- January 19, 2016
- Axolot Games
- 141h median play time
Scrap Mechanic

Platforms

About
Scrap Mechanic is a multiplayer survival sandbox game that lets you build and create using powerful tools. Crash-landed on a strange planet, you must defend against hostile Farmbots and engineer your own adventures. Regular updates bring new content and optimizations to this imaginative, robot-filled world.











gameplay
4,274 mentions Positive Neutral Negative24%41%36%The gameplay of Scrap Mechanic is characterized by its emphasis on creativity and mechanical engineering, allowing players to build a wide variety of vehicles and contraptions using an intuitive building system. While the game offers engaging mechanics and a vibrant multiplayer experience, many players express frustration with the survival mode's grindy nature and lack of direction, as well as performance issues that can hinder gameplay. Overall, Scrap Mechanic is praised for its potential and fun mechanics, but it is also critiqued for its slow development pace and the need for more content and polish.
“The gameplay is fun and allows for a great deal of creativity.”
“Scrap mechanic not only allows for some awesome engineer-level work with cars, planes, helicopters, and even homes, but it makes a great game to play with friends.”
“The building mechanics are incredible with a physics system that is deep and robust.”
“Unfortunately, about another 20 hours into our gameplay, everyone not hosting experienced significant input lag, rendering the game unplayable.”
“The gameplay becomes a neverending stream of repetition after just a few hours.”
“The survival gameplay is rubbish.”
graphics
936 mentions Positive Neutral Negative43%53%4%The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players praising its charming, colorful art style and decent visual quality, often comparing it favorably to other sandbox games like Minecraft. However, several users have noted performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems, where the game can be demanding and laggy, especially with complex creations. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good for the genre, optimization remains a concern for many players.
“The graphics are colorful and detailed, creating a charming and immersive environment that encourages creativity and exploration.”
“The graphics are stunning for a cartoony based game and hours of fun especially with friends.”
“The game's graphics are also impressive, with a colorful and vibrant art style that makes the world feel alive and dynamic.”
“Even for a pre-release, the maintenance isn't there, updates aren't there, performance isn't there, and the graphics and physics are barely there (with lighting going through walls, constant glitches, and fundamentally broken collisions).”
“The graphics could only be described as subpar and frankly cartoonish.”
“The game is very poorly optimized; it really grinds medium rigs, and the graphics aren't that good.”
grinding
919 mentions Positive Neutral Negative10%90%The grinding aspect of the game is frequently criticized for being excessively tedious and time-consuming, particularly in survival mode, where players often feel overwhelmed by the need to gather resources and manage farming while fending off robot raids. Many reviews highlight that the lack of clear instructions and the repetitive nature of resource collection can detract from the overall enjoyment, making it feel like a chore rather than a rewarding experience. While some players appreciate the challenge and creativity involved in overcoming these grindy elements, the consensus leans towards a need for better balance and more engaging gameplay mechanics to alleviate the grind.
“The farming would be nice, but it’s not fun that it gets attacked by robots before the crops grow.”
“I definitely recommend this game for people who like sandboxes & grindy survival (not too grindy, they've balanced that all out.)”
“It's still in early access, but I was expecting something good and not that grinding for a survival game. Don't get me wrong, it's a great game, but the grind takes my life away.”
“The survival mode feels boring, empty, and grindy.”
“My goal was to get a farming setup going, although the sheer amount of grinding required to accomplish this task overwhelmed my enthusiasm eventually.”
“Survival mode is unfinished and a grind just to play, and the tutorial is not clear on things, so if you’re here for a survival game, just don’t... unless you like grinding games.”
stability
716 mentions Positive Neutral Negative5%94%The game's stability is a significant concern among players, with many reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly in multiplayer mode. While some players find the glitches amusing and part of the game's charm, others express frustration over game-breaking issues and a lack of updates to address these problems. Overall, the game is still considered fun and creative, but its current state is marred by instability and optimization challenges.
“I've been playing this game for about 6 hours now and all I've been wanting to do is get back on. It runs great, has an awesome community, and I haven't found any bugs. Overall, it's a great game.”
“This is also a good game for people with a lower-end GPU (I have a 1060 3GB and it runs great).”
“Mosty bug free and very polished.”
“I gave it more than a fair chance (6 years, 1151 hours) and kept rationalizing its bad performance, multiplayer lag, all the glitches, and lack of updates or build-breaking updates when they happen, but at one point it was just too much and my patience ran out.”
“The game is a mess and can be rather frustrating if you try to play glitch-less vanilla, but it's buggy in a funny way more often than a frustrating way. It's been all but abandoned and is laggier than trying to open 100 tabs on a school laptop.”
“This game is horrendously buggy and unplayable unless you like having your valuable time wasted.”
story
690 mentions Positive Neutral Negative14%72%13%The game's story aspect is widely criticized for being nearly non-existent, with many players expressing disappointment over the lack of quests, objectives, and narrative depth in both survival and creative modes. While some enjoy the sandbox mechanics and creative building opportunities, they feel the absence of a compelling storyline detracts from the overall experience. Many users hope for future updates to introduce a more developed story and meaningful progression.
“The survival mode is very exciting, with a basic storyline along with being able to build many crazy creations to tackle certain challenges.”
“I really hope the developers reveal more about the story, because honestly it seems so interesting and would love to know more about what happened to cause this post-apocalyptic world.”
“The game was initially released as a creative game, however the devs are focused on the story side of survival mode, which hardly contributes any value to your experience in this game.”
“The survival mode story still isn't complete, and might never be.”
“There is no real story/objective/goal/mission to the game.”
“The story is nearly non-existent, and the gameplay just becomes frustrating once the engine gets to the point it no longer can keep up with the calculations.”
optimization
639 mentions Positive Neutral Negative16%59%26%The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback from users, with many highlighting significant performance issues, especially in multiplayer and when handling complex builds. While some players report improvements and decent performance on lower-end systems, others experience severe lag and crashes, particularly when creating larger contraptions. Overall, there is a strong consensus that the game requires further optimization to enhance stability and performance, especially as it continues to evolve in early access.
“New content is being added and optimizations are being made regularly.”
“They've done a masterful job on the optimization.”
“The optimization in multiplayer is almost non-existent, and chaos ensues should you spawn in even a slightly complex creation.”
“I gave it more than a fair chance (6 years, 1151 hours) and kept rationalizing its bad performance, multiplayer lag, all the glitches, and lack of updates or build-breaking updates when they happen, but at one point it was just too much and my patience ran out.”
“The game is still plagued by terrible performance issues for multiplayer if anyone builds anything more complicated than a skateboard.”
“This game is just not optimized at all and I wouldn't recommend risking your GPU for this.”
humor
437 mentions Positive Neutral Negative100%1%The humor in this game is a standout feature, with players frequently highlighting the hilarity of its glitchy physics and the absurdity of their creations. Many reviews emphasize that the game is particularly entertaining when played with friends, leading to countless laugh-out-loud moments as players navigate the chaos of their own designs. Overall, the combination of funny mechanics, unexpected outcomes, and a lighthearted atmosphere makes for a uniquely enjoyable experience.
“This game is incredibly fun and funny alone, and greater with friends (I don't have any).”
“I don't know if I've ever laughed as hard with friends as I have with this game - the physics are just hilarious and worth every penny.”
“The physics are pretty janky, but more often than not, it leads to a pretty funny result.”
“You're not funny!”
“The game is not funny.”
“The humor falls flat.”
music
104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative31%63%7%The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its relaxing and catchy nature, which enhances the overall gameplay experience. However, some users express concerns about the limited variety and repetitiveness of the soundtrack, particularly during longer play sessions. Additionally, there are technical issues reported, such as music lagging or not playing at all in certain scenarios, which detracts from the immersive atmosphere.
“The game's music further enhances the mood, with a dynamic soundtrack that adapts to the player's actions and surroundings, adding an extra layer of emotional resonance to the gameplay experience.”
“The sound design is also well-done, with appropriate sound effects and a catchy soundtrack that adds to the overall fun factor.”
“Scrap Mechanic's music is really relaxing and it's a good way to be creative on your own accord.”
“Everything is the same; the music gets boring, and the monsters are the same (just 5, and you don't see 3 of them when you begin).”
“The creative mode is incomplete and lacks many things from survival mode that I would have liked to use; such as soil, plants, water cannons, etc. The sound design is odd; most developers would like you to hear the sound effects and music the game has to offer, but apparently that wasn't a concern here. I have everything cranked up to maximum volume, and with headphones on, I hear practically nothing.”
“Very poor sound/music design (the music is really quite depressing) and an ill-fitting overall atmosphere put this game in quite an awkward situation.”
replayability
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative47%47%5%The game is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, with many users noting its near-infinite potential due to sandbox mechanics and modding capabilities. Players appreciate the vast creative possibilities and the fun derived from various gameplay modes, although some mention stability issues and a desire for more content. Overall, it is considered a highly replayable experience, comparable to other popular sandbox games.
“This game has nearly infinite replayability and modding just multiplies that by a billion times.”
“Fantastic game, near infinite replayability and brilliant sandbox mechanics; basically anything is possible to build with very few restrictions.”
“Scrap mechanic’s sandbox nature ensures near-infinite replayability, especially in creative mode.”
“After the big update, this game is no longer playable for me.”
“So much replayability, needs another mode to give reason to the building.”
“Replayability: 6/10”
emotional
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative100%Players express a range of emotional experiences with the game, from heartwarming moments of creativity and achievement to frustration with technical issues like lag and glitches. The dynamic soundtrack enhances the emotional depth, while the freedom to build and explore in survival mode fosters a strong sense of investment and joy. However, some users feel that the game's base mechanics can detract from the overall experience, leading to mixed feelings about its emotional impact.
“When your friend pulls out his hair after lag, I want to cry like rain on a sad autumn day.”
“The game's music further enhances the mood, with a dynamic soundtrack that adapts to the player's actions and surroundings, adding an extra layer of emotional resonance to the gameplay experience.”
“When survival mode came out, I found myself hopelessly addicted again and emotionally invested in all the things I was building and learning.”
atmosphere
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative36%52%12%The game's atmosphere is a blend of creativity and immersion, characterized by blocky landscapes, quirky designs, and rich, detailed environments that evoke feelings of both cheerfulness and loneliness. Players appreciate the vibrant aesthetics and sound design, which enhance the overall experience, although some note that pre-built structures can detract from the immersive quality. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its ability to inspire imagination and exploration, making it a compelling aspect of the game.
“The blocky landscapes and quirky character designs contribute to an atmosphere that feels like a virtual workshop, inviting you to unleash your imagination.”
“The game's environments are rich in detail, with each biome offering its own distinct aesthetic and atmosphere.”
“I absolutely love this game's open-ended world and atmosphere; it allows for so much to happen.”
“I got into the atmosphere of loneliness in this dangerous world full of mad robots.”
“Too many pre-built structures which killed the atmosphere for me a little.”
“Very poor sound/music design (the music is really quite depressing) and an ill-fitting overall atmosphere put this game in quite an awkward situation.”
monetization
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative18%6%76%The monetization aspect of the game is generally viewed positively, with many users appreciating the absence of in-game purchases and microtransactions, which enhances the overall enjoyment. However, some players express concerns that the game may feel like a cash grab due to perceived lack of content and gameplay depth. Overall, the lack of monetization strategies is seen as a significant advantage, contributing to a more enjoyable experience.
“It has no in-game purchases, and it's really fun with friends!”
“Microtransactions = none.”
“Also tons of new content and no microtransactions; it is 100% worth it.”
“Cash grab early access”
“Game seems more like a cash grab.”
“It's hard not to look at what they have created and see something that looks like they just tacked a couple of random survival mechanics together, inflated the grind to hide the lack of content and gameplay and they pushed the resulting pile of scrap out the door as a quick cash grab.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative33%33%33%Character development in the game is met with mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the unique and imaginative dwarf character designs and the overall atmosphere, others find the character aesthetics unappealing, particularly criticizing the jiggle physics.
“The blocky landscapes and quirky character designs contribute to an atmosphere that feels like a virtual workshop, inviting you to unleash your imagination.”
“My only three complaints, however, are as follows... for one, the character design is disgusting, especially with the annoying jiggle physics they have.”