Sandship: Crafting Factory
- May 6, 2020
- Rockbite Games
- 3h median play time
"Sandship: Crafting Factory" is a Simulation game that invites you to step inside a sandship and engineer the future through delightful game mechanics and stunning graphics. The game boasts an intriguing story, hilarious moments, and awesome music, but be prepared for lots of grinding and some bugs. Immerse yourself in its dense atmosphere for a unique and immersive experience.
Reviews
- Great graphics and art style, creating an immersive experience.
- Engaging gameplay with a mix of factory building and puzzle-solving elements.
- No intrusive ads, allowing for a more enjoyable gaming experience.
- Frequent crashes and bugs, making the game frustrating to play.
- Progression is often halted by time-gated mechanics, leading to a repetitive experience.
- Some UI elements are unintuitive, causing confusion and accidental actions.
- story1,321 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its intriguing narrative and engaging characters that add depth to the factory-building mechanics. However, several reviews highlight issues with pacing, as players often find themselves waiting for missions to complete, which can detract from the overall experience. Additionally, bugs and glitches, such as incomplete quests and dialogue errors, have been noted, impacting the storytelling flow and player immersion.
“The story is captivating and somewhat reminds me of a well-known PC/console game.”
“I love the story and the music, but I think a bit more explanation of what the collectibles are would be amazing since this game has somewhat of a story.”
“This game is like a console or PC game; it's just amazing. It also has a story to it.”
“It's slow to advance, and there's no story or anything to do except produce various materials.”
“The story is non-existent.”
“Started off with promising storytelling, but that died quickly, turning into grinding 'collect x, research y' quests with no story behind them.”
- gameplay935 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its engaging mechanics and factory-building elements reminiscent of titles like Factorio. However, numerous complaints highlight issues such as slow progression due to time-gating, frequent bugs, and a lack of clear explanations for certain mechanics, which can hinder the overall experience. While the graphics and sound design are often lauded, the monetization strategies and server connectivity problems detract from the enjoyment for many players.
“The gameplay is really fun.”
“Absolutely excellent gameplay.”
“The gameplay is great and the graphics are amazing.”
“The game is significantly held back by unintuitive and poorly designed manufacturing mechanics.”
“Gameplay tends to get a bit hard if you don't understand the mechanics but this is pure logistics.”
“However, it is riddled with timers that slow down gameplay for no reason, often forcing you to stop and wait for hours or days, after only a few minutes of gameplay.”
- graphics822 mentions
- 76 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beauty and charm, with many users highlighting the unique art style and attention to detail. While the visuals are often described as stunning and immersive, some players have reported performance issues, such as lag and crashes, particularly on lower-end devices. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal, enhancing the gameplay experience despite some technical challenges.
“The graphics are stunning.”
“Absolutely amazing game, the soundtrack is phenomenal as well as the aesthetics, in that regard it can't be faulted.”
“The graphics are beautiful, and the story is interesting, the graphics are beautiful, and the puzzles/mechanics are thought provoking.”
“The graphics can be pretty simple at times; for example, at the end of chapter 1, the sandship breaks free from the ropes holding it, but the rope breaking is just them extending, then disappearing.”
“I really wanted to like this game (I like the concept, the gameplay, the graphics); unfortunately, the game is so buggy it's unplayable.”
“The game looks good, but it doesn't even run on any of my devices; maybe adding an option to turn down graphics will work.”
- stability652 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with many reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various bugs that hinder gameplay. Players express frustration over losing progress due to these issues, particularly during critical moments like opening chests or completing contracts. While some acknowledge the game's potential and improvements, the overwhelming consensus is that it remains too buggy to be reliably enjoyable.
“Might bump it up if it stays bug-free.”
“It runs great and is very enjoyable!”
“Fun, beautifully presented, bug-free, and lightly challenging.”
“There are constant bugs, the game freezes, the systems are inconsistent, and despite wanting to continue I have to conclude that the game is almost unplayable without significant fixes.”
“But there are some bugs and glitches which interrupt the game in between, which is sometimes too frustrating as a ton of progress is made and then a sudden glitch spoils all of it.”
“The game is extremely buggy, so much so that during the main tutorial the game crashed several times.”
- monetization502 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 56 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the absence of forced ads and intrusive microtransactions. While some users commend the option to watch ads for rewards, others criticize the slow progression and time-gating mechanics that seem designed to encourage spending. Overall, the game is seen as relatively fair in its monetization approach, but concerns about its reliance on microtransactions and waiting times persist.
“Genuinely, I think this might be the best mobile game I've ever played. No ads unless you choose to watch them, and I even have to go out of my way to because I want to support this.”
“No ads at all, which is a huge plus, but the lack of depth to recycling and no confirmation to gem spending holds the game back.”
“No intrusive microtransactions at all!”
“This game slows down to a complete crawl unless you spend money or watch ads after like a day or two of gameplay.”
“A generally decent game ruined by timegating, predatory monetization, poor optimization, and occasional game crashing bugs.”
“The game is no longer about resource management and is now a disappointing cash grab.”
- music365 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many players praising its beauty, atmosphere, and ability to enhance the overall gaming experience. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack is well-composed, fitting the game's themes and providing a relaxing backdrop to gameplay. However, some users expressed a desire for more control over audio settings, such as volume sliders for music and sound effects, to better tailor their experience.
“The music is beautiful, the game is fun, the story is actually good and the lore is incredible.”
“The soundtrack is also amazing, it fits the mysterious vibes of the game.”
“The music, sound effects, art style, and story so far is really well done.”
“I want to love this game because of its concepts and music, but the development and instability of the game just hinders the gameplay a lot.”
“The music kinda has some buzzing sound... I wonder if it's my speaker, but after I use headphones it's still the same.”
“The music sometimes glitches and becomes choppy, not very often though.”
- optimization115 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with many players experiencing significant performance issues, including crashes, slowdowns, and high battery drain, particularly on older devices. While some users appreciate the game's potential and engaging factory optimization mechanics, they express frustration over the lack of options to adjust graphics settings for better performance. Overall, the game shows promise but requires further optimization to enhance stability and user experience.
“It also seems really well optimized for a game that's doing this much.”
“Very fun, the factory setup and optimization portion of the game is well done.”
“Great factory optimization mini game surrounded by overarching research and story line mechanics.”
“A generally decent game ruined by timegating, predatory monetization, poor optimization, and occasional game crashing bugs.”
“Unfortunately, the performance is still so poor that the game is almost unplayable, even on a fairly new mid-range phone.”
“The fps on my Note 3 is 20 fps while one small factory is working, but 60 fps when it stops. I never have fps dips in games, so I'm surprised this is so poorly optimized.”
- grinding98 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game features significant grinding elements, often exacerbated by timers and microtransactions that can make progress feel tedious and slow. While some players appreciate the concept and mechanics, many express frustration with the pacing, resource management, and the need to spend money to alleviate the grind. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable but marred by excessive waiting and grinding, particularly in the later stages.
“Atmosphere is very good, gameplay balanced, absolutely no tedious ads and the in-game shop is entirely optional!”
“Fun, amazing art (best in any mobile game by far and comparable to some top games on console/PC) not too grindy but some is there which I thoroughly enjoy.”
“Offline resources get collected and the game is at a moderate pace not grindy, so you can come back to the game whenever you like.”
“Unfortunately, it's not working right. Yes, it's your traditional freemium model with loads of timers and balancing for free player grinding, but it would be okay if it just didn't fail to connect to their servers constantly. I log back in after 4 hours, and my timer says it's been 10 minutes. I have to close the game and reopen it to complete tasks, but now it's freezing when I do that, making it unplayable.”
“I can't stress how much I really enjoyed this game to start with, but the progress quickly becomes so tedious that it's almost impossible to play.”
“The specific items required to start researching require you to trade materials, and the time the material trade takes (which can be several hours) causes a lot of grinding and waiting for the random rewards to be favorable.”
- atmosphere57 mentions
- 79 % positive mentions
- 16 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning graphics, engaging music, and immersive design, creating a captivating experience that enhances gameplay. Many players appreciate the thematic depth and originality, noting that the atmosphere contributes significantly to the overall enjoyment, despite some technical issues. Overall, the game's aesthetic and sound design are highlighted as standout features that elevate it above typical mobile games.
“The concept, the art, the atmosphere are truly amazing, and I am certain that I will play the hell out of this game.”
“Great graphics, awesome atmospheric music and lots of story snippets.”
“The atmosphere is awesome.”
“This game has some solid atmosphere when you're not getting kicked to the title screen on every Wi-Fi hiccup.”
“Dunno if it's my connection or corrupted data, but the app won't let me rotate. It just says 'rotate modifier not enabled.' This is a great app with visuals and music; you can feel the atmosphere of a steampunk vibe. Such a waste if it's filled with bugs, please fix it.”
“Well-structured gameplay, graphics top-notch, the ambient music and the working atmosphere really hits you.”
- humor16 mentions
- 94 % positive mentions
- -12 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its quirky characters, clever dialogue, and amusing moments that enhance the gameplay experience. While some find the humor to be fleeting, others highlight the game's funny mechanics and situations, such as the absurd pricing for in-game gems. Overall, the combination of visual appeal and comedic elements contributes to a fun and engaging atmosphere, despite a few mixed opinions on its consistency.
“I can tell that it has a well thought out storyline with quirky characters and funny quips.”
“Amazingly detailed artwork and clever story dialogue make it funny and interesting.”
“The principle of this game is hilarious and very fun; cool graphics, controls could be a little better but it's acceptable.”
“This game is not funny; it reminds me of the South Park episode 'Freemium Isn't Free' (Season 18, Episode 6). I don't recommend the game, but I do recommend watching the episode.”
“The humor in this game falls flat and feels forced, making it more cringeworthy than entertaining.”
“I expected a lot of laughs, but the jokes are stale and the comedic timing is off, leaving me more confused than amused.”
- replayability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, user feedback on replayability is mixed; while some players highlight the game's potential for fun and replayability, others criticize it for lacking depth and becoming boring after a short playtime. Several users express disappointment with the game's completeness and desire for more content, which affects their willingness to replay.
“This game looks fun with great replayability potential.”
“One of the best, if not the best, mobile games I've ever played with plenty of replayability potential.”
“Raised the stars, much more playable and so much fun!”
“Not much depth or replayability.”
“It seems somewhat incomplete though; I think I am through the game but was kind of expecting a few more stops and a more playable battle mode.”
“Replayability is very low; you can reach the end of the game in about 2 weeks and it gets boring.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally engaging and therapeutic, often describing it as addictive and calming, which helps distract from personal issues. However, frustrations arise from technical problems, such as crashes and unresponsive features, which detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game's design and wholesome nature resonate positively with many users.
“Honestly, it's the best and it helps get your mind off stuff, but it's really heartbreaking when the game keeps crashing. Developers, please fix this because it says error something and then crashes.”
“It's just awesome and so wholesome.”
“Amazing design, calm gameplay, perfect for curing depression, really wholesome.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a fun and engaging storyline complemented by strong character development, contributing to an overall positive gaming experience.
“The character development is incredibly rich, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
“I love how the story unfolds with each character's growth, adding depth to the overall narrative.”
“The game does an excellent job of evolving its characters, allowing players to connect with their journeys.”