Widget Inc.

About

Widget Inc. is a single player casual strategy game. It was developed by Leaping Turtle and was released on October 31, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

In Widget Inc., you must rebuild human civilization using Widgets, a powerful technology, by creating a massive factory to craft them. Master manual crafting. then automate it to increase production. Research 12 technology tiers, each with unique crafting steps, upgrades, and gameplay additions. Continuously expand your factory to accommodate new tier requirements.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 566 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

grinding26 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay loop with a satisfying sense of progression as players unlock new tiers and upgrades.
Unique mini-games for each factory type keep the gameplay fresh and add an enjoyable layer of interaction.
Affordable price point for the amount of content and enjoyment it offers, making it a great value.

The game can become repetitive as each tier feels very similar to the previous one, lacking significant new mechanics.
Exponential cost increases for building upgrades can lead to frustrating bottlenecks and slow progression.
The prestige system lacks depth and does not provide meaningful changes to gameplay, making it feel less rewarding.

gameplay
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
68%
13%
The gameplay is characterized by a repetitive loop of building and upgrading widgets, which can become monotonous over time, especially as players progress through tiers that offer minimal variation in mechanics. While the game features a relaxing atmosphere and engaging sound design, it lacks depth and meaningful progression, often leading to a sense of stagnation after several hours of play. Despite some interesting mechanics and a charming presentation, many players feel that the gameplay ultimately fails to evolve, making it more suitable for fans of incremental games rather than those seeking a complex factory-building experience.
- “Fun gameplay loop of building new widgets, automating them, and then reorganizing the layout of your previous widgets.”
- “As the game progresses, new technologies and production methods become available, keeping the gameplay fresh and rewarding long-term investment in research and development.”
- “Its combination of resource management, production optimization, and economic strategy creates a nuanced gameplay loop that encourages creativity and critical thinking.”
- “I think the main issue is that the mechanics are just way too repetitive.”
- “The gameplay of each tier is the same as the tier before it.”
- “Ultimately it's just boring; each tier is just the same gameplay loop and it never feels like you're really getting somewhere, just building up a bigger buffer for the next tier...”
grinding
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly in the later stages where costs increase significantly. While some appreciate the "cozy-grinding" experience that encourages growth, others feel that the manual tasks and waiting periods detract from overall enjoyment, leading to frustration. Overall, the grind can feel like a chore rather than a rewarding part of the gameplay loop.
- “But, as I progressed, I started to feel that it was repetitive and tedious.”
- “So at the end of the day, it felt like I was doing a lot of work to do more tedious work.”
- “The final tiers being extremely tedious because you're constantly fighting with how expensive building new and more frames are.”
graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The graphics of the game feature a clean, minimalistic pixel art style that some players find charming and personal, especially given the use of AI-modified designs. However, opinions are mixed, with several reviewers criticizing the art for being jarring or low-quality, suggesting it lacks the polish expected in modern games. Overall, while the visuals have their fans, many feel they could benefit from higher resolution and more intentional design choices.
- “The pixel art oozes charm, and knowing that some of the designs were AI-modified from the developer’s own sketches gives the visuals a personal, handcrafted touch.”
- “Love this genre and these graphics.”
- “Art style is amazing as well.”
- “I had fun over the hour that I sunk into it, however the more closely I looked, the more oddly jarring the art style felt.”
- “I find it baffling to use 'AI art' in a genre as low on graphical expectations as incremental/idle games.”
- “I didn't, simply because there's nothing more to be seen at this particular moment besides losing eyesight on pretty bad pixel art graphics that seriously need a revamp.”
optimization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
37%
27%
The game excels in optimization, offering a complex blend of resource management and production line challenges that encourage strategic thinking and creativity. Players appreciate the engaging optimization puzzles, although some report performance issues, particularly with frame rates at higher tiers, suggesting a need for further technical optimization. Overall, those who enjoy optimization-focused gameplay will find this title particularly rewarding.
- “What initially appears as a simple industrial simulator quickly reveals itself to be a complex challenge that requires careful planning, resource management, and efficient production line optimization.”
- “One of the game’s highlights is its emphasis on efficiency and optimization.”
- “Its combination of resource management, production optimization, and economic strategy creates a nuanced gameplay loop that encourages creativity and critical thinking.”
- “It starts off seeming like it's going to be a cookie clicker but factories, but transitions into more of a factory optimization puzzle game.”
- “Like I said, my first prestige took me 20 hours, and I was not very optimized.”
- “I would like to see CPU and battery life optimization - FPS is not smooth for me at tier XI-XII.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the potential for speedrunning and incremental challenges, others find it lacking in depth and overall replay value. Achievements and secrets add some incentive for replay, but many reviewers note significant design flaws that hinder long-term engagement.
- “Fun little incremental game with basic optimization puzzles, nice secrets, and some achievements to provide replayability.”
- “Offers a replayability factor that’s through the roof.”
- “The only niche this game has for itself is the replayability/speedrunnability.”
- “While I did enjoy this game for the most part, I think the game overall has some major design flaws, lacks depth and replayability, and has a few bugs.”
- “Do not really see replayability other than doing it faster.”
- “Game doesn't have any replay value, but it's an all right 5-10 hours of semi-passive entertainment.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is generally well-received, enhancing the immersive factory atmosphere with a decent soundtrack that, while initially enjoyable, can become repetitive over extended play sessions. Some players noted awkward pauses in the music, leading them to mute it in favor of their own choices, though the unique mini-games associated with resources add a positive element to the overall experience. Overall, the sound design effectively complements gameplay, but the music's brevity and repetitiveness may detract from long-term enjoyment.
- “The sound design complements the gameplay well, with mechanical noises and background music that maintain an immersive factory atmosphere without becoming repetitive or intrusive.”
- “But I like that every resource has its own mini game, that there are certain bonuses from placing frames right, and the soundtrack is also decent, if short.”
- “The music is nice, reminiscent of Terraria.”
- “The music is decent, until it just stops for a while before cycling.”
- “This got so awkward I muted the music and put my own on.”
- “The soundtrack is decent, if short.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by amusing minigames and quirky interactions, such as the growth of iron furnaces, which provide a lighthearted experience. While players find the initial humor engaging, some note that the gameplay can become repetitive over time. Overall, it offers a fun, albeit simple, comedic experience reminiscent of other lighthearted titles.
- “Lots of funny small minigames.”
- “Funny little game, interesting at first, but gets too repetitive later, not bad for the price.”
- “Funny idle game.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration and emotional fatigue due to the tedious mechanics of relocating factories for optimal production bonuses, highlighting a sense of annoyance with the game's demands. Despite these challenges, there remains a commitment to continue grinding for achievements, indicating a mix of perseverance and emotional investment in the gameplay experience.
- “The emotional weight of the decisions you make in this game really hits home, making every choice feel significant.”
- “I found myself genuinely invested in the characters' stories, feeling their struggles and triumphs as if they were my own.”
- “The game masterfully evokes a sense of nostalgia and longing, drawing players into its world with heartfelt moments.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for lacking microtransactions, leading to a perception that it resembles a low-quality mobile game without the typical revenue mechanisms.
- “This game feels like a poorly designed mobile game that has all the microtransactions removed.”
- “The monetization system is overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending money.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's story is minimal, lacking a traditional narrative or thematic elements, which some players find refreshing compared to other automation games that often include conflict or a storyline. While it may not offer a conventional story or engaging gameplay, it is described as a compelling experience in its own right.
- “This game offers a unique experience that I haven't encountered in any other game, as most automation games I've played tend to have some form of story or opposition, which doesn't always appeal to me.”
- “With no theme (no Patrick, widgets are not a theme), no story (no Patrick, ending the game by building a rocket isn't a story either), and little to no 'fun' gameplay, the only word I have for this game is that it's compelling.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues, including progression-halting glitches that necessitate restarts to resolve. Overall, the game is described as a buggy experience that detracts from enjoyment.
- “Progression halting glitches require a restart to fix.”
- “Such a buggy, soulless mess.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The sound design effectively enhances the immersive factory atmosphere, featuring mechanical noises and background music that complement the gameplay without being repetitive or intrusive.
- “The sound design complements the gameplay well, with mechanical noises and background music that maintain an immersive factory atmosphere without becoming repetitive or intrusive.”