different music and sprites, but it would be nice if they had a more defined theme.”
- “Adding in more level-themed background objects and design would really complement the music well.”
- “Not enough variety, but the music is cute and simple. The bosses are fun, but a little too easy.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics are praised for their simplicity and cute art style, with recent updates enhancing the design through scrolling backgrounds. Many users find the aesthetics appealing and reminiscent of games like Downwell, making it a worthwhile purchase for the price. However, some note that certain gameplay elements, like keys, feel redundant.
- “I think the simple graphics work well. I really enjoy the scrolling backgrounds which were added in an update; it adds a lot to the overall design.”
- “It's got a very cute art style, too.”
- “Roguelite where we explore through procedural rooms, progress is saved, and the graphics remind me of Downwell. For the price, it was a good purchase.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Reviews indicate that grinding is a significant and repetitive aspect of the game, suggesting that players should prepare for extensive gameplay focused on resource collection or experience gain.
- “You're going to be grinding.”
- “You're going to be grinding.”
- “You're going to be grinding.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by intense and chaotic moments, particularly when multiple monsters interact in confined spaces, creating a sense of unpredictability and urgency. This dynamic can evoke feelings of excitement and tension as players navigate through fast-paced encounters.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the game's difficulty and mechanics, which contribute to its high replayability as they are motivated to improve and progress further through the levels.
- “I really enjoyed the difficulty and replayability of the game. I think the mechanics are good and lead to plenty of replays trying to get further in the levels.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised, particularly for its excellent music, which complements the themes and enhances the overall experience.
- “The music of this game is really good; it suits the atmosphere and themes really well.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users have reported multiple glitches affecting stability, particularly involving character movement while accessing the map, which can lead to camera issues. These glitches are noted to be easy to replicate, indicating a need for further refinement in the game's stability.
- “I have found two different glitches that are easy to replicate. First, walking while opening the map doesn't stop the character from moving, which causes the camera to glitch when you close it.”
- “I have found two different glitches that are easy to replicate. First, walking while opening the map doesn't stop the character from moving, which causes the camera to glitch when you close it.”