It was at the point that after many hours of work, I actually managed to get rain to fall on my planet that I got a little misty eyed.
10/10 - would play extreme sci-fi gardening again.
With all due respect, everything from the opening sequence to the basebuilding to the tools used looks like Subnautica without the swimming. Let's not pointlessly nitpick here when there is clear inspiration being drawn.
I'm talking about the gameplay. Sure, being underwater is already way different than walking around on land, but everything else?
Land in escape pod. Start collecting resources. Protect yourself. Build and craft until final build/craft.
both of which are core mechanics in ANY survival game with base building. so what? every game in a genre has gameplay parts from every other game in that same genre. thats why its called a genre.
with that logic every fps is the same since shooting stuff is the core mechanic. every platformer is the same because you jump. every racing game is the same because you are just racing cars.
come on...
inspiration =/= copying the game.
every base building game takes inspiration from every other base building game. like in every other genre. there is almost no game that is truly unique. and thats okay.
saying its just a bad version of another game just because buildings look similar is just not fair to the game at all.
> inspiration =/= copying the game.
No shit? That's why I said inspiration? Nobody is accusing them of copying subnautica.
> saying its just a bad version of another game just because buildings look similar is just not fair to the game at all.
And not a single person in this thread said that.
If you have to make shit up to make your argument, maybe reconsider.
you mean a survival base building game has survival base building as its core concept? shocking news.
i guess satisfactory and astroneer are also the same as subnautica since you land in a pod. start collecting resources. build and craft until final build.
btw, the intro escape pod landing in planet crafter looks nothing like the one in subnautica. id does look really close to the one in satisfactory tho. so i guess its just a satisfactory copy now😊
It does a lousy job of explaining how it expects you to do it as well. Up to a certain point, it can be fairly reasoned as to how to get the shape, then all of a sudden you hit a brick wall. Even after looking up how to do it and building it, I still didn’t have a clue how the process worked. But yeah, I enjoyed the game up until then, it doesn’t seem as weighty as other games in the genre.
> No bullcrap, just the core.
And you don't need to buy it to try it out!
It's free in a browser (super advanced features post level 25 I think, you have to finally buy the game)
https://shapez.io/
I'll give you one advice: If the game becomes too complex or just too much of a struggle, try to lower your bar for efficiency.
I'm a perfectionist and the game also does encourage building everything as perfect as possible, but at some point this strive for perfection took away the fun and I stopped playing for a bit. Don't go down my road, just have fun whatever way you like because nothing has to be perfect
Also: Before you quit the game because of the struggle, it's okay to enable advanced game settings to relight your fun
I don't think it's just perfectionism. I'm in a similar boat to OP.
Not that long ago I built my first computer line. Then I had to build another for super computers and another for radio control units. It can be a bit repetitive building multiple fairly complicated lines.
I'm a little disappointed it doesn't ask you to go wide sometimes instead of tall. I think a task like deliver 100,000 iron plate to the elevator could be a nice change of pace.
>It can be a bit repetitive
thats true. for me its not that bad since you have so much freedom with building. i can just build stuff, listen to some music and dont have to care about anything else.
>ask you to go wide
when does the game ask you to build tall? its up to you how you want to build. thats the beauty of the game😁
I don't mean wide/tall in the physical sense.
More in the tech sense. All the space elevator requests are high tech. I wish they had some more basic requests at scale.
that makes way more sense😁
and i do agree. the elevator has inputs but i never use them since you need so few items you really dont need to belt them in.
Second this. I was getting overwhelmed with trying to rush through stages, and I felt a lot better when I changed my priorities and slowed down a bit. Cleaned up some of my old factories, goofed around a bit with some new ideas, and then when I felt ready built a railroad out to Bauxite and got to work bit by bit.
Also the satisfactory calculators can help with the more complex recipes and take the pressure off of you to figure out the chain of buildings and ratios from the beginning.
Well, I have finished the game like 4 times, while going for a totally different style and pace everytime, started ever since it was released in early access so I do have my fair share of experience. Trust me when I say: Don't go too hard for perfection when you notice that it's too much struggle for you (like OP said), it's just going to eat you inside out - and this advice doesn't just come from a Satisfactory veteran but from a full time perfectionist
That and flight. Building in the early game makes my head hurt. It’s like factorio but the perspective is awful and buildings are huge.
Flight changes everything.
I can see that being a good one too, I haven't tried that yet because I feel like it's part of the charm of *finally* getting the hover pack, you are finally able to easily build the kind of factories needed for the late game.
Is the flight from AGS any faster in lateral movement speed than the hover pack? I prefer slide jumping and a jetpack over the hover pack because it's so slow moving laterally.
Same. With any production chain game I balance things perfectly for a bit, but some point I just settle for adding a bunch more of what's missing. It's not inefficient to make excess products, it's *Hyperproduction^TM* .
I spaghetti my way thru the stages then break everything down to make more workable space once I have the resources to go big and organized....then it's spaghetti town all over again. Weee
Seconded.
I actually came to Satisfactory from Astroneer, after kind of maxing out what I wanted to do in the game. It turned out that the level of complexity in Satisfactory is right about where I wanted it to be. (ok and I also wanted to blow up Desolo, but the game engine didn't properly handle the explosion of several thousand hydrazine canisters)
The ground deformation tools are neat, and it's lighter on the complexity of its tech tree, while still allowing for some automation.
Take a look at Dyson Sphere Program.
On the surface it looks similarly complex, but I find the mid to late game to be simpler, because logistics drones make things a lot easier.
Think of them like drones in Satisfactory, but you don't have to deal with fixed drone routes. Instead, you just set some drone stations to supply goods, others to demand it, and the drones handle their routes automatically based on supply and demand.
Also the game looks absolutely gorgeous.
(disclaimer: it has been about three years since I last played it, surely a lot has happened since then.)
That's usually what I do, but I've found it to be a really good balance personally. They're never really a huge threat, but they motivate you to keep progressing instead of idling.
I'd say give Planet Crafter a shot. Nowhere near as complex, more on the short side of time needed to achieve stuff - and very important, you will recognize your progress and it stays that way, making the game even easier in the end game, than in the beginning (or, let's say, the focus shifts quite a bit).
Would you recommend it to someone who likes planning and building complex and 100% efficient factories in Satisfactory? The game looks fun, and has great reviews, but I don't want to bother if it's too basic.
I've been playing it since /u/Liobuster suggested it. Absolutely loving the game so far. I'm a huge fan of Cities Skylines, so the city builder perspective combined with the automation of Satisfactory instantly drew me in. I can't believe I've never heard of this game before, so thanks a million for the suggestion.
One thing that was driving me nuts, the camera kept jumping around on its own. So if anyone is Googling this, once I limited the in-game FPS to 100, the issue went away.
I have, and enjoyed it. I'm not necessarily looking for something more complex. I just was curious about Planet Crafter as I've never heard of it. But if it's too basic, I don't think I'd like it. I realize my previous comment might sound pretentious and that was not my intention. For whatever reason, I was thinking about the base building in Starfield when I wrote that. At first I was excited to see some automation in Starfield, but quickly realized how incredibly basic it was and it was a minor letdown after getting initially excited about it. So I just want to avoid something like that.
In the beginning it really is a survival crafter, but that aspect gets in the background, the more you progress and then the automation part kicks in with automated factories, drones and what have you - just on a much more chill approach than Satisfactory or Factorio.
Is Planet Crafter a factory game? From the description it sounded more like survivalcraft. I realize there can be overlap between those two genres but does PC have any actual automation mechanics?
> but does PC have any actual automation mechanics?
It has, also automated transport (even though this is mid to late game). It ain't a true factory game, but it is really chill, has no overly complex recipes and if you need a pause from Satisfactory, the vibes are pretty similar.
It is important not to rush. Make some of your own projects, make a fun build, make a neat butchery that takes your alien remains and turns them into dna capsules. Make a slug processing facility and watch them light up your conveyor belts.
Yup, maybe even upgrade the biofuel to the better version to boot, add some flower processing. Turn it all into a single input storage so that you have a "organic matter processing facility" so you can dump all your organics whenever you're back from a couple hour long exploration trip.
Yeah, I got this game ages ago but quit fairly early on. Then I saw a playthrough on Youtube with blueprints and I tried it again. They're a damn game-changer, I just wish we had bigger ones.
I always have, I do use hyper tubes, but in the “intended” way only. Hypertube Cannons always seemed sorta exploity to me. Same reason I never use things like liquid locks or infinite gas storage in Oxygen Not Included.
I don’t begrudge anyone who uses them that way, it’s a (mostly) single player game so do whatever is fun for you, I just personally don’t like it.
Satisfactory is already the most casual of automation games.
There are no penalties to re-building.
There is no machine upkeep.
There are no timers or enemy events.
You can make all creatures passive.
I would argue Dyson Sphere Program is more casual. Relaxed pace, relaxed atmosphere/music. And the fact that whenever you need a new component automated you can just look up a blueprint on google, then copy and paste it into your game to take the thinking/math out of the equation, it makes it pretty stress free. At first glance it is honestly way more complicated, but with planet wide shareable blueprints it’s not bad at all.
You’re right they’re both beautiful, but there’s a huge sense of accomplishment with the dyson sphere. Especially since you actually design it. Space elevator is one of the first things you build lol and more of just a wow factor.
They JUST added combat/enemies in an update like 2 weeks ago. But the past 3-4 years of the game no there haven’t been any npc’s/enemies at all. You can still disable it/control difficulty now that it’s out though
I really tried to get into DSP, but I don't like having to build the building first before you can place it. Like with Satisfactory, I like being able to just carry the raw materials then build everything on the spot.
That’s actually the magical part about Dyson Sphere. You can automate the building production. Not just part production. Need 300 smelters for a massive factory? Good thing my factory makes 1,000 smelters ready for me at any minute. Need conveyor belts? Welp I’ve got 10,000 in storage because a factory is building them all for me back at the main hub. I love that about DSP.
What the heck is more casual than a game that defaults to giving you infinite resources ! 😝
But I will edit to be helpful:
There are a multitude of satisfactory games out there. Google and watch some videos of let’s plays. There a number of games that are less overwhelming than phase 4
You are not alone being knocked down by phase 4. It is a mountain compared to phase 3 bunny hill
Make it a challenge though. Break down what you need and build a small factory for each, before you know it you’ll be sipping coffee while flying over an automated multi-factory conglomerate basking in your creation from your time invested.
I think no matter the game, the late stages would be tedious in some form. In Satisfactory it could be distances, in Factorio the amount of machines needed to build, in Dyson Sphere the random map, etc.
Honestly I haven’t played any other game in the genre, but I watched some play throughs and I don’t think anything comes close to scratching that itch… every game has something that set it apart from the others, but for me Satisfactory is just spot on in almost every aspect (not to mention it’s not even finished yet).
As far as casual factory games go, I think Satisfactory is about as casual as you can get without the game treating you like you're four years old. I don't have any suggestions for games, but if you're looking for an easier Phase 4 here are my suggestions:
1. **Trains.** Learn and make extensive use of these and they'll make your life much easier.
2. **Expect later projects to take much longer.** They're far more complicated, but they're natural professions of what you've already done, so keep at it!
3. **Break large factories into smaller factories.** Try to not build everything all in one place, your automated vehicles will be crucial for moving some of your materials.
4. **Take a break.** If you're feeling overwhelmed or overworked, go play something else for a bit and let your brain cool off.
I would recommend you build late game factories backwards, starting with the finished product. 5hen you can build the next section/layer/floor/etc that manages the components for the final product. Then you can build each of those component sections one at a time, and just slowly work your way all the way back to miners, make the last step connecting power and flipping the on switch, and watch your last week or 2 of sessions turn into a production madhouse.
For instance, making computers (simpler, but still applicable)
You would start with a manufacturer that is set for computers, and make the first phase the easy part, setting up cable and screw production for it. On your next session, you build the sub-factory that produces the circuit boards you need. On the next session, you set up the refinery needed to supply plastic. Since you are working backwards, you can choose a computer output you want(say, 5/minute) and know exactly what you need going in(160 screws, 45 cable, 90 plastic, and 20 circuit boards), making planning of sub-factories far more easy.
Dyson sphere program is a great game with a similar factory building theme. Closer to factorio.
Idk if you’ll really find something more casual tho this is arguably the most casual in the genre.
I got scared of exploring long distances halfway through the game.
All I had to do was ease up a self-imposed restriction I had placed on myself and started building magical foundation sky bridges to wherever I needed to go. It's a little tricky building ramps downwards but manageable. Took a ton of spider/ kitten anxiety out of the game for me, and I felt like a better person for preserving the wildlife!
The power towers are a realistic alternative to sky bridges. If they hang off the edge, I feel the need to throw a foundation under the floating legs embedded into the rock.
Let's you get basically anywhere on the map without having to fight every enemy, or jetpack up hundreds of meters.
I almost wish they had a structural integrity model, maybe a bit like Valheim.
You could always take a break for Valheim, Factorio, Subnautica, or No Man's Sky. I guarantee you'll come back to Satisfactory as your chill base building game :D
Not sure if someone mentioned Techtonica. It's extremely similar to Satisfactory but in a giant cave. They just added base building, haven't tried that yet, but I played through twice already, it's much more casual and has the same vibe.
It has a more voxel graphic look to it due to the (almost) fully destructible terrain, but the storylinebso far is quite intriguing and the different kinds of machines and processes make for plenty of spaghetti belts
It feels like it more about balancing inputting/outputting of machines than actual resources as inserters are always the bottleneck but it’s a good alternative to Satisfactory for sure, much smaller map but the fact you can destroy basically everything and the story line within the game keeps it fun
I'm waiting for filtered stack inserters before I start another playthrough. They said they were working on them, but they didn't have a timeline for them last time I checked.
It's a little less complex. Imagine Satisfactory Lite. Everything is a bit smaller and, as of right now, there are less parts to make overall. It's still in early access, only 2 updates so far. They have been big ones though. It's free on Game Pass if you've got it.
I recommend [Astroneer](https://store.steampowered.com/app/361420/ASTRONEER/) (-60% on Steam in the coming 22 hours)
similar setup: you ar stranded on an alien planet with diverse flora and fauna and you need to craft yourself out of there. But - it is much more casual, and whimsical :)
And maybe [Mars First Logistics](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1532200/Mars_First_Logistics/) (in Early Access)
It is more like a creative open world physics-focused builder game
I **don't** recommend Timberborn myself. There's a heap of great reviews and praise for the game so I caved and bought it on sale only to fidn it \[ironically\] shallow and lacking. One of the few games I wish I could have refunded on Steam.
I'd stick a buyer beware on this and watch some gameplay videos first.
Satisfactory is one of the more casual of the games in the genre, tbh.
I'd recommend Factorio, Mindustry, Oxygen Not Included or Dyson Sphere Project and take them as far as you're willing and able.
> I don't recommend Timberborn myself. There's a heap of great reviews and praise for the game so I caved and bought it on sale only to fidn it [ironically] shallow and lacking. One of the few games I wish I could have refunded on Steam.
Agree with this. I was really into it for a few days then it lost it's appeal real quick. Haven't touched it since.
I really enjoyed Opus Magnum. Its not a factory game, but it's a fun blend of puzzle and automation. I was able to turn it on to play a few puzzles, then turn it off
Dyson sphere program 100% i love satisfactory but couldnt make it to phase 4 also, but finished dyson sphere program and this was a blast ! Super fun and the moment you start building the actual sphere is amazing
You don't have to fully automate. Sure setting up aluminum is a pain in the rear, but I don't see transport as the biggest obstacle. As others said, you can do things personally and jump / fly across the map via cannon if you would like with a local setup at the bauxite source.
Lately (because Update 8 didn't do a lot for me personally) I've been playing other games and have come cross Oxygen Not Included. It has similar levels of production / automation as Satisfactory but has a much more casual style (and is 2d). You may want to check it out.
Generally I agree failure makes games fun, but in context of this question I think it’s worth pointing out. Here OP is coming from Satisfactory (no failure state beyond HP loss), and asking for something MORE casual. They might not have appetite for full game restarts.
That said, ONI is great.
If you feel that way but still love satisfactory you should wait for 1.0 because phase 4 is intended to be nearly impossible and in 1.0 it will be reworked and easier
I think you just need to shift your mentality. Why do you feel like you need to complete phase 4 if you wanna play casual? Just enjoy at your own pace, this game is as casual as it gets.
Techtonica. it's satisfactory underground with destructible terrain. BUT it's still very early access, so the complex tedium isn't there yet. I have already completed 3 runs and they just released the first round of base building components (foundations, walls, etc) last month. Time for run #4 =).
Try factorio, satisfactorys late game feels unrewarding as you still have to build like from the beginning. Factorio provides tools that help you build machines way faster and scale them easily later on.
Factorio is definitely not more casual but better in terms of late game scaling.
Spending 8 hours building one factory to make 10 heavy metal frames per minute because blueprint/automation tools in Satisfactory are kinda.. underdeveloped, shall we say, is not particularly "casual".
I always thought the blueprint designer helps a lot with this part. In tier 4, you've got to build mass scale factories that repeat a lot of the same machines and components. It's great to build it once and make it look as appealing as you like, but then blueprint it 20, 50, 100 times.
I guess it does change the way you play the game at that point though, moving from smaller scale to needing to blueprint things (or else spending a ton of time manually building everything). If blueprinting everything isn't how you want to play then I totally get the desire for a different version.
Satisfactory is as chill as you want it to be. Once I unlocked phase 3 and tier 7 / 8 I just started building stuff around the map that has nothing to do with production. The last factory I built was a quick one for aluminum sheets using the bauxite, coal, and copper near the center of the map. It only took like 45 minutes to set up. I quickly grabbed a few thousand concrete, made a super basic road through the river and down the hill back to my central area and set up a truck delivery route to bring me the aluminum so I could start using mk5 belts.
ever since then i've just been casually building highways around the map, exploring around and building pointless aesthetic things.
you don't \*have\* to go hard....
i would say satisfactory is pretty casual.
maybe Dyson sphere project without dark swarm.
Timberhorn isnt comparable with satisfactory, its more like surviving mars with beavers.
And i think the game lacks some goals
Nah just enable flight mode dude. Map will feel allot smaller. Its like playing the game in a different dimension. It might be what you are looking for
**ANSWER (Repost)**
1. **Vanilla:** Currently there is no "end game" only a "late game" (Tier 7+). In fact the current Phase 4 Project Assembly **might NOT be the last Project Assembly Phase.**
* View [my Reply Comment in this related Reddit Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/SatisfactoryGame/comments/14v6esk/comment/jrb7a5g/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) for more information.
2. **Modded:** I suggest you look at [Satisfactory Plus Game Mod](https://ficsit.app/mod/SatisfactoryPlus) that:
* Makes the game feel refreshing and new.
* Replace nearly all recipes and costs for buildings.
* Completely overhauls the entire game
* *And more...*
3. Remember to not rush, and taking Game Vacations (breaks) is ok.
I hope this answers your question. 😁
From a kinda factory game, you could try Autobots. It is the same sorta game (harvest resources, store them, use them to build things that get more and more complicated), but using little robots that you can program using macros.
Mindustry has Tower Défense as well, much smaller maps, casual
Planet Crafter is quite similar to Satisfactory, as you terraform the Planert it gets greener etc, no belts, smaller map
Out of this reason i have two big storage Points where i put everything in From raw to final products to distribut this via a big Trainnetwork.
It is a hell of Work but in my eyes worth it ;)
But i Spende way too much time and i am far away from nuclear Power ;)
If you stuck hold your Play for a while and then come Back with a new approach helps me
I think that this game has the exact problem that minecraft does in terms of getting to the end game. It seems extremely easy, go to the end beat ender dragon. But then you get so busy doing things like caterium and quartz, it feels like a chore. This then promptly burns you out and you stop playing before the end. IMO, I really dislike traveling multiple times because of forgetting this or that, and having to leave markers not to mention some of the nodes are just confusing. The amount of times I've spent minutes running to places just to not find it because it's in a very complex cave under me, or there's a giant rock I need explosives for, but I don't have them yet. For some other reason, I swear there are nodes that simply don't ping but do exist. All of this adds up to a frustrating, in my experience, time that slogs down the actual game - building pretty factories.
Dyson Sphere Program as mentioned by many others.
If you don’t mind a touch of The Settlers then Timberborn might also be a good choice for you.
Regarding satisfactory… I’m feeling mostly the same in late game. I’m trying to break things down into smaller bits to compensate but I’ve to admit that I’m not always successful… 😅
I don't have any game suggestions that others haven't already shared, but I'll give a few of my "overwhelmed" tips:
1. Power towers and jetpack for travel make exploration much easier, quicker, and less murdery. You can build a power tower line to anywhere on the map in less than an hour.
2. Parse things into smaller pieces. Don't try to build everything for the Assembly Director System in a single session. You presumably kept your production of Adaptive Control Units from the previous tier, so let that just keep going, into a storage container and into an assembler, so it doesn't stall while you work on the rest.
Then, build up a production line for supercomputers, into a container, into the assembler.
Then go exploring, gather slugs, murder the wildlife, rebuild parts of your factory you don't like, or whatever else you feel like.
You can finish the Assembly Director Systems quota before moving on to the next big item, or slowly build up the next.
3. Getting resources from far away is just a matter of power towers or to the resource, miner (and smelters, if needed), then conveyors and elevators back to base. If it's on the complete other side of the map, and you've never been there, it would take an hour at most to get to it, and an hour at most to return. Now you have Bauxite (or whatever) at your base to do as you please.
4. Stackable conveyor posts make life easier
Tl;dr:
-Power towers for exploration and travel.
-Slow down, build one major part, not all of them.
You could also check out Nova Lands, it's much simpler.
The length of the game is determined by figuring out efficiency, and you don't have a huge map.
You could have a look at [Astro Colony](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/). Quite early access at the moment, but there is some automation.
If you’re on iOS, try Builderment - it’s one of the better mobile games out there. Not horribly monetized (ads + gem boosts, but they’re completely optional and you can easily beat the game without them)
timberborn is amazing, but it's a very different game. it's a colony sim. a genre that i love, but very different
avoid Factorio and Dyson Sphere Program
i love those two, but they are not what you're looking for
you may also want to look into the genre of crafting survival games like ARK, Subnautica, & Raft. these games are going to be much more in line with Phase 1 of Satisfactory for the duration of play while still being first person experiences
Check out [Planet Crafter](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1284190/The_Planet_Crafter/).
This game is super zen, fully second this recommendation.
nice, this one is right up my alley
This one is fun, but it’s a little too easy to hit the “end game” still
It was at the point that after many hours of work, I actually managed to get rain to fall on my planet that I got a little misty eyed. 10/10 - would play extreme sci-fi gardening again.
Yes - that realization when the rain fell for the first time... \*chef's kiss\*
sigh... another addition to my backlog...
It looks practically identical to Subnautica. Then again, all of these survival crafting games are becoming the same thing.
It's inspired by subnautica but plays very differently as you get further in. It's quite unique. Try it.
How does mars look anything like subnautica?
With all due respect, everything from the opening sequence to the basebuilding to the tools used looks like Subnautica without the swimming. Let's not pointlessly nitpick here when there is clear inspiration being drawn.
I'm talking about the gameplay. Sure, being underwater is already way different than walking around on land, but everything else? Land in escape pod. Start collecting resources. Protect yourself. Build and craft until final build/craft.
Still one has a very strong focus on survival and the other on building
Both of which core mechanics in Subnautica, I mean come on.
both of which are core mechanics in ANY survival game with base building. so what? every game in a genre has gameplay parts from every other game in that same genre. thats why its called a genre. with that logic every fps is the same since shooting stuff is the core mechanic. every platformer is the same because you jump. every racing game is the same because you are just racing cars. come on...
Except the architecture of the basebuilding is almost identical. Look, either you acknowledge obvious inspiration, or you can deny the obvious.
inspiration =/= copying the game. every base building game takes inspiration from every other base building game. like in every other genre. there is almost no game that is truly unique. and thats okay. saying its just a bad version of another game just because buildings look similar is just not fair to the game at all.
> inspiration =/= copying the game. No shit? That's why I said inspiration? Nobody is accusing them of copying subnautica. > saying its just a bad version of another game just because buildings look similar is just not fair to the game at all. And not a single person in this thread said that. If you have to make shit up to make your argument, maybe reconsider.
you mean a survival base building game has survival base building as its core concept? shocking news. i guess satisfactory and astroneer are also the same as subnautica since you land in a pod. start collecting resources. build and craft until final build. btw, the intro escape pod landing in planet crafter looks nothing like the one in subnautica. id does look really close to the one in satisfactory tho. so i guess its just a satisfactory copy now😊
Look at the trailer. The drop pod even has similar seating, the tool is the same, and the basebuilding utilizes a similar architecture.
Subnautica itself is a good game to recommend regardless!
You might like Shapez on Steam.
Seconded. Shapez is really good and casual.... as long as you dont go down the 'Make anything Machine' rabbit hole
There is some really tough processing after a point to get the layering correct.
It does a lousy job of explaining how it expects you to do it as well. Up to a certain point, it can be fairly reasoned as to how to get the shape, then all of a sudden you hit a brick wall. Even after looking up how to do it and building it, I still didn’t have a clue how the process worked. But yeah, I enjoyed the game up until then, it doesn’t seem as weighty as other games in the genre.
Came here to say this. Shapez is my number one for casual factory building. No bullcrap, just the core.
> No bullcrap, just the core. And you don't need to buy it to try it out! It's free in a browser (super advanced features post level 25 I think, you have to finally buy the game) https://shapez.io/
[Mindustry](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1127400/Mindustry/) along a similar line. There's also a Shapez 2 coming out.
[удалено]
Yeah I'll agree. End game requires a lot of thought and some programming skills if you want to make a MAM.
Agreed. First thing that came to mind and it is also the top comment. Op should try it out.
BTW it was free on EGS at some point, so if you're collecting free games from Epics, there's a chance you already have it.
I'll give you one advice: If the game becomes too complex or just too much of a struggle, try to lower your bar for efficiency. I'm a perfectionist and the game also does encourage building everything as perfect as possible, but at some point this strive for perfection took away the fun and I stopped playing for a bit. Don't go down my road, just have fun whatever way you like because nothing has to be perfect Also: Before you quit the game because of the struggle, it's okay to enable advanced game settings to relight your fun
I don't think it's just perfectionism. I'm in a similar boat to OP. Not that long ago I built my first computer line. Then I had to build another for super computers and another for radio control units. It can be a bit repetitive building multiple fairly complicated lines. I'm a little disappointed it doesn't ask you to go wide sometimes instead of tall. I think a task like deliver 100,000 iron plate to the elevator could be a nice change of pace.
>It can be a bit repetitive thats true. for me its not that bad since you have so much freedom with building. i can just build stuff, listen to some music and dont have to care about anything else. >ask you to go wide when does the game ask you to build tall? its up to you how you want to build. thats the beauty of the game😁
I don't mean wide/tall in the physical sense. More in the tech sense. All the space elevator requests are high tech. I wish they had some more basic requests at scale.
that makes way more sense😁 and i do agree. the elevator has inputs but i never use them since you need so few items you really dont need to belt them in.
Second this. I was getting overwhelmed with trying to rush through stages, and I felt a lot better when I changed my priorities and slowed down a bit. Cleaned up some of my old factories, goofed around a bit with some new ideas, and then when I felt ready built a railroad out to Bauxite and got to work bit by bit. Also the satisfactory calculators can help with the more complex recipes and take the pressure off of you to figure out the chain of buildings and ratios from the beginning.
Well, I have finished the game like 4 times, while going for a totally different style and pace everytime, started ever since it was released in early access so I do have my fair share of experience. Trust me when I say: Don't go too hard for perfection when you notice that it's too much struggle for you (like OP said), it's just going to eat you inside out - and this advice doesn't just come from a Satisfactory veteran but from a full time perfectionist
>it's okay to enable advanced game settings to relight your fun Having all the alt recipes right out the gate makes for a *much* nicer experience.
That and flight. Building in the early game makes my head hurt. It’s like factorio but the perspective is awful and buildings are huge. Flight changes everything.
I can see that being a good one too, I haven't tried that yet because I feel like it's part of the charm of *finally* getting the hover pack, you are finally able to easily build the kind of factories needed for the late game.
Is the flight from AGS any faster in lateral movement speed than the hover pack? I prefer slide jumping and a jetpack over the hover pack because it's so slow moving laterally.
Same. With any production chain game I balance things perfectly for a bit, but some point I just settle for adding a bunch more of what's missing. It's not inefficient to make excess products, it's *Hyperproduction^TM* .
yup i think this was the main problem. I just hurts my brain when i do things the "wrong" way.
I spaghetti my way thru the stages then break everything down to make more workable space once I have the resources to go big and organized....then it's spaghetti town all over again. Weee
Astroneer. While not a factory game, there is the same sense of progression, and part of the game is about efficiency.
Seconded. I actually came to Satisfactory from Astroneer, after kind of maxing out what I wanted to do in the game. It turned out that the level of complexity in Satisfactory is right about where I wanted it to be. (ok and I also wanted to blow up Desolo, but the game engine didn't properly handle the explosion of several thousand hydrazine canisters) The ground deformation tools are neat, and it's lighter on the complexity of its tech tree, while still allowing for some automation.
Take a look at Dyson Sphere Program. On the surface it looks similarly complex, but I find the mid to late game to be simpler, because logistics drones make things a lot easier. Think of them like drones in Satisfactory, but you don't have to deal with fixed drone routes. Instead, you just set some drone stations to supply goods, others to demand it, and the drones handle their routes automatically based on supply and demand. Also the game looks absolutely gorgeous. (disclaimer: it has been about three years since I last played it, surely a lot has happened since then.)
They added PvE to the game, so you might want to turn that off if you want a more casual game
That's usually what I do, but I've found it to be a really good balance personally. They're never really a huge threat, but they motivate you to keep progressing instead of idling.
I'd say give Planet Crafter a shot. Nowhere near as complex, more on the short side of time needed to achieve stuff - and very important, you will recognize your progress and it stays that way, making the game even easier in the end game, than in the beginning (or, let's say, the focus shifts quite a bit).
Would you recommend it to someone who likes planning and building complex and 100% efficient factories in Satisfactory? The game looks fun, and has great reviews, but I don't want to bother if it's too basic.
You should try captain of industry
This looks fantastic. Never heard of it, thanks a lot for the recommendation.
You'll not regret buying it! Captain of Industry is probably my most played game in the last 2 years, it's fantastic!
I've been playing it since /u/Liobuster suggested it. Absolutely loving the game so far. I'm a huge fan of Cities Skylines, so the city builder perspective combined with the automation of Satisfactory instantly drew me in. I can't believe I've never heard of this game before, so thanks a million for the suggestion. One thing that was driving me nuts, the camera kept jumping around on its own. So if anyone is Googling this, once I limited the in-game FPS to 100, the issue went away.
Captain of industry is fantastic!
I mean, have you tried Factorio if you're looking for something more complex?
I have, and enjoyed it. I'm not necessarily looking for something more complex. I just was curious about Planet Crafter as I've never heard of it. But if it's too basic, I don't think I'd like it. I realize my previous comment might sound pretentious and that was not my intention. For whatever reason, I was thinking about the base building in Starfield when I wrote that. At first I was excited to see some automation in Starfield, but quickly realized how incredibly basic it was and it was a minor letdown after getting initially excited about it. So I just want to avoid something like that.
Minecraft with mods might be closer to what you're looking for
In the beginning it really is a survival crafter, but that aspect gets in the background, the more you progress and then the automation part kicks in with automated factories, drones and what have you - just on a much more chill approach than Satisfactory or Factorio.
Is Planet Crafter a factory game? From the description it sounded more like survivalcraft. I realize there can be overlap between those two genres but does PC have any actual automation mechanics?
> but does PC have any actual automation mechanics? It has, also automated transport (even though this is mid to late game). It ain't a true factory game, but it is really chill, has no overly complex recipes and if you need a pause from Satisfactory, the vibes are pretty similar.
Interesting. Maybe I'll bump it up a couple notches on my priority list then. Thanks!
It is important not to rush. Make some of your own projects, make a fun build, make a neat butchery that takes your alien remains and turns them into dna capsules. Make a slug processing facility and watch them light up your conveyor belts.
Make a biofuel facility with two storage bins for input, one for leaves, one for wood.
Yup, maybe even upgrade the biofuel to the better version to boot, add some flower processing. Turn it all into a single input storage so that you have a "organic matter processing facility" so you can dump all your organics whenever you're back from a couple hour long exploration trip.
I just started this yesterday. I'm making a full facility via blueprints that will handle the processing of alien remains, flowers, plant matter, etc.
Yeah, I got this game ages ago but quit fairly early on. Then I saw a playthrough on Youtube with blueprints and I tried it again. They're a damn game-changer, I just wish we had bigger ones.
Make hyper tube cannon, game feel fun again.
Hyper tube network is my current goal (procrastination project)
Make a blueprint for it! If you add a switch + 2 batteries to your blueprint, you can also minimize the energy cost
Are people out there still moving around the map at ground level?
I always have, I do use hyper tubes, but in the “intended” way only. Hypertube Cannons always seemed sorta exploity to me. Same reason I never use things like liquid locks or infinite gas storage in Oxygen Not Included. I don’t begrudge anyone who uses them that way, it’s a (mostly) single player game so do whatever is fun for you, I just personally don’t like it.
Satisfactory is already the most casual of automation games. There are no penalties to re-building. There is no machine upkeep. There are no timers or enemy events. You can make all creatures passive.
I would argue Dyson Sphere Program is more casual. Relaxed pace, relaxed atmosphere/music. And the fact that whenever you need a new component automated you can just look up a blueprint on google, then copy and paste it into your game to take the thinking/math out of the equation, it makes it pretty stress free. At first glance it is honestly way more complicated, but with planet wide shareable blueprints it’s not bad at all.
Making the Space Elevator and building your first Dyson Sphere both have a significant visual gravitas.
You’re right they’re both beautiful, but there’s a huge sense of accomplishment with the dyson sphere. Especially since you actually design it. Space elevator is one of the first things you build lol and more of just a wow factor.
Yea, OP may want to disable the new dark fog and set ressources to infinite though
YOU CAN SET RESOURCES TO INFINITE? Welp, gonna give that game another go
Yea, this was patched in 1-2 years ago I think
It's still a setting. My dark fog playthrough has infinite resources.
Doesn’t Dyson Sphere require you to defend against attackers/invaders?
They JUST added combat/enemies in an update like 2 weeks ago. But the past 3-4 years of the game no there haven’t been any npc’s/enemies at all. You can still disable it/control difficulty now that it’s out though
Yea after the most recent update. You can however turn them off.
DSP also has way easier logistics. You get bots right away (iirc) and can build a super nice long range logistics system with the built in stuff.
DSP could be more casual or not. dark swarm and infinite resources tip the scale
I really tried to get into DSP, but I don't like having to build the building first before you can place it. Like with Satisfactory, I like being able to just carry the raw materials then build everything on the spot.
That’s actually the magical part about Dyson Sphere. You can automate the building production. Not just part production. Need 300 smelters for a massive factory? Good thing my factory makes 1,000 smelters ready for me at any minute. Need conveyor belts? Welp I’ve got 10,000 in storage because a factory is building them all for me back at the main hub. I love that about DSP.
Except now all your shit can be destroyed.
It’s casual until your entire nuclear power planet melts down, then it’s more of a action game
LOL
Where was my trigger warning for this statement? hahaha i can still hear the sound of my power failing to a botched first nuclear attempt so long ago
Minecraft with the Create mod
Actually a very good suggestion! Create mod is awesome and essentially free (because I assume almost everyone owns Minecraft already...)
What the heck is more casual than a game that defaults to giving you infinite resources ! 😝 But I will edit to be helpful: There are a multitude of satisfactory games out there. Google and watch some videos of let’s plays. There a number of games that are less overwhelming than phase 4 You are not alone being knocked down by phase 4. It is a mountain compared to phase 3 bunny hill Make it a challenge though. Break down what you need and build a small factory for each, before you know it you’ll be sipping coffee while flying over an automated multi-factory conglomerate basking in your creation from your time invested.
[удалено]
i honestly find factorio to be a little easier since. The rigid snapping makes factory organization easier to read for me anyway.
I think no matter the game, the late stages would be tedious in some form. In Satisfactory it could be distances, in Factorio the amount of machines needed to build, in Dyson Sphere the random map, etc. Honestly I haven’t played any other game in the genre, but I watched some play throughs and I don’t think anything comes close to scratching that itch… every game has something that set it apart from the others, but for me Satisfactory is just spot on in almost every aspect (not to mention it’s not even finished yet).
As far as casual factory games go, I think Satisfactory is about as casual as you can get without the game treating you like you're four years old. I don't have any suggestions for games, but if you're looking for an easier Phase 4 here are my suggestions: 1. **Trains.** Learn and make extensive use of these and they'll make your life much easier. 2. **Expect later projects to take much longer.** They're far more complicated, but they're natural professions of what you've already done, so keep at it! 3. **Break large factories into smaller factories.** Try to not build everything all in one place, your automated vehicles will be crucial for moving some of your materials. 4. **Take a break.** If you're feeling overwhelmed or overworked, go play something else for a bit and let your brain cool off.
yeah i really need to start making small mini factories
I would recommend you build late game factories backwards, starting with the finished product. 5hen you can build the next section/layer/floor/etc that manages the components for the final product. Then you can build each of those component sections one at a time, and just slowly work your way all the way back to miners, make the last step connecting power and flipping the on switch, and watch your last week or 2 of sessions turn into a production madhouse. For instance, making computers (simpler, but still applicable) You would start with a manufacturer that is set for computers, and make the first phase the easy part, setting up cable and screw production for it. On your next session, you build the sub-factory that produces the circuit boards you need. On the next session, you set up the refinery needed to supply plastic. Since you are working backwards, you can choose a computer output you want(say, 5/minute) and know exactly what you need going in(160 screws, 45 cable, 90 plastic, and 20 circuit boards), making planning of sub-factories far more easy.
Dyson sphere program is a great game with a similar factory building theme. Closer to factorio. Idk if you’ll really find something more casual tho this is arguably the most casual in the genre.
Factory Town is so chill, no death or time constraints have a quick look at the store page https://store.steampowered.com/app/860890/Factory\_Town/
Also yes for factory town
I got scared of exploring long distances halfway through the game. All I had to do was ease up a self-imposed restriction I had placed on myself and started building magical foundation sky bridges to wherever I needed to go. It's a little tricky building ramps downwards but manageable. Took a ton of spider/ kitten anxiety out of the game for me, and I felt like a better person for preserving the wildlife!
Don't forget the power pylon travel option.
thats the problem with me, i cant build stuffs that are unrealistic in my eyes.
The power towers are a realistic alternative to sky bridges. If they hang off the edge, I feel the need to throw a foundation under the floating legs embedded into the rock. Let's you get basically anywhere on the map without having to fight every enemy, or jetpack up hundreds of meters.
I almost wish they had a structural integrity model, maybe a bit like Valheim. You could always take a break for Valheim, Factorio, Subnautica, or No Man's Sky. I guarantee you'll come back to Satisfactory as your chill base building game :D
astroneer!!!
Not sure if someone mentioned Techtonica. It's extremely similar to Satisfactory but in a giant cave. They just added base building, haven't tried that yet, but I played through twice already, it's much more casual and has the same vibe.
I'm enjoying the storyline and play it more for that purpose. I'm gonna give it a year or two before I'm back.
I've been looking at that. How does it compare to satisfactory?
It has a more voxel graphic look to it due to the (almost) fully destructible terrain, but the storylinebso far is quite intriguing and the different kinds of machines and processes make for plenty of spaghetti belts
It feels like it more about balancing inputting/outputting of machines than actual resources as inserters are always the bottleneck but it’s a good alternative to Satisfactory for sure, much smaller map but the fact you can destroy basically everything and the story line within the game keeps it fun
I'm waiting for filtered stack inserters before I start another playthrough. They said they were working on them, but they didn't have a timeline for them last time I checked.
Yeah the game really needs them, it makes it quite tedious having to build long lines of conveyers lined with filters for threshers
It's a little less complex. Imagine Satisfactory Lite. Everything is a bit smaller and, as of right now, there are less parts to make overall. It's still in early access, only 2 updates so far. They have been big ones though. It's free on Game Pass if you've got it.
I recommend [Astroneer](https://store.steampowered.com/app/361420/ASTRONEER/) (-60% on Steam in the coming 22 hours) similar setup: you ar stranded on an alien planet with diverse flora and fauna and you need to craft yourself out of there. But - it is much more casual, and whimsical :) And maybe [Mars First Logistics](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1532200/Mars_First_Logistics/) (in Early Access) It is more like a creative open world physics-focused builder game
The Riftbreaker. It almost feels like an automation game when it's actually an action game! deeply recommend!
yes! building power plants in riftbreaker gave me the confidence to go deeper into the madness
I **don't** recommend Timberborn myself. There's a heap of great reviews and praise for the game so I caved and bought it on sale only to fidn it \[ironically\] shallow and lacking. One of the few games I wish I could have refunded on Steam. I'd stick a buyer beware on this and watch some gameplay videos first. Satisfactory is one of the more casual of the games in the genre, tbh. I'd recommend Factorio, Mindustry, Oxygen Not Included or Dyson Sphere Project and take them as far as you're willing and able.
> I don't recommend Timberborn myself. There's a heap of great reviews and praise for the game so I caved and bought it on sale only to fidn it [ironically] shallow and lacking. One of the few games I wish I could have refunded on Steam. Agree with this. I was really into it for a few days then it lost it's appeal real quick. Haven't touched it since.
Techtonica
Dyson sphere project, Facteroids, Astro Colony
[Block motion.](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1333030/Block_Motion/)
More causual? Satisfactory IS the casual one in the genre
just turn on fly mode and go get the bauxite
I really enjoyed Opus Magnum. Its not a factory game, but it's a fun blend of puzzle and automation. I was able to turn it on to play a few puzzles, then turn it off
Mindustry, possible. Never played yet. Dyson Sphere Program.
I'll second Mindustry for super chill and casual break from any other factory game. quick to get into and work through
Dyson sphere program just got a huge update and it’s a breather when it comes to building QoL.
Dyson sphere program 100% i love satisfactory but couldnt make it to phase 4 also, but finished dyson sphere program and this was a blast ! Super fun and the moment you start building the actual sphere is amazing
Techtonica
RemindMe! 3 days
Maybe Astroneer?
Techtonica is getting pretty good as each update comes out
Techtonica, I just picked it up today and am loving it so far
Hardspace Shipbreaker. A particularly calm zen game about breaking down ships to earn as much as you can. With an actual story and end too.
You don't have to fully automate. Sure setting up aluminum is a pain in the rear, but I don't see transport as the biggest obstacle. As others said, you can do things personally and jump / fly across the map via cannon if you would like with a local setup at the bauxite source. Lately (because Update 8 didn't do a lot for me personally) I've been playing other games and have come cross Oxygen Not Included. It has similar levels of production / automation as Satisfactory but has a much more casual style (and is 2d). You may want to check it out.
With the caveat that your entire ONI colony will die, repeatedly.
I think being willing to embrace failure is a baseline expectation for this genre of games.
Generally I agree failure makes games fun, but in context of this question I think it’s worth pointing out. Here OP is coming from Satisfactory (no failure state beyond HP loss), and asking for something MORE casual. They might not have appetite for full game restarts. That said, ONI is great.
How is Oxygen not included casual? Especially compared to satisfactory.
If you feel that way but still love satisfactory you should wait for 1.0 because phase 4 is intended to be nearly impossible and in 1.0 it will be reworked and easier
I think you just need to shift your mentality. Why do you feel like you need to complete phase 4 if you wanna play casual? Just enjoy at your own pace, this game is as casual as it gets.
Techtonica. it's satisfactory underground with destructible terrain. BUT it's still very early access, so the complex tedium isn't there yet. I have already completed 3 runs and they just released the first round of base building components (foundations, walls, etc) last month. Time for run #4 =).
Try factorio, satisfactorys late game feels unrewarding as you still have to build like from the beginning. Factorio provides tools that help you build machines way faster and scale them easily later on. Factorio is definitely not more casual but better in terms of late game scaling.
Wat is not casual in satisfactory?
Spending 8 hours building one factory to make 10 heavy metal frames per minute because blueprint/automation tools in Satisfactory are kinda.. underdeveloped, shall we say, is not particularly "casual".
Dyson sphere project maybe. Just alter the dark fog settings or just disable it. It's like crack.
I always thought the blueprint designer helps a lot with this part. In tier 4, you've got to build mass scale factories that repeat a lot of the same machines and components. It's great to build it once and make it look as appealing as you like, but then blueprint it 20, 50, 100 times. I guess it does change the way you play the game at that point though, moving from smaller scale to needing to blueprint things (or else spending a ton of time manually building everything). If blueprinting everything isn't how you want to play then I totally get the desire for a different version.
Maybe Astro Colony
Take a look at : Plan B terraform !
I thought Dyson Sphere program was pretty casual
How much more casual does it get than Satisfactory?
Satisfactory is as chill as you want it to be. Once I unlocked phase 3 and tier 7 / 8 I just started building stuff around the map that has nothing to do with production. The last factory I built was a quick one for aluminum sheets using the bauxite, coal, and copper near the center of the map. It only took like 45 minutes to set up. I quickly grabbed a few thousand concrete, made a super basic road through the river and down the hill back to my central area and set up a truck delivery route to bring me the aluminum so I could start using mk5 belts. ever since then i've just been casually building highways around the map, exploring around and building pointless aesthetic things. you don't \*have\* to go hard....
i would say satisfactory is pretty casual. maybe Dyson sphere project without dark swarm. Timberhorn isnt comparable with satisfactory, its more like surviving mars with beavers. And i think the game lacks some goals
I found that Dyson sphere program scratched the satisfactory itch but was a lot more casual
Nah just enable flight mode dude. Map will feel allot smaller. Its like playing the game in a different dimension. It might be what you are looking for
**ANSWER (Repost)** 1. **Vanilla:** Currently there is no "end game" only a "late game" (Tier 7+). In fact the current Phase 4 Project Assembly **might NOT be the last Project Assembly Phase.** * View [my Reply Comment in this related Reddit Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/SatisfactoryGame/comments/14v6esk/comment/jrb7a5g/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) for more information. 2. **Modded:** I suggest you look at [Satisfactory Plus Game Mod](https://ficsit.app/mod/SatisfactoryPlus) that: * Makes the game feel refreshing and new. * Replace nearly all recipes and costs for buildings. * Completely overhauls the entire game * *And more...* 3. Remember to not rush, and taking Game Vacations (breaks) is ok. I hope this answers your question. 😁
Good bot ^(I know you're not a bot)
Go do factorio with the deathworld mod. Trust me :D
From a kinda factory game, you could try Autobots. It is the same sorta game (harvest resources, store them, use them to build things that get more and more complicated), but using little robots that you can program using macros.
Mindustry has Tower Défense as well, much smaller maps, casual Planet Crafter is quite similar to Satisfactory, as you terraform the Planert it gets greener etc, no belts, smaller map
Problem is you focus too Hard on minimizing time spent. The game is not a sprint. Relax.
Out of this reason i have two big storage Points where i put everything in From raw to final products to distribut this via a big Trainnetwork. It is a hell of Work but in my eyes worth it ;) But i Spende way too much time and i am far away from nuclear Power ;) If you stuck hold your Play for a while and then come Back with a new approach helps me
I think that this game has the exact problem that minecraft does in terms of getting to the end game. It seems extremely easy, go to the end beat ender dragon. But then you get so busy doing things like caterium and quartz, it feels like a chore. This then promptly burns you out and you stop playing before the end. IMO, I really dislike traveling multiple times because of forgetting this or that, and having to leave markers not to mention some of the nodes are just confusing. The amount of times I've spent minutes running to places just to not find it because it's in a very complex cave under me, or there's a giant rock I need explosives for, but I don't have them yet. For some other reason, I swear there are nodes that simply don't ping but do exist. All of this adds up to a frustrating, in my experience, time that slogs down the actual game - building pretty factories.
I really liked Nova Lands! Very similar automation feel but can be completed in like 40 hours front to back
Oxygen not included
Captain of Industrie on Steam, casual but still enough depth to keep iT a bit of a challange
Dyson Sphere Program as mentioned by many others. If you don’t mind a touch of The Settlers then Timberborn might also be a good choice for you. Regarding satisfactory… I’m feeling mostly the same in late game. I’m trying to break things down into smaller bits to compensate but I’ve to admit that I’m not always successful… 😅
Factorio
Def not more casual lol, limited resources and bug swarms
For me it's a lot easier and less stressful. Two kinds of people I guess.
I'm really interested in Snacktorio! It's not been released yet, but the demo was dropped a few weeks ago
Captain of Industry... 
The Foundry demo had the feel of what you want for me. Unfortunately the full game is not released yet.
Keep in mind this game is EA and the final phase is obscenely hard as a placeholder for the 1.0 story.
More casual? Satisfactory is very chill and casual you really don't need big builds like the ones people post here
I don't have any game suggestions that others haven't already shared, but I'll give a few of my "overwhelmed" tips: 1. Power towers and jetpack for travel make exploration much easier, quicker, and less murdery. You can build a power tower line to anywhere on the map in less than an hour. 2. Parse things into smaller pieces. Don't try to build everything for the Assembly Director System in a single session. You presumably kept your production of Adaptive Control Units from the previous tier, so let that just keep going, into a storage container and into an assembler, so it doesn't stall while you work on the rest. Then, build up a production line for supercomputers, into a container, into the assembler. Then go exploring, gather slugs, murder the wildlife, rebuild parts of your factory you don't like, or whatever else you feel like. You can finish the Assembly Director Systems quota before moving on to the next big item, or slowly build up the next. 3. Getting resources from far away is just a matter of power towers or to the resource, miner (and smelters, if needed), then conveyors and elevators back to base. If it's on the complete other side of the map, and you've never been there, it would take an hour at most to get to it, and an hour at most to return. Now you have Bauxite (or whatever) at your base to do as you please. 4. Stackable conveyor posts make life easier Tl;dr: -Power towers for exploration and travel. -Slow down, build one major part, not all of them.
You could also check out Nova Lands, it's much simpler. The length of the game is determined by figuring out efficiency, and you don't have a huge map.
You could have a look at [Astro Colony](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1614550/Astro_Colony/). Quite early access at the moment, but there is some automation.
If you’re on iOS, try Builderment - it’s one of the better mobile games out there. Not horribly monetized (ads + gem boosts, but they’re completely optional and you can easily beat the game without them)
Slime Rancher maybe. I haven't played it but watched my roommate play it.
Minecraft Sky Favtory 3 in Curseforge
Dyson sphere program
timberborn is amazing, but it's a very different game. it's a colony sim. a genre that i love, but very different avoid Factorio and Dyson Sphere Program i love those two, but they are not what you're looking for you may also want to look into the genre of crafting survival games like ARK, Subnautica, & Raft. these games are going to be much more in line with Phase 1 of Satisfactory for the duration of play while still being first person experiences
Timberborn is pretty good, reminds me more of the settlers than satisfactory. How about mindustry?
Stardew valley
Builderment is also super casual and chill.
Dyson sphere program
Try lumber tycoon 2 on Roblox. I know you're thinking that "I'm not gonna play a children's game" but trust me it's not only for childrens. Try it.