I’m a big fan of engineering games, especially those like ‘Oxygen Not Included’ that present a world with dynamic elements to engineer various solutions through automation or even programming. Recently, I tried ‘Archean’, but it leans heavily on vehicles rather than machinery, which isn’t exactly to my liking. Most games I’ve come across, like ‘Stormworks’, also have a strong vehicle focus. Are there any great sandbox engineering games out there that concentrate more on machines instead of vehicles? I’m not concerned with realism, just a fun environment to invent and create solutions using the game world’s properties.
4 Answers
Have you checked out Desynced? It involves using robots, which might be borderline machinery/vehicles, but it’s definitely worth a look. The ability to program the robots gives it a strong customization aspect similar to what you liked in Archean. It might require a bit more time to hook you, but it’s quite innovative in its approach.
You might want to give Factorio another shot. It’s primarily an automation game with conveyors and machinery, and while it might seem focused on logistics, there’s a lot of engineering fun to be had. It’s more about creating efficient systems and factories than just moving stuff around, so it sounds like it might fit what you’re looking for.
Besiege could be up your alley, but it does involve vehicle creation to some extent. It’s more about fulfilling certain objectives through creative engineering. However, if you’re looking to avoid vehicles entirely, it might not tick all your boxes.
Consider trying Hydroneer or The Enjenir for something a bit different. Hydroneer offers some interesting machine-building elements, and The Enjenir combines aspects from games like Polybridge and Besiege, leaning towards structural creations over vehicles.
