Workshop Simulator
- March 10, 2022
- INTERMARUM
Get on Steam"Workshop Simulator" is a relaxing restoration game where you bring vintage items back to life, transforming them from ruined to pristine condition. With highly detailed visuals and a comforting atmosphere, the game provides a sense of nostalgia and calm remembrance. The heart-warming story also allows you to explore your family history by interacting with unique family treasures.
Reviews
- The game offers a relaxing experience with a sweet story that resonates with players, particularly those with nostalgic memories of family.
- The graphics are visually appealing, and the mechanics of disassembling, cleaning, and restoring items are satisfying and engaging.
- Players appreciate the potential for creativity in restoring items, and many find the gameplay to be a calming and enjoyable way to unwind.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and crashes, making it frustrating and sometimes unplayable, with players losing progress due to fatal errors.
- Many players feel that the game lacks depth and variety, with repetitive tasks and limited options for customization, particularly in painting and finishing items.
- There is a sense of abandonment from the developers, as players report a lack of updates and fixes for ongoing issues, leading to disappointment in the game's overall execution.
- story38 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its emotional depth and nostalgic themes, particularly the heartwarming relationship between a grandfather and grandson as they restore items together. While many players find the narrative touching and engaging, some critique its execution and linearity, suggesting that it could benefit from more dynamic storytelling elements. Overall, the story serves as a significant and redeeming aspect of the game, enhancing the relaxing gameplay experience.
“The story is shockingly touching.”
“I really enjoy the story of the grandfather being an influence on the main character's life.”
“The story was great and tied everything together nicely.”
“I can feel the love the developer had in the story, yet the execution seems lacking, unfortunately.”
“The story I can't comment on because I got so bored I just kept skipping all the cut scenes.”
“It had a heartwarming story that runs extremely linearly.”
- gameplay25 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the relaxing mechanics and immersive environment, while others criticize it for being tedious, repetitive, and plagued by progression issues and bugs. While the core mechanics are generally well-received, many feel that the gameplay lacks depth and variety, leading to a monotonous experience. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing experience but struggles with execution and engagement.
“The mechanics are great and really well made and relaxing!”
“Very enjoyable gameplay, and the graphics are really great.”
“The gameplay is addictive, the environment beautiful and immersive.”
“In terms of gameplay, it's on the lacking side.”
“What hurts the game mostly is the progression issue and mechanics not working properly.”
“Overall it looks very pretty, but the gameplay experience is just horrible.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising them as "amazing," "superb," and "top notch," highlighting the attention to detail and visual appeal. However, others rate the graphics more modestly, suggesting they are decent but not groundbreaking, particularly for a game of this type. Overall, while many find the visuals relaxing and enjoyable, opinions vary significantly on their quality.
“The visuals are really nice and are just easy on the eyes.”
“On the plus side, the graphics and details in the items you're repairing are superb.”
“Very enjoyable gameplay, and the graphics are really great.”
“Graphics: 3/10”
“Tried repair files; nothing graphical. I have to say my opinion of the game has gotten lower. I understand why so few people, according to Steam, have finished the game.”
“Very cool concept, but the graphics are not as pretty as a next-gen game should be.”
- music14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its fitting and immersive qualities, while others criticize the limited variety, repetitive tracks, and issues with controlling the audio settings. While some find the music enjoyable and atmospheric, others note that it can be intrusive or overly simplistic, detracting from the overall experience.
“Amazing music, relaxing world and touching story.”
“The music is very fitting for the setting and it helps you get immersed into the atmosphere.”
“Music: good music a little corny at times but it fits the mood and vibe of the game.”
“Random lag spike when you change counters, only one type of music (country) that is playing on the radio, and no way to use custom music tracks, some jobs are really long to do and don't provide as much money.”
“The workshop features a radio that plays the same three songs over and over again.”
“The radio keeps turning on by itself even though my music is off and the radio is on pause.”
- emotional11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with many players finding the story to be shockingly touching and heartwarming, often evoking strong feelings and nostalgia. The narrative, centered around themes of bonding and memory, is described as wholesome and therapeutic, making it a captivating experience despite some gameplay bugs. Overall, the combination of a linear yet engaging story, relaxing music, and a charming world contributes to its emotional impact.
“The story is shockingly touching.”
“I cannot believe I cried on a simulator game.”
“Despite some bugs present in the game, the story, which includes a wholesome story of a boy bonding with his grandpa over random items around the farm, and the gameplay loop are captivating enough that you can easily zone out, relax, and lose a good chunk of time fiddling with the various parts of an item.”
- stability11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- -18 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as crashes and interface issues. While some players find the game enjoyable despite these problems, others express frustration over the frequency and severity of the bugs, making it difficult to progress. Overall, the consensus leans towards the game being too unstable for a full recommendation.
“The game is smooth with no glitches encountered during my play.”
“I experienced consistent performance throughout my gaming session.”
“There were no crashes or bugs, making for a seamless experience.”
“Too buggy, poor interface, poorly optimized.”
“I have to post a review because I can't express how incredibly buggy this game has been.”
“Can't recommend it though, it is extremely buggy to the point where I am no longer able to progress further, as the game crashes when I try to finish the cleaning step on one of the items.”
- grinding11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- -18 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often describing the processes of disassembling, sanding, and painting as slow and unfulfilling. While some appreciate the game's concept and story, many feel that the grinding mechanics detract from the overall enjoyment, with calls for significant improvements to make these tasks more engaging.
“The cute story and smooth gameplay make grinding enjoyable, and thankfully, the tasks aren't tedious most of the time. I even get to learn a little about renovations through these gamified means.”
“Grinding in this game feels rewarding rather than repetitive, as each task contributes to a larger goal and enhances the overall experience.”
“I appreciate how the grinding mechanics are integrated into the storyline, making each task feel meaningful and engaging.”
“Good idea, but extremely tedious, repetitive and unrewarding gameplay.”
“The process of disassembling, washing, sanding, painting, and then reassembling is often slow (even with upgrades) and tedious.”
“I love the concept and it's a fun game when it works - even though it's a very slow process and you barely make any money for doing really time-consuming and tedious tasks.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is criticized for being poor, with issues such as stuttering, crashes, and occasional lag. While some users suggest that adjustments to settings could help, the need for better optimization is a common theme, despite the game's overall quality.
“The simple way to fix this would be to just replace the animation with a video, but you could optimize it in other ways. Either way, it needs optimization, but it's a pretty damn good game.”
“Performance-wise, there is some lag every now and again, and I did not get achievements for some things, but otherwise, I have no real complaints.”
“First glance of the game with no story spoilers and performance comparison:”
“The settings can be wonky with regard to resolution, and I experienced occasional stuttering, but pausing for a minute or so would clear it up.”
“But it's poorly optimized and crashes.”
“Performance-wise, there is some lag every now and again, and I did not receive achievements for some things, but otherwise, I have no real complaints.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its calming and immersive qualities, enhanced by fitting music that complements the setting. Reviewers note the presence of soul and depth, contributing to a captivating overall experience.
“I like the concept of the game a lot, and the atmosphere and calmness are quite nice.”
“It has a very nice atmosphere.”
“The music is very fitting for the setting and helps you get immersed in the atmosphere.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with users noting that it offers nothing new and lacks engaging elements that would encourage players to return. Many feel that the absence of a sandbox mode or other replayable features significantly diminishes its long-term appeal.
“Very mediocre game; it brings nothing new to the table and has absolutely no replay value.”
“A lot of elements could have been better, and there should be a replayable element or sandbox mode that allows you to carry on.”
“No real replay value.”
