shapez 2

About

shapez 2 is a single player casual simulation game. It was developed by tobspr Games and was released on August 15, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Shapez 2 is a top-down factory-building game where you extract, process, and manipulate geometric shapes to create various products. Players can build unique factories using different shapes as building blocks, with the option to support the game for additional music and rollercoaster-inspired track pieces for space railways. The developers actively involve the community in the development process and welcome feedback on upcoming features and improvements. NO RELEASE DATE MENTIONED.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 9,399 reviews

gameplay305 positive mentions

story25 negative mentions

gameplay
835 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
61%
2%
The gameplay of Shapez 2 has received widespread acclaim for its intuitive mechanics, smooth progression, and engaging design, making it accessible for both newcomers and seasoned players. The game builds upon its predecessor by introducing new features such as multi-level building and enhanced graphics, while maintaining a relaxing yet challenging factory-building experience devoid of resource management pressures. Overall, players appreciate the polished execution, quality-of-life improvements, and the satisfying loop of designing and optimizing factories, positioning Shapez 2 as a standout title in the factory automation genre.
- “The building mechanics are incredibly intuitive, and in-game guides are very well thought out providing visuals and detailed but non-complex descriptions of machines and their basic function.”
- “The gameplay is a perfect blend of challenging yet relaxing, allowing you to focus on building, designing, and optimizing without the need for tedious resource gathering.”
- “The gameplay loop is satisfying, the UI is very easy to understand and the graphics are clean, crisp and easy to see what is happening even in larger build layouts.”
- “I didn't like the 2D gameplay and thought Satisfactory and Dyson Space Program were just better.”
- “Another turn-off is that this game is indeed a lot of repeating the same menial things, a lot of the mechanics added in are either tedious or that it just seems rather boring.”
- “The issue is that the mechanical gameplay is basically identical to Shapez 1, which is a fraction of the cost.”
graphics
660 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
44%
1%
The graphics in Shapez 2 have received widespread acclaim for their significant upgrade from the original game, featuring beautiful, clean, and minimalist 3D visuals that enhance gameplay without overwhelming the player. Many users appreciate the intuitive design and smooth animations, which contribute to a satisfying and engaging experience, although some have noted that the game can be demanding on hardware, leading to performance issues on lower-end systems. Overall, the combination of polished graphics, a well-designed user interface, and a relaxing soundtrack creates an aesthetically pleasing environment that complements the game's mechanics.
- “The graphics are beautiful; I'm at max settings with a 4k monitor and no performance issues...yet (we'll see how it handles a mega-factory).”
- “The graphics are a massive step up from the original and it seems well optimized from what I've played.”
- “The graphics are stunning and love how intuitive the controls are and how exact you can be now.”
- “This one runs like I still have my old graphic card installed.”
- “I set it to minimum graphics and it looked horrible; I still use this setting today.”
- “The only complaint is that it is a very graphically demanding game, so it keeps crashing on my computer.”
music
540 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
39%
2%
The music in Shapez 2 has received widespread acclaim for its chill, relaxing atmosphere that complements the gameplay, enhancing focus without being distracting. Many players appreciate the extensive soundtrack, which includes tracks from the original game, and recommend the supporter edition for additional music. However, some users express a desire for more variety in the music selection, noting that certain tracks can become repetitive over extended play sessions.
- “The soundtrack, too, is a masterpiece - it was immediately added to my playlist for work and programming sessions.”
- “The background music complements the gameplay perfectly, offering a soothing soundtrack that enhances focus without being distracting.”
- “The soundtrack is smooth and chill, it looks super pretty and runs super smooth.”
- “My only gripes are that I don't like the music at all (personal preference of course) and it makes my GPU run a bit hotter than I would expect.”
- “Could use some variation in music.”
- “Except maybe the music, it isn't bad or anything but it lacks variety and becomes grating after 10 hours or so.”
optimization
273 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
57%
3%
Overall, the game's optimization has received positive feedback, with many players noting its smooth performance and lack of significant bugs, especially for an early access title. However, some users have reported performance issues when building large factories, indicating that while the game is generally well-optimized, there are still areas for improvement as it progresses through development. Many players appreciate the balance between graphics and performance, with some experiencing excellent frame rates even on high settings.
- “This genuinely is the best optimization game I've ever played.”
- “Excellent factory game, it takes away some of the traditional tedium that's associated with them (limited resources, building costs and construction time, enemies) and gives you an experience entirely focused on automation, efficiency, and optimization.”
- “Building large and repetitive structures is somehow satisfying, the game is extremely optimized, and the progression system is well thought out.”
- “The game has some optimization issues and some minor flaws that I hope get ironed out during the early access period, but worth the price tag either way.”
- “Sadly, I am currently experiencing bad performance due to building too big of a factory, so I think that's an issue that needs to be addressed.”
- “There are known performance issues when your factory becomes big.”
story
119 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
66%
21%
The game lacks a traditional narrative, with many users noting that it does not require a story to be enjoyable. Instead, it focuses on pure factory-building mechanics, offering a sandbox experience with no resource limitations or combat, allowing players to engage in optimization and experimentation. While some players express a desire for a more integrated story or tech graph, the overall consensus is that the gameplay is rewarding and engaging without a central narrative.
- “I wasn't sure I would enjoy a factory game without a story and real-world elements, but it really works well.”
- “The game still provides a fun story/research path to unlock machines to create more different kinds of shapes.”
- “Right from the start, the certification missions, the side missions, the upgrade system, to the blueprints, to the space stations, to the space trains, all of it is executed with immense care.”
- “There is not a story, so if you need a narrative, this is not for you.”
- “No story, no time limit, (almost) no resource limit.”
- “The developer needs to add a story to this game.”
grinding
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
7%
91%
Reviews on the aspect of "grinding" in the game are mixed; while some players appreciate the streamlined experience that minimizes tedious resource gathering and allows for creative factory building, others find certain tasks repetitive and grindy. Many highlight that the game encourages optimization and experimentation without punishing players, though some still feel that certain milestone tasks can become tedious over time. Overall, the game is seen as less grindy than its predecessor, but some players still express a desire for a more engaging progression system.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “It was charming for the first few hours, but the production chains really aren't hard, just tedious.”
- “This quickly becomes very tedious and repetitive.”
- “Another turn-off is that this game is indeed a lot of repeating the same menial things, a lot of the mechanics added in are either tedious or that it just seems rather boring.”
stability
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
59%
Overall, the stability of the game is highly praised, with many users reporting a smooth experience free of major bugs or crashes, even in early access. While some minor issues, such as audio glitches and autosave freezes, have been noted, they do not significantly detract from gameplay. Many players feel the game is polished and well-optimized, resembling a finished product rather than a typical early access title.
- “I'm reviewing this as the game is in early access, but I'm impressed with how fully featured, bug free, and well optimized it is already!”
- “Suddenly 5 hours of my day had passed, the game ran 100%, no glitches, no crashes, good frame rate, worked well with the 32:9 ultrawide screen.”
- “The game feels complete already, bug free (for me, so far, even playing on Linux Mint), polished and thought out.”
- “It's terrible, broken and buggy.”
- “I upgraded to 0.8 and the freezes make it unplayable.”
- “Another sad instance of game devs releasing a game that is incredibly buggy and forcing the community to beta test it.”
replayability
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
78%
9%
Overall, the game exhibits high replayability due to its open-ended design, various difficulty modes, and the ability to create custom challenges, which encourages players to refine their strategies and improve efficiency. While some players noted a decline in replay value after reaching certain milestones, many others found the game captivating and rich in content, even in early access. The potential for future updates further enhances its long-term replayability prospects.
- “Even as an early access product, it feels like a full game already, with massive amounts of replayability and hundreds of hours of gameplay.”
- “Shapez 2 definitely will have more replay value than 1, since it has some extra harder modes, a hexagonal shape mode, and even the ability to make custom modes and seeds for things like challenge runs.”
- “This open-ended approach not only makes the game incredibly replayable but also allows for a rewarding sense of personal achievement.”
- “My main issue with it is that replayability is really low; once you get a mam (make anything machine) going, then it becomes an idle game.”
- “Too short, not much replayability.”
- “As of when I posted this review, I can't speak to how much replay value it has since I'm still on my first playthrough, but I've already gotten 65 hours of play and am only on the 5th milestone (of 8).”
humor
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky mechanics, such as the amusing interactions of shapes and belts, which often lead to unexpected outcomes. Players appreciate the lighthearted elements and humorous touches, although some express frustration with technical issues that detract from the experience. Overall, the game is seen as a fun and relaxing puzzle experience, despite mixed feelings about its execution and the community's reactions.
- “Belts do funny things when you drag them around.”
- “I like the bits of humor added as well (must agree to not build spaghetti factories), a little bit goes a long way.”
- “Funny and relaxing game”
atmosphere
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
45%
13%
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its relaxing and soothing qualities, enhanced by a chill soundtrack and beautiful graphics. Players appreciate the gentle sounds of machinery and the lack of urgency, allowing for a stress-free experience while solving puzzles. Overall, the combination of engaging visuals and calming audio creates a hypnotic and immersive environment that encourages thoughtful gameplay.
- “It's so smooth, so stress-free, and the music combines with that to create an atmosphere of a perfect game.”
- “The atmosphere and music are top-notch, and the progression feels smooth and rewarding.”
- “Where this game differs from the classics like Satisfactory and Factorio is the chill atmosphere.”
- “What it does have is a relaxing atmosphere, plenty of (infinite?) puzzles, chill music, and a complete lack of urgency or anxiety.”
- “The gentle hum of machinery, the click of components snapping into place, and the subtle background music all contribute to the game’s soothing atmosphere.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy is perceived as more than a simple cash grab, as it introduces significant gameplay enhancements such as improved graphics, additional mechanics, and increased complexity, which justify the investment. Players appreciate the added value through new features that enhance the overall experience rather than merely expanding the existing content.
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game lacks emotional engagement, as it often leads to repetitive and non-rewarding tasks without any real challenges or conflicts to evoke feelings. This absence of emotional depth can diminish the overall experience.