What is the anti-Factorio?

October 20, 2022 4:29 PM

I tried Factorio and was pretty "meh" about it, esp. since the core drive seems to be to obliterate everything natural and turn the entire landscape into a factory. What are some good (fun, interesting) games about restoring nature?

I've already tried and gotten bored with both Green Project (very samey, at least when I last played it) and Planet Crafter (samey, feels a bit aimless, the lore and landscape both don't much interest me), and the demo for Terra Nil looks like what I'd be into except it has more of a puzzle angle and it's easy to make a series of wrong choices causing you to have to restart a stage.
I guess maybe I'm looking for casual play, a large (potentially, eventually) diverse landscape, various paths to victory, and maybe the chief obstacle/investment could be your willingness to invest time. I guess I don't know how to gamify all that and make something compelling; if I did I'd probably be trying to make the game myself.

I'm well aware that what I'm looking for might not even exist. (I'm also aware of the irony of playing a videogame about restoring nature rather than starting a garden plot and a compost bin. I don't have a yard [or kids, or a car] and I last flew maybe six or seven years ago, and I feel certain that Google or Facebook could do more to address climate change in the next six months than I could in the rest of my life, so I feel like pointed comments on the matter might not get the desire effect).

If you have suggestions, I'd welcome them.

posted by johnofjack to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (12 answers total)

A decade old and side scrolling, but Waking Mars is a really fun side scrolling exploration platformer, where you plant seeds and restore life to Martian caves. Not exactly what you're asking but its pretty great.

https://kotaku.com/this-game-is-about-gardening-on-mars-its-way-cooler-th-5893130
posted by kittensofthenight at 4:35 PM on October 20, 2022 [4 favorites]

A little bit different but what about something like Stardew Valley?
posted by robcorr at 4:41 PM on October 20, 2022 [1 favorite]

I wonder if some answers to this question might suit you?
posted by Glinn at 4:52 PM on October 20, 2022 [2 favorites]

This is a bit out of left field but your question made me think of Rain World, because it's basically about learning to exist in an ecosystem in what could be the ruined remains of a Factorio run. Completely different style of game, and it's also very difficult and quite obtuse. But it's also super rewarding and beautiful.

In a sense, it's the anti-Factorio in that it so thoroughly eschews gamification and giving the player control over their environment.
posted by ropeladder at 5:23 PM on October 20, 2022 [1 favorite]

oooh you should play flower, it's beautiful and relaxing, and is absolutely about restoring nature.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 5:45 PM on October 20, 2022 [2 favorites]

Seconding flower! It’s the perfect answer. only downside is it’s very short.
posted by ejs at 8:16 PM on October 20, 2022

Maybe not exactly what you are looking for, but Dorfromantik is a low stakes strategy/puzzle game about rotating and placing tiles which builds out a landscape.
posted by hankscorpio83 at 8:48 PM on October 20, 2022 [1 favorite]

Oooo! Cloud Gardens! You are presented with an apocalyptic broken landscape and must plant flowers and trees and vines to cover it. Calm and beautiful music (same artist who did Kingdom, which I highly recommend as well), and the levels are short and pretty. You can change the angles, the lighting, and there are so many levels and different plants and strategies. I've played about 17 hours so far and have not gotten bored.
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:06 AM on October 21, 2022 [2 favorites]

Equilinox may be what you're looking for.
posted by Meagan at 6:36 AM on October 22, 2022

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I've downloaded Dorfromantik and Cloud Gardens and will try the others after (except for Stardew Valley, which I've already played through a couple times--not a bad suggestion, though!).

I'll post back later.
posted by johnofjack at 12:54 PM on October 22, 2022 [1 favorite]

Some that I can think of that might be in the ballpark:

• Alba: a Wildlife Adventure - helping to restore nature and wildlife is basically the point of this game.
• Chicory: A Colorful Tale - the world has been wiped of color and you're tasked with filling it back in. Part digital coloring book, part puzzler, and has a narrative I really enjoyed.
• Fix Fox - you're fixing unconventional machines with unconventional tools in a world inhabited by robots.

posted by Aleyn at 5:05 PM on October 23, 2022

This may not be the style of game you’re looking for, but I just started replaying Okami and realized this is what the entire game is about. I still get such positive feelings from the sounds associated with varuous nature restoration tasks in the game.
posted by brook horse at 5:54 PM on October 26, 2022