Techtonica is a game that puts players in charge of building and operating their own factory on a rogue planet. After being left on an alien planet, players will branch out and explore the world around them from a first person perspective and while this sounds like a blast for some, this is simply a chore for those who are not interested in this genre of game. Since this game is still in Early Access, there is a lot that may change over the course of time that may make some points of this review obsolete.
Techtonica doesn’t focus heavily on a story and really sets players free to design their factory in any manner that they see fitting for the underground world. Since there are no monsters wandering about, players are able to focus solely on setting up their factory without fear of interruption by the local wildlife. This was a nice breath of fresh air from other “Base” building games since I was able to proceed in peace. Since the game has a lot of self-explanatory systems and tools, it was nice to go at my own pace without being bombarded with an overwhelming amount of information from the start. This is a flaw that a lot of simulation games tend to have and often leaves me ready to put the game down due to an overload of information as opposed to continuing my journey.
One thing that I did enjoy over the course of my time with the game is the fact that there was always something new to learn and do thanks to the ever growing tech tree. This did give me a sense of progression as I continued through the game. While the story was underwhelming for me, the sense of progression made the time spent here memorable. Thankfully the game also offers a multiplayer mode for you to build your dream factory with friends so I was able to squeeze a little more playtime out of what would have been a short experience for myself. Whether playing solo or with some friends, there is definitely some fun to be found here.
While this is a game that is easy to pick up and hard to put down for fans of the genre, there is very little for outsiders to enjoy here. Each sit down really felt like a chore and after a couple of hours, I found myself just pushing on in order to expand on my tech tree. Building the Factory was definitely a fun part of the journey but I would find myself losing interest since there was no danger or anything to keep me engaged besides the constant flow of performing research in order to continue developing my factory. I would have liked to see a mode where there was at least a little bit of a threat that would have kept me engaged since I often found myself lost in a monotonous routine here. The ability to toggle enemies on and off would have made for a wonderful addition for those who want the sense of danger that comes with having to stay aware of your surroundings for more than just resources. Unfortunately this lack of danger made it hard for me to really get invested in the world around me. While the story might have been trying to encourage me to push forward, I didn’t find it compelling enough to want to see it through to the end.
The visuals here were phenomenal and were a stronger point in my playthrough thanks to the combination of the vibrant colors from the game and the OLED screen on the updated steam deck. I was captivated by the landscape that I spent hours exploring and the music that accompanied it wasn’t too out of place either. It really made for a real serene experience and is one that I wish I could have enjoyed just a little more. A lot of my screenshots are from the early hours of the game simply because I would find myself lost in the moment in regards to building up the factory.
For those who are major fans of games such as Satisfactory, there is definitely some fun to be found here. You are given a story to work alongside and the idea of building a factory on an alien planet is a very intriguing one at best. Unfortunately for those who are jumping into this with no experience with factory building games or got roped into it due to their friend circle, this might be another game that misses the mark entirely. I could see myself picking this up on a slow weekend with some friends to pass the time but there was nothing here noteworthy that would have me diving back in as a solo player. At the time of writing this, Techtonica is available on Steam as well as Xbox series S and Series X. For those looking to get a small taste of the game, it is available via Game pass so you can find out if it is more suited for your tastes. As stated beforehand, this title is in early access so it is important to go in with that in mind. While I did not come across any major issues during my playthrough, It is important to know the state of the game since that can also be a deal breaker for some.
