MOLEK-SYNTEZ

About

MOLEK-SYNTEZ is a single player simulation game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Zachtronics and was released on November 19, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

Use the Molek-Syntez to create small molecules with various pharmacological effects from the comfort of your small Romanian apartment.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 523 reviews

gameplay13 positive mentions

story9 negative mentions

The game offers a unique blend of puzzle-solving mechanics reminiscent of both SpaceChem and Opus Magnum, providing a satisfying challenge for fans of Zachtronics.
The minimalist aesthetic and ambient sound design create an immersive atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience.
The optimization aspect of the game encourages players to refine their solutions, adding depth and replayability to the puzzles.

The lack of a comprehensive tutorial or manual can make it difficult for new players to grasp the mechanics, leading to frustration.
Many players find the game repetitive, with puzzles feeling similar and lacking the variety seen in previous Zachtronics titles.
The monochrome graphics and minimal story presentation may leave some players feeling disconnected from the game compared to more visually rich titles.

gameplay
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
78%
8%
The gameplay of "Molek-Syntez" is characterized by a blend of mechanics reminiscent of previous Zachtronics titles like "Opus Magnum" and "SpaceChem," but it suffers from a lack of variety and depth, leading to a repetitive experience. While the initial puzzles are accessible and the minimalist aesthetic is appreciated, many players find the mechanics frustratingly finicky and the overall gameplay lacking in engaging challenges, making it less appealing for newcomers and veterans alike. Despite its potential for creativity, the game often feels constrained and tedious, with insufficient guidance and a limited progression system that may deter players from fully exploring its mechanics.
- “Its major appeal comes from both the multitude of possible approaches to any one drug composition and its lean ambience, the mechanical hum of its black machine whirring and clicking along to your solutions.”
- “The gameplay is like SpaceChem combined with Opus Magnum mixed with the minimal aesthetics (and plot) of TIS-100.”
- “If you love puzzle games with solid mechanics, room for creativity in solutions, and endless replayability through the Steam Workshop, then go ahead and pick this game up, along with every other Zachtronics game.”
- “The mechanics are annoying.”
- “Unfortunately, while it’s clear they put decent thought into the mechanics, the puzzles themselves aren’t hard enough to use them in interesting ways.”
- “The gameplay also doesn't have much variety in the long run.”
story
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
73%
14%
The story in this game is largely minimal and sparse, often described as non-existent or poorly developed, with only brief text snippets providing context between puzzles. While some players appreciate the atmospheric and moody elements that accompany the gameplay, many feel that the lack of a compelling narrative detracts from the overall experience, making it feel anticlimactic and unengaging. Overall, the focus remains heavily on puzzle-solving rather than storytelling, which may disappoint those seeking a richer narrative experience.
- “The moody atmosphere and pared-down story were enjoyable to me.”
- “As far as story, you can actually miss it very easily, but what is there is interesting and clearly thought out rather than just an afterthought.”
- “The story line is interesting; it reminds me a bit of the Little Inferno story, where you weren't really sure there was a story until you get closer to the end, and more things make sense the more milestones you make.”
- “The story is nonexistent.”
- “The story is limited to some on-screen text so there's no characters, art, or animations, just you and the puzzles.”
- “The story is complete trash, in the sense that there is more story on the Steam store page than inside the game itself.”
graphics
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
74%
5%
The graphics of the game are predominantly minimalist and monochrome, drawing comparisons to retro pixel art and evoking a bleak, Eastern European aesthetic. While some players appreciate the simplicity and immersive quality of the visuals, others find them outdated and lacking in color, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics serve the game's themes but may not appeal to those seeking more vibrant or detailed visuals.
- “The stark aesthetic, molecules, the limited space and tools you have to work with all contribute to this feeling.”
- “The aesthetic is very monochrome and minimalist, which adds to the immersion.”
- “Starting with the good: the graphics and atmosphere are top notch.”
- “Unfortunately, the graphics are circa mid-1980s, and the lack of color eventually became too annoying.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “I can't play a game that doesn't let me change the most basic of graphics settings.”
optimization
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
62%
14%
The optimization aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while many puzzles can be solved easily without focusing on optimization, players who engage with the leaderboards will find a satisfying challenge in refining their solutions across various metrics like speed and resource efficiency. The game encourages multitasking and offers multiple solutions for puzzles, but some players feel that the opportunities for deep optimization are less pronounced compared to previous titles in the Zachtronics lineup. Overall, it provides a fun and engaging experience for those interested in problem-solving and optimization, despite some aesthetic frustrations with command usage.
- “There are always several ways to solve the same puzzle; some of them are just more optimized than others.”
- “Optimizing the puzzles for the three different leaderboards (speed, minimum parts, minimum instructions) should be considered as part of the game, as the optimization process is vastly different in all puzzles.”
- “Getting a result and seeing the leaderboards motivates players to look for new, optimized, and more elegant solutions.”
- “Generally, I found it not quite as satisfying when I completed a task as with other Zachtronics games, and it feels like there is less opportunity for optimization in any category, fewer nuances to explore.”
- “However, the vast majority of the puzzles are very simple to solve if you don't care about optimization or leaderboards.”
- “Optimizing the puzzles for the 3 different leaderboards (speed, minimum parts, minimum instructions) should be considered as part of the game, as the optimization process is vastly different in all puzzles.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
52%
16%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its atmospheric and ambient qualities that enhance the gameplay experience, while others find it lacking or too minimal, often resorting to industrial noises. Many players appreciate the calm, drone-like soundtrack as a fitting backdrop for puzzle-solving, contrasting it with previous titles that featured more intrusive music. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong point for some, but a disappointment for others who expected more from the game's musical composition.
- “This game gets its atmosphere perfectly, with the occasional-but-not-too-frequent swell of familiar synths in the background falling to near-silence, which is probably the best work music that a Zachtronics game could have.”
- “One positive note: the drone-like ambient music is some of the best in any Zachtronics game.”
- “You need something calm if you're going to do some thinking, and the music in Molek-Syntez is perfect for that.”
- “There really isn't much for music, kind of just some industrial noises.”
- “No music, just atmospheric background noise, the clicks and whirrs of your synthesizer, and the beeps of the UI.”
- “Nowhere near the production values and story of SpaceChem, Opus Magnum, and Infinifactory, and no music at all when music was a very strong point in earlier games.”
grinding
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and repetitive, with many players finding the early puzzles lacking in challenge and the later levels becoming frustratingly difficult. While some enjoyed the unique mechanics and art style, the overall sentiment suggests that the grinding process detracts from the experience, making it feel more like a chore than engaging gameplay.
- “Tediously screwing around with adding or removing hydrogen atoms until the bonds do what you want according to rules that are never explained and are completely opaque (so it's literally just trial and error) isn't a game, it's just trying random nonsense until something randomly works.”
- “The first 15 or so puzzles didn't pose any challenge and just felt tedious to complete.”
- “The puzzles are easily solved but actually coding and pushing the molecules around is painfully tedious.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
8%
17%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, ambient quality, enhanced by minimalistic sound design that includes subtle synths and background noise. Reviewers appreciate how the atmosphere complements the gameplay, creating an immersive experience that is both engaging and enjoyable, particularly for fans of puzzle mechanics. Overall, the combination of moody visuals and sound contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “This game gets its atmosphere perfectly, with the occasional-but-not-too-frequent swell of familiar synths in the background falling to near-silence, which is probably the best work music that a Zachtronics game could have.”
- “The moody atmosphere and pared-down story were enjoyable to me.”
- “I love the dark ambient atmosphere.”
- “The solitaire is not bad and on par with the one in Shenzhen I/O, adds to the atmosphere (and there's much less of that compared to their other games) and is pretty fun to solve, at least for the first times; I'm at 7 solves and don't know whether I'll ever get to 100.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its satirical elements, providing moments of genuine laughter while engaging players deeply with its puzzles. Despite some edgy storytelling, the overall comedic tone is appreciated, making it a recommendable experience for those who enjoy humor in gaming.
- “It's funny because I still liked the game and would still recommend it easily—if a puzzle game occupies your brain so much you dream about it, it's a good puzzle game.”
- “The storyline was a bit too edgy, though, and at one point I couldn't stop laughing because it started to feel almost satirical.”
- “Very funny game.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game offers decent replayability due to its streamlined synthesis processes and the esoteric nature of its puzzles, encouraging players to explore multiple solutions. Additionally, the integration of the Steam Workshop enhances replayability by providing a wealth of user-generated content. Overall, fans of puzzle games will find ample opportunities for repeated play.
- “While the choice of precursors is pretty accurate as far as what would be available to a clandestine kitchen chemist, the actual reactions and steps are nothing like the real organic synthesis steps (which frankly is probably a good thing for public safety!). It's a great game; a little short, but there's decent replayability, as there's always a way to streamline your syntheses.”
- “While the choice of precursors is pretty accurate as far as what would be available to a clandestine kitchen chemist, the actual reactions and steps are nothing like the real organic synthesis steps. It's a great game, but a little short, and the replayability is decent as there's always a way to streamline your syntheses.”
- “The puzzles themselves are so esoteric that these games are highly replayable.”
- “If you love puzzle games with solid mechanics, room for creativity in solutions, and endless replayability through the Steam Workshop, then go ahead and pick this game up, along with every other Zachtronics game.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features appealing graphics, but users have reported occasional glitches that affect stability. Overall, it remains an enjoyable experience despite these issues.
- “The game offers some nice graphics, although there are some ugly glitches here and there; it is pleasant all the same.”