SpaceChem

About

Take on the role of a Reactor Engineer working for SpaceChem, the leading chemical synthesizer for frontier colonies. Construct elaborate factories to transform raw materials into valuable chemical products! Streamline your designs to meet production quotas and survive encounters with the sinister threats that plague SpaceChem.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,739 reviews

story50 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

SpaceChem offers a unique and challenging puzzle experience that combines elements of programming and chemistry, allowing for multiple solutions to each puzzle.
The game has a satisfying difficulty curve, gradually introducing new mechanics while providing a sense of accomplishment when completing puzzles.
Players appreciate the replayability of the game, as they can revisit completed puzzles to optimize their solutions and compare their performance against others.

The steep difficulty curve can be overwhelming, with some players feeling frustrated and stuck on certain puzzles for extended periods.
The lack of a comprehensive tutorial leaves some players confused about the mechanics and how to effectively use the tools provided.
The game's interface can feel clunky at times, particularly when managing multiple reactors and pipelines, which may detract from the overall experience.

story
158 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
66%
3%
The story in Spacechem is presented primarily through text passages between levels, which some players find engaging while others consider it minimal and easy to overlook. While the narrative adds context to the gameplay, it is often deemed secondary to the puzzle-solving mechanics, with many players opting to focus on the challenges rather than the storyline. Overall, the story is described as intriguing and well-written, but its delivery may not resonate with everyone, making it optional for those more interested in the puzzles.
- “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 way Spacechem wraps it into a Lovecraftian space adventure provides an interesting story, if sometimes a bit predictable.”
- “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 given as text for the player to read in their spare time, which is one of the worst ways to tell a story in games, in my opinion.”
- “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.”
gameplay
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
70%
3%
The gameplay is highly praised for its depth and complexity, offering a rewarding experience through challenging puzzles that require strategic thinking and optimization. While the mechanics are initially simple, they evolve throughout the game, introducing new elements that keep players engaged, though some users noted that the tutorials could be clearer. Overall, the game is considered a standout in the puzzle genre, appealing particularly to those who enjoy mechanical and programming-like challenges.
- “It's a great puzzle game and has very interesting and fresh mechanics that keep me coming back.”
- “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.”
- “On top of that, some of the game's features are not explained very well, though online guides do help break down the mechanics.”
- “The main problem with this game is that there isn't enough in-game help to understand the mechanics.”
- “The actual gameplay was a bit bland.”
music
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
37%
6%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising it as fantastic, charming, and fitting for the gameplay, while others find it repetitive or odd, leading them to turn it off. Despite the varied opinions, many agree that the soundtrack enhances the overall atmosphere and complements the challenging puzzles, making it a notable aspect of the game. Overall, while some players appreciate the music's originality and motivational qualities, others feel it lacks variety and can become tiresome over extended play sessions.
- “The music is charming and a joy to listen to, with some great ambiance and background noise to get the mind working.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing.”
- “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
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
63%
13%
The graphics in the game are generally described as outdated and simplistic, with many reviewers noting that while they are not visually impressive, they are functional and do not detract from the gameplay experience. Some players appreciate the minimalist design, which allows for a focus on puzzle-solving, while others express frustration over the lack of display options and resolution issues. Overall, the visuals are considered adequate for the game's mechanics, though an update would be welcomed by some.
- “Even if the graphics are a little dated, they are highly recommended for anyone looking for a mental challenge, and hours upon hours spent on making stuff work.”
- “The graphics are very basic, but that doesn't take away from the complexity of the puzzles.”
- “The austere environment of reactor grids is accompanied by beautiful hand-drawn visuals of various planets and cosmic monsters.”
- “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.”
- “Could use an update on the graphics (no widescreen support).”
optimization
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
81%
8%
The game's optimization aspect is both a core mechanic and a source of frustration, as players engage in complex puzzles that require creative problem-solving and programming-style solutions. While the game is well-optimized in terms of performance, the learning curve can be steep, with inadequate tutorials for advanced optimization techniques. However, the satisfaction derived from achieving highly optimized solutions and competing on leaderboards adds significant replay value and appeal for those who enjoy mental challenges.
- “Great optimization game.”
- “Excellent puzzle and optimization game.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “It's like programming, with all the same issues: ordering problems, poor optimizations, bottlenecks, asynchronous operations, thread collisions, waiting on I/O, interrupt-driven handlers, buffers, and so on.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
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, although some users note that replayability may diminish once they master the game. Overall, the multitude of solutions and the focus on efficiency provide a compelling reason to revisit the puzzles.
- “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 Positive Neutral Negative
13%
7%
80%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and unengaging, with many players finding the puzzles overly complex and lacking in entertainment value. While some may appreciate the challenge, the consensus leans towards the experience being more about repetitive effort than rewarding gameplay.
- “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.”
- “Tedious is the only word that can describe it.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a profound emotional impact from the game, describing it as capable of inducing feelings of sadness, satisfaction, and a complex mix of brilliance and frustration. Many express a deep, intimate connection to the game, highlighting its ability to challenge them while also evoking strong emotional responses. Overall, the game is praised for its unique capacity to elicit a wide range of feelings, from emotional trauma to a sense of accomplishment.
- “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
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere in the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the effective use of music and a compelling sci-fi background that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers describe it as a well-designed environment that contributes significantly to the game's challenge and engagement.
- “The music and visuals create a captivating atmosphere.”
- “This review recommends Zachtronics' SpaceChem as a phenomenally well-designed puzzle game with a great atmosphere, sure to challenge and addict.”
- “A truly original concept for this challenging mind bender, featuring excellent realization and atmosphere, including music and a sci-fi background.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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 action-packed 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 Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many users praise its smooth performance and lack of glitches, some note the presence of bugs and glitches that can be frustrating.
- “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 Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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.