Developed by a Czech video game studio, Wube Software, Factorio is one of the well-received games of 2016. The game was announced and crowdfunded in 2013, and it spent four years in early access until 2020. Its concept, community support, and cosy atmosphere made it a fan favourite. If you are craving more games like this one, we have compiled a list of the best games like Factorio.
Before we dive into our list, make sure to check out our other lists, like the five best games like Sons of the Forest or the five best upcoming indie games in 2024.
Please note that although we usually use Metascore by critics for our lists, we had to use Metacritic user ratings for this one since there are no critic scores for most of them.
5. Mindustry
Just like Factorio, Mindustry is a factory-building and management game. However, this game also includes tower defence and real-time strategy elements. If you are a fan of both strategy and sandbox games, then Mindustry will do more than just quench your thirst for these types of games.
Mindustry is one of the best games like Factorio because not only does it include the same theme, but it also aesthetically resembles Factorio. Both indie games make use of an 8-bit graphics style, and they both radiate a cosy atmosphere.
If you like tower defence, management, and real-time strategy games, then you will certainly enjoy Mindustry as well. You can find Mindustry on a number of different platforms, such as Windows, iOS, Linux, and Android.
Release Date: September 26, 2019
Metacritic User Score: 8.7
4. Infinifactory
Made by the independent studio Zachtronics, Infinifactory is one of the best games like Factorio. It’s a strategy and puzzle game where you make sure that your alien rulers are pleased with your factory management. Essentially, you design and run factories.
There are more than 50 puzzles in Infinifactory. As a fully 3D game, Infinifactory boasts a completely different aesthetic than Factorio. However, if you like one of them, you will certainly enjoy the other one as well.
Infinifactory will get rid of the itch that Factorio created in your brain with its enjoyable puzzles and fun gameplay. Especially if you enjoy solving puzzles, we are sure that you will also enjoy Infinifactory.
Release Date: January 19, 2015
Metacritic User Score: 9.2
3. Nova Lands
In Nova Lands, you will build factories, explore your surroundings, and manage your island. Especially if you enjoy the fun colour scheme and cartoony art style of Stardew Valley, Terraria and Animal Crossing — Nova Lands will suck you right in.
Nova Lands combines different elements from different genres. You explore, engage in combat, manage, and create an environment for yourself. Maximise your efficiency by creating bots, exploring all the other islands with various biomes and creatures, and creating a production chain to sustain your industry.
If you like base building, automation, and a colourful art style, then you will also find that Nova Lands is one of the best games like Factorio. Furthermore, the game was released in 2023, so it is one of the most recent games on our list.
Release Date: June 22, 2023
Metacritic User Score: 7.5
2. Shapez
Nearing the end of our list of best games like Factorio, we have Shapez standing in second place. Developed and published by Tobias Springer, Shapez allows you to create minimalist yet creative production chains. In this game, you get to optimise your manufacturing lines, make the best outputs, and try to run your factory efficiently.
What’s more, Shapez offers a unique gameplay if you enjoy solving puzzles. It is almost relaxing to be able to solve such cleverly done puzzles by creating strategies that fit your agenda. The game starts slow, but it gets more interesting and difficult as you progress further into it.
With its unique puzzles, Shapez boasts a high level of replayability, too. So, suppose you were thinking of what to play after finishing your Factorio run. In that case, you can rely on Shapez to give you freedom of creativity while also allowing you to manage a factory cleverly.
Release Date: Jun 7, 2020
Metacritic User Score: 7.5
1. FortressCraft Evolved!
From its 3D pixel aesthetic that is reminiscent of Minecraft to its smart gameplay that allows you to create different types of strategies, FortressCraft Evolved! sits at the top of our list. Developed by ProjectorGames, this game is directly inspired by some of the best games like Factorio.
In FortressCraft Evolved! you make use of different types of machines to optimise your line of production. You mine resources and make use of them in a clever way. What’s more, since its release, the developing studio has released more than 20 free content patches that improved the gameplay. So, the developer support is also impeccable.
FortressCraft Evolved! is the direct successor of FortressCraft, which was released in 2011. However, FortressCraft Evolved! is both “Evolved” as the name suggests and ported to Unity in order to allow for multiple platform support.
Release Date: November 9, 2015
Metacritic User Score: 8.5
Final Thoughts
If you have a good rummage through Steam, you’ll find even the other best games like Factorio. We’ve already shared our favourite picks from past years. On top of those, don’t forget to give Captain of Industry and Factory Town a whirl.
That rounds off our list of the five best games like Factorio. If factory management, strategy crafting to streamline production, and a love for indie studios are your thing, you’re going to adore these five picks. And if you’re on the hunt for more indie brilliance, check out our list of the seven darkest indie games.
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