Techtonica

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"Techtonica is a simulation game that offers both single-player and multiplayer/co-op modes, with an intriguing story and masterful atmosphere set in a bioluminescent alien world. Players build and optimize factories, automate production lines, and explore for resources with the goal of uncovering the mysteries of this subterranean world. However, the game can be buggy and requires extensive grinding."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,567 reviews

story249 positive mentions

optimization55 negative mentions

Engaging storyline with good voice acting that keeps players invested.
Beautiful underground environments with vibrant colors and destructible terrain.
Unique mechanics like the research cores and the ability to terraform the landscape enhance gameplay.

Performance issues, especially in late game, with significant frame drops and lag.
The transition from an open world to segmented levels reduces exploration and immersion.
Gameplay can feel tedious and grindy, particularly in the later levels with excessive resource requirements.

story
699 mentions
36 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story in "Techtonica" is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its intriguing narrative and engaging voice acting, which adds depth to the factory-building experience. However, some critiques highlight that the story can feel disjointed or incomplete, particularly towards the end, leaving players wanting more resolution. Overall, the combination of exploration, automation, and a narrative-driven approach sets "Techtonica" apart from other factory games, making it a compelling choice for those who enjoy a story alongside their gameplay.
- “The story is intriguing and the atmosphere and style are very good.”
- “Techtonica is an excellent factory game with a great story.”
- “The story is rich with character development that makes you care about not only yourself but what happened to the other people in the story.”
- “The story end was very disappointing.”
- “Leaves the main story thread open, promises to close it then just lets you keep playing for many hours before it informs you: sorry, no more main story.”
- “The story is incomplete at this point but the roadmap seems to be such that you can continue with your save as later versions are released - this is in contrast to a game like Subnautica where playing an incomplete version of the game would spoil the story/intrigue.”
gameplay
270 mentions
25 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Techtonica is a blend of factory building, exploration, and narrative-driven mechanics, drawing comparisons to games like Factorio and Satisfactory. While many players appreciate the unique digging mechanics and the engaging core gameplay loop, there are significant criticisms regarding performance issues, clunky mechanics, and a lack of polish, particularly in the late-game content. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing and potentially enjoyable experience, but it currently suffers from balance and design flaws that detract from its overall enjoyment.
- “This game is eye candy, the ambient music is irresistible, the gameplay is relaxed, easy, and complex at the same time, and the story is intriguing.”
- “The gameplay is good, feels polished, and the story is interesting, so if you like the automation genre, feel free to give it a try.”
- “The factory gameplay ramps up quite well and the story does a good job of adding some fun mystique and a good reason to explore the map.”
- “The sand mechanic feels like nonsense designed just to slow you down, which is weird because I adore Satisfactory and the space elevator is a pretty blatant time sink/resource gating.”
- “Within minutes, 100% of the game's mechanics are thrown at you and it's so overwhelming that even in the 'quest dialogue' it says 'don't get overwhelmed.' If you have to put this as a warning, you know you have an issue.”
- “Add to that, severe performance issues and one of the worst game mechanics I've ever encountered and you've got yourself one huge recommendation to stay the hell away from this one.”
optimization
234 mentions
14 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
24 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues, particularly in late-game scenarios where frame rates drop significantly even on high-end systems. Despite developers' attempts to improve performance by splitting the map into smaller sections, many users feel that these changes have not resulted in meaningful enhancements and have instead led to a frustrating experience filled with bugs and stuttering. Overall, the game's optimization remains a major concern, with players recommending waiting for substantial updates before purchasing.
- “Overall - if you like factory games, can persevere through the early-game progression and late-game optimization problems, you will enjoy this game.”
- “The crafting tables are well optimized, the graphics and music are soothing, it has an interesting background story, and later in the game, your factory becomes somewhat of an optimization puzzle as you are trying to manage a nonstop resource.”
- “While satisfactory has more of a technical efficiency optimization approach in Techtonica, it feels more comfortable to build a wacky base with friends.”
- “Poor optimization, math that just doesn't work, bugs out the wazoo, and the dev team have confirmed that they have no plans to fix literally anything.”
- “The performance is still just as bad; don't be fooled by the initial 60fps. Once you start building, the frame rate drops like a tank.”
- “The game performance is abysmal.”
graphics
167 mentions
44 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant art style and beautiful environments that create an engaging atmosphere. However, performance issues and subpar optimization are frequently mentioned, leading to significant frame rate drops even on lower settings, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players find the visuals stunning and reminiscent of other popular titles, others feel they fall short compared to competitors like Satisfactory, particularly in terms of polish and optimization.
- “The visuals along with the music create an atmosphere where one can easily lose track of time.”
- “The graphics are very appealing and set it apart.”
- “The graphics are quite beautiful and have a lovely artistic style to them.”
- “Last but not least: many, including me, didn't play this game much because the graphics engine with voxel space is not really that nice.”
- “The graphics are still PS3 level muddy textures and low poly models.”
- “Everything looks the same, there's no diversity in the visuals from cave to cave, and framerates (even on a high-end system) are horrible, the camera constantly glitches as you're moving your mouse, leading to motion sickness.”
grinding
91 mentions
1 % positive mentions
3 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a significant issue with grinding in the game, describing it as tedious and often unfulfilling. Many players feel that the progression system relies too heavily on grinding, with repetitive tasks and unbalanced mechanics that detract from the overall enjoyment. While some find satisfaction in the game's complexity and automation, the consensus is that the grinding elements can be excessively burdensome, especially in the later stages of gameplay.
- “For my taste, the combination of the best parts of Satisfactory, Factorio, Minecraft, etc. equipment has a reasonable size. Building and crafting is not tedious as in other games, and the environment is fantastic.”
- “Sadly, the 1.0 release looks like the devs have taken a whole load of shortcuts, chopping up the world into 'levels' and gating them behind grinding rather than exploring and unlocking through creativity and efficiency.”
- “The new content released in 1.0 is incredibly tedious, unbalanced, and unrewarding.”
- “It should not require this much grinding in a game that makes automating the grinding so tedious.”
music
68 mentions
65 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its captivating and ambient quality, enhancing the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Many players describe it as soothing and engaging, with some even considering it the best aspect of the game. However, a few users noted issues with repetition and occasional bugs that affected their enjoyment of the soundtrack.
- “The music blends perfectly into the environments and adds a ton to the overall experience.”
- “The soundtrack is enjoyable, the biomes are distinct and fun.”
- “The music is great, the story seems interesting, and the actual automation and building is solid.”
- “The music is so bad I want to just turn it off.”
- “I don't typically listen to in-game music or the ambiance in these kinds of games, and this game was no exception.”
- “The soundtrack is pretty chill as well, granted it got muted after a few hours of it, but there is only so much you can listen to the same thing on repeat.”
atmosphere
35 mentions
66 % positive mentions
26 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive visuals, engaging music, and intriguing storytelling, creating a vivid and captivating experience that encourages players to lose track of time. Many reviewers highlight the game's vibrant environments and well-crafted sound design, which contribute to a relaxed and enjoyable gameplay experience. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, enhancing both the gameplay and the narrative.
- “The visuals along with the music create an atmosphere where one can easily lose track of time.”
- “Between the beautiful atmosphere, great music, and fun gameplay, this game is very addicting in the best way possible.”
- “The focus on atmosphere and storytelling through immersion and mystery is a fresh experience in the heavy cutscene gaming world we live in these days.”
- “But I don't think many people would want to put more time into it, because the polish, the atmosphere, and the overall appeal is just not there.”
- “The relaxed atmosphere, no rush, no dangers (not even from gravity), no hunger or health to take care of.”
- “Techtonica is a colorful subterranean 3D Factorio clone, with a Metroid Prime atmosphere.”
stability
26 mentions
15 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
85 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is a mixed bag, with many players reporting significant bugs and performance issues, particularly in multiplayer and on high-end systems. While some users have experienced a relatively smooth experience with minimal glitches, others have encountered frequent freezes, audio problems, and frustrating gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game is still in early access, leading to a variety of stability experiences among players.
- “Take the awe and exploration of Subnautica (minus the water) and the logistics of Satisfactory, and you've got Techtonica. Although still in alpha, this game feels great, has a ton of features, and has already brought 11 hours of bug-free enjoyment.”
- “I have been playing on the Steam Deck and it runs great.”
- “Runs great out of the box on Steam Deck.”
- “Game is now abandoned and a buggy mess.”
- “It's a broken buggy mess.”
- “Everything looks the same, there's no diversity in the visuals from cave to cave, and framerates (even on a high-end system) are horrible, the camera constantly glitches as you're moving your mouse, leading to motion sickness.”
replayability
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as limited, with many players feeling that once they have mastered the mechanics and explored the content, there is little incentive to replay. While some express excitement for potential expansions and appreciate the flexibility in gameplay, the consensus is that the current experience does not offer significant replay value.
- “The plans for expansion have me excited and on the edge of my seat for new content, and the current content has a lot of flexibility and replayability if you want to try and min/max your setup.”
- “Still, I think one of the biggest open-ended questions regarding this was replayability.”
- “Despite all the problems I have with the game and the things I love - do I recommend this to someone that is looking for a complete, polished, optimized experience with good replayability?”
- “This kills any replayability.”
- “Limited replayability: once you've unraveled the mysteries and mastered the gameplay mechanics, the replayability factor might diminish.”
- “I think both games (Techtonica and Satisfactory) will be limited to a single, massive, hand-crafted map which limits replayability a bit.”
humor
8 mentions
75 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players appreciating the funny voice lines and quirky mechanics, such as the amusing visual representation of buildings as 2D cut-outs. However, some find the humor hit-or-miss, particularly criticizing the repetitive and unhelpful jokes from the guide character, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these inconsistencies, the game's charm and comedic elements contribute to an enjoyable gameplay experience.
- “The sound is great for the factory you put together, and the voice lines are funny and feel good to hear when they pop up.”
- “It's an absolute delight to play, with the funny dialogues while placing stuff down and the great mechanics of the game that actually work well once you get the hang of it.”
- “(In a funny way, the more you build, the more stable your framerate gets, when normally in games like these it's usually the opposite. Hehe) Also, from time to time when I move a bit too quickly, I would experience frame hitches, flinging my screen around.”
- “Often times, the yellow block just spits out 30 seconds of unfunny small jokes and expressions of feelings, without giving any hint to more lore or any information useful for advancing the game.”
- “In Techtonica, the yellow block is supposed to be more like a guide figure (like Wheatley in Portal 2?), so when it tells unfunny jokes and is useless, it feels more annoying.”
monetization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of Techtonica has drawn criticism for feeling exploitative, as recent updates have limited gameplay by segmenting the map and making it difficult to achieve advertised features without significant time investment. Players perceive this as a cash grab, undermining their support for the game's development.
- “Also due to the recent update that chopped up the map into 16 bite-sized portions and added collusion, and did no actual performance fixes, all the advertisements on the store page of decent to massive size factories are not actually possible until you get to a much later part of the game, which would take tens of hours.”
- “Even the video advertising this game shows these massive factories, but you can no longer build that as the maps are so small.”
- “Considering the current state of Techtonica, it feels like a cash grab rather than a fair deal for players eager to support its development.”
character development
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-150 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The game features strong character development that fosters emotional investment in both the protagonist and supporting characters, enhancing the overall narrative experience. Players find themselves genuinely concerned about the fates of all characters involved, indicating a well-crafted story.
- “The story is rich with character development that makes you care about not only yourself but also what happens to the other people in the story.”
- “The character development of the supporting characters is really well done, making you care about them as well.”
- “The character development of the supporting characters is really well done, making you care about them enough.”
- “The main character feels flat and lacks any real growth throughout the game.”
- “I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; they didn't offer any surprises or depth.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users have reported that the emotional experience of the game is heavily impacted by its claustrophobic environment and disorienting input system, leading to feelings of discomfort and unease rather than engagement.