Factorio Trailer Looks Like A Fun Factory, Has Demo

I used to play Command & Conquer almost exclusively for the base-building; I'd turtle-up, build walls around my home, and get frustrated when enemies would bother me by attacking. If you share my addiction to anal-retentive building placement and efficient production lines, you need to watch the trailer for Factorio immediately. Not only does it evoke the grit of mid-'90s sprite graphics, it's a game entirely about conveyor belts and machine arms. There's even a demo! Cor.

The game's website has a tidy description:

Factorio is a game in which you build and maintain factories.

You will be mining resources, researching technologies, building infrastructure, automating production and fighting enemies. Use your imagination to design your factory, combine simple elements into ingenious structures, apply management skills to keep it working and finally protect it from the creatures who don't really like you.

Which means there will be enemies, but at least they're not the game's actual focus.

RPS last covered Factorio in February 2013 when it was merely another IndieGoGo hopeful. It comfortably (efficiently, you might say) leapt across its €17,000 target, but we lost track of it afterwards. I hadn't heard of it at all until yesterday, as RPS' own writer factory only spat me from its womb last October.

If you're intrigued there's a demo to try, and if that works for you there's an alpha available immediately for €10/$13 and (at current conversion rates) £8.22. If you really enjoy the game, there are higher tiers offering extra bonuses such as special challenge maps or getting your name in the game.

It's a day for music videos apparently, so here you go: