by theygamesFactory games come in all shapes and sizes, with Factorio giving you a birds-eye view of your machinery and others like Satisfactory letting you roam up close with your creations. Then there’s Shapez 2 which just launched into early access, and it’s literally all about different shapes and sizes.
While some building games see you work your way up with logical, real-world inspired steps, Shapez 2 is a little more abstract and has a simplicity to it – at least, at the start. Instead of creating machines to gather iron ore and coal to process them into something else, you simply make shapes instead. You see there’s a hungry void that lurks at the center of the game’s map and it wants shapes of different colors and sizes, and it’s up to you to create the machinery required to feed it.
Unlike some other factory games, all resources here are limitless and there are no costs to building. Instead the challenge is all about making sure you’re producing the right shapes, in the right colors, and delivering them where they need to go. It means it’s a more cerebral game in many ways, with you focusing on the pure and simple joy of construction, efficiency, and making sure you’re putting together the right stuff.
While the lazy comparison for Shapez 2 is to cite Factorio and Satisfactory – and I’m as guilty of that as anyone – what it really reminds me of are the games from puzzle-supremo developer Zachtronics. Opus Magnum is especially called to mind, with the only limits being your own ability to create and reason out what you need to happen, and the reward being perfect machines that spin, rotate, split, paint, and create in unison.
It seems plenty have been waiting for Shapez 2’s arrival, as at the time of writing, just after launch, the game has attracted a peak of 7,956 concurrent players – which is a stunning achievement. Already sitting on an incredibly rare 100% rating on Steam, it looks like Shapez 2 has what it takes to stand as a genuine competitor to the big name factory games out there.
Shapez 2 is out now in Steam early access and you can save 20% until Thursday August 29. Head over to the game’s store page to check it out for yourself and see what other players are saying.
While you’re here, why not take a look at our guide to the best management games you can play, as well as our top recommendations for the best sandbox games in 2024.
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