National Machine

About

National Machine is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Eric Sun and was released on June 29, 2018. It received neutral reviews from players.

"National Machine" is a simulation strategy game where players build and manage their own national economy. They must make decisions on various aspects such as taxation, trade, and research, while dealing with challenging events and limited resources. The game features a complex economic model and allows players to experiment with different economic policies and systems.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+26

Skip User Reviews

52%

Audience ScoreBased on 42 reviews

story1 negative mentions

The game has a fantastic concept centered around producing wartime munitions during World War II, which many players find intriguing.
Recent updates have improved the user interface, making it more user-friendly and visually appealing compared to earlier versions.
Despite its current rough state, the game shows great potential and can provide hours of entertainment in its sandbox mode.

The game lacks a proper tutorial and guidance, making it confusing for new players to understand the mechanics and objectives.
There are numerous bugs and technical issues, including problems with the user interface and gameplay mechanics that hinder the overall experience.
Many players feel the game is unfinished and not worth the current price, with some even stating it resembles a poorly developed early access title.

gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The gameplay of "National Machine" offers a complex experience with the introduction of mechanics like energy and worker management, enhancing its depth despite its current sandbox-style limitations. Players appreciate the unique setting of munitions production during WWII, but many feel the game lacks clear objectives and guidance, suggesting that further development could significantly improve the overall experience. Overall, while the game shows potential, it requires more structured gameplay and clearer direction to fully engage players.
- “I already have nearly an hour of gameplay for every dollar I spent, and will easily surpass.”
- “The introduction of more mechanics, for example energy and workers, adds a layer of complexity as now you're limited to how many workers you have. However, it's not an issue as the dormitories are cheap to build and upgrade.”
- “I hope that the game does well and the developers continue to update it and add more interesting mechanics.”
- “If you click around enough, you'll find yourself with a finite stockpile of questionably named resources which can be used for the production of munitions and vehicles (something I have not yet managed to accomplish). The game can't help but throw the same sordid lines of broken English along with other enigmatic explanations that somehow summarize a 'helper'. No tutorials are needed when conducting your own war machine, at least the ideals of British stoicism were an obvious philosophy behind the gameplay of National Machine (referenced as Nation Machine in-game).”
- “Despite this, if the developers can stick with this game and give it more actual gameplay, particularly so the player actually has any idea on what to do, with some sort of aim at least, National Machine may become a decent product.”
- “I enjoy the setting, and the idea of producing munitions for nations involved in World War II (which, as far as I know, is limited to the United Kingdom at this point of writing) is certainly a good concept. A lot can be fleshed out with this beyond the current sandbox-style gameplay, an awful lot.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The story aspect of the game is criticized for lacking a clear mission or progression system, leaving players without goals or context for the central "arms race" theme. Reviewers express a desire for a more engaging narrative and improved user interface to enhance the overall experience.
- “The game does not have a mission or progression system, let alone any demonstration of context in your 'arms race'; no goals, no aims, no progression: certainly no feel of the arms race that the game is centered on.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The graphics in the game have received mixed feedback, with some users experiencing significant issues related to mouse functionality and interface navigation, leading to frustration and requests for refunds. However, others noted that recent updates have introduced graphical improvements and interface shortcuts that enhance the overall gameplay experience.
- “I wasn't getting stressed out trying to find things and the inclusion of a few shortcuts and general interface improvements, along with a few graphical ones, have made the experience much smoother than before.”
- “So let's start off with the fact that you can't click anything in the game. Even after changing the graphics settings and screwing with the mouse, I can't even play the game. The whole bottom of the screen is unresponsive; everything is about 10 feet from the icon. To click 'yes', you have to bring the mouse to the other side of the screen while the icon is on the other. None of the settings helped. I bought this game not even 5 minutes ago and I am getting my money back. Do not buy this game.”
- “The graphics are so poorly optimized that I can't interact with anything. The mouse is completely misaligned, making it impossible to click on any options. This is frustrating and ruins the entire experience.”
- “The graphical issues in this game are a nightmare. I can't even navigate the menus properly because the mouse cursor doesn't align with the icons. It's a huge letdown and makes the game unplayable.”