SpaceChem

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SpaceChem is a single-player simulation game with an intriguing story and masterful game mechanics. As a Reactor Engineer, you'll construct factories to transform raw materials into chemicals, tackling over 50 mind-bending puzzles and sinister threats. With pretty visuals, a fantastic soundtrack, and replayability through challenging achievements, SpaceChem offers a unique and immersive experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,824 reviews

story51 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

Challenging and rewarding gameplay that encourages creative problem-solving.
Open-ended puzzles allow for multiple solutions, making each player's experience unique.
Engaging story and interesting mechanics that gradually increase in complexity.

Steep difficulty curve that can lead to frustration, especially in later levels.
Lack of a comprehensive tutorial can make it hard for new players to grasp the mechanics.
Some players may find the game feels more like work than fun due to its complexity.

story
164 mentions
31 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story in the game is presented through minimalistic text passages between levels, which some players find engaging while others consider it secondary to the puzzle mechanics. Although the narrative adds a layer of intrigue and context to the gameplay, many reviewers noted that it can be easily overlooked due to the focus on solving complex puzzles. Overall, the story is described as decent and occasionally interesting, but not essential for enjoying the game.
- “This game has me using every brain muscle I could muster and I still have yet to beat it, which I can't wait to, the story is great and I have to know how it ends.”
- “The story is intriguing and is interesting and is displayed through text only.”
- “Spacechem offers dozens of puzzles in a story-driven campaign, where you need to design and optimize atomic assembly lines.”
- “The only thing I didn't like is that the story isn't very connected to the puzzles except for defense assignments and the last two planets.”
- “The story is hard to digest because it is only available in text form and progresses very slowly as you take more and more time to solve the increasingly difficult puzzles.”
- “The story element is minimal; it is presented as a few descriptive texts between most levels but doesn't really serve much of any other purpose.”
gameplay
118 mentions
27 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this puzzle game is characterized by its unique mechanics that evolve throughout the levels, providing a challenging yet rewarding experience. Players often encounter a steep difficulty curve, particularly in the later stages, requiring significant trial and error to master the mechanics. While the game excels in its innovative design and depth, some users noted that the tutorials could be clearer, and the music may detract from the overall experience.
- “The gameplay consists of putting commands on a line where a 'waldo' travels.”
- “The simple mechanics which lure you in are expanded in consistent and interesting ways to create a wonderfully complicated yet approachable puzzle machine that will leave you tinkering for hours, trying to optimize your fabricators.”
- “The mechanics continually evolve as you work through each set of levels, so while the overarching premise is simple and seemingly repetitive, completing each level is progressively more challenging, infuriating, and rewarding.”
- “The main problem with this game is that there isn't enough in-game help to understand the mechanics.”
- “It's not even an illusion of creativity as several times I've been introduced to a new mechanic, not understood it (most of the stuff in this game takes time to wrap your head around) and just beat the level without even using the new mechanic, just using my previous knowledge.”
- “The actual gameplay was a bit bland.”
music
82 mentions
56 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, while others find it repetitive or odd. Some players enjoy the soundtrack enough to listen to it for extended periods, while others prefer to turn it off in favor of their own music. Overall, the soundtrack is often described as charming, motivational, and fitting for the gameplay, contributing positively to the overall experience.
- “Music is surprisingly good and even after 80+ hours I wasn't tired of it.”
- “The music is charming and a joy to listen to, with some great ambiance and background noise to get the mind working.”
- “The music sets the tone of curious excitement, with the puzzles getting more and more challenging and rewarding.”
- “The choice of music is questionable, so I turned off the music volume, but the gameplay itself is 10/10.”
- “I just turn off the music because it's weird.”
- “The music is... I honestly have no clue, there's too little of it for how long the game runs on and I had to turn it off and put on my own music after a while.”
graphics
60 mentions
27 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally described as basic and somewhat dated, with menu visuals resembling those of early flash games. However, the in-game visuals are noted for their clarity and effectiveness, serving the gameplay well despite their simplicity. While some players find the graphics to be a minor drawback, many agree that they do not detract from the overall experience, allowing the game's mechanics and puzzles to shine.
- “The visuals are striking, clear, and super satisfying.”
- “The graphics, mechanics, and sound are all really good, and if you like optimizing assembly lines, this is the game for you.”
- “The austere environment of reactor grids is accompanied by beautiful hand-drawn visuals of various planets and cosmic monsters.”
- “The graphics look primitive in the menus (a few steps above flash game) but in the game the visuals are just insanely clear and crisp.”
- “I bought this thing with outdated graphics at a 75% discount, for reasons unknown to me.”
- “It seems like a great game, but I'm unable to play it due to its graphical/lack of display settings, and just scrolling through the forums and discussions it seems like I'm not the only one with the problem.”
optimization
37 mentions
11 % positive mentions
78 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The game excels in optimization, offering a challenging experience that encourages players to refine their solutions through various metrics such as cycles, parts, and factories used. While the puzzles can be frustratingly complex, they provide a rewarding sense of achievement for those who enjoy deep problem-solving and competitive optimization. However, some players noted that the tutorials could be improved to better guide newcomers through essential optimization techniques.
- “It is about optimization and finding programming-style solutions and requires no previous chemistry knowledge.”
- “The bulk of the replay value for this game comes from the researchnet puzzles; which are way harder than the campaign puzzles and may require some unconventional techniques to solve, and secondly from optimization of previously completed puzzles for time, number of symbols or reactors used.”
- “Yet, I have found that some of my most satisfying moments playing the game were getting some highly optimized solution to work (e.g. with just one reactor, or with a tiny number of symbols) after hours of effort.”
- “The tutorials are pretty horrible at explaining a few optimization tricks that are required to get the best possible solution.”
- “Spacechem is a great game if you're not serious about it, but if you like mathematics and optimization, you will get frustrated really fast.”
- “I'm a professional programmer with minor optimization OCD, and these puzzles very quickly ramp up to my problem-solving defcon level titled 'I give up!'”
replayability
26 mentions
35 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability primarily through its challenging researchnet puzzles and the ability to optimize previously completed puzzles for better performance. Players can also access a vast array of user-generated content, enhancing the replay value further. While mastering the game may limit some aspects of replayability, the diverse solutions and competitive elements, such as online leaderboards, ensure that players can continually find new challenges and improve their skills.
- “Spacechem has, for all practical purposes, endless replay value.”
- “In addition, once you've made it through the game, the researchnet allows you to access user-made puzzles, of which there is a very large number, giving plenty of replay value.”
- “You build molecule factories in an almost-sandbox environment, with gradually ramping up complexity - all the puzzles have many solutions, and there's great replay value in optimizing your designs.”
- “There is access to user-created content, but the replay value is somewhat limited once you master the game.”
- “One issue with that replayability is that there isn't an obvious way to back up your previous solutions, which made me reluctant to wipe the slate clean on my nicer solutions.”
- “Hard to find something bad to say about this game apart from it not having much replayability apart from making your designs more efficient.”
grinding
15 mentions
13 % positive mentions
7 % neutral mentions
80 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and overly complex, with many players finding it unengaging and lacking in entertainment value. While some may appreciate the challenge, the consensus leans towards it being a burdensome experience that detracts from overall enjoyment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Lots of grinding.”
- “This 'game' requires you to perform tedious, relatively boring work, with no rewards in terms of entertainment value.”
- “The concept is interesting, but at bottom it is a tedious and unrewarding puzzle game.”
- “Some people may like this, but I found it pretty tedious.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players report that the game evokes intense emotional responses, often leading to tears and a deep connection. While it presents challenging puzzles that can induce feelings of both brilliance and frustration, the overall experience is described as profoundly satisfying and impactful.
- “I want to cry.”
- “10/10 will induce emotional trauma.”
- “I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy many other games, but there is none I have formed quite such an intimate emotional connection to.”
atmosphere
5 mentions
80 % positive mentions
-40 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is highly praised, with users noting the effective integration of story elements and music that enhance the overall experience. The combination of a unique concept and a well-realized sci-fi background contributes to a captivating and immersive environment, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “There's also a little story dropped in as you go on to add some flavor and atmosphere to the puzzling.”
- “That and the music makes for a nice atmosphere.”
- “A truly original concept for this hard mind bender with good realization and atmosphere (music, sci-fi background).”
- “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players in the game world.”
- “Despite the potential for a rich setting, the atmosphere is dull and fails to evoke any real emotion.”
- “The game's atmosphere is overshadowed by repetitive gameplay, making it hard to feel engaged or invested.”
humor
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and contrived moments, often arising from failures that lead to unexpected successes, providing a lighthearted break between levels. While the story itself is not central to the gameplay, it adds a layer of offbeat humor that may not appeal to everyone, particularly those who prefer a more straightforward comedic style.
- “Nonetheless, it's those failures that lead to hilariously contrived successes and many more beloved hours of gameplay.”
- “The story is unimportant, but it provides some quirky humor and narrative for you to enjoy while taking a short break between levels.”
- “If you like action but can't stand to keep tripping up and don't appreciate offbeat dark humor, this might not be for you.”
stability
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many users praise its smooth performance and lack of glitches, some note the presence of bugs that can be frustrating when trying to fully understand the mechanics.
- “The game was very well programmed, has no glitches, works smoothly, and seems to be very well optimized.”
- “Great puzzles and fun to optimize (though a bit maddening if you try to understand all the bugs and glitches).”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy primarily revolves around in-game purchases, which players feel can enhance gameplay but may also lead to a pay-to-win dynamic. While some users appreciate the optional nature of these purchases, others express concern about the potential imbalance it creates in competitive scenarios. Overall, opinions are mixed, with a notable emphasis on the impact of these purchases on the overall gaming experience.