It’s Factorio, and it’s pretty good at giving you little dopamine hits as you complete smaller automation goals and expand.
As for people who play “work” games in their free time, the joy is often that they’re doing it on their own terms. It’s like how some car mechanics have a restoration/project car at home, or professional programmers make their own things.
For me, it’s like how people played with train sets in the 40s.
You’re just watching the system go. You fix some things here and there. There’s no reward, besides intrinsic dopamine boosts. And little to no failure. Except from outsiders who mock it.
It’s factorio, a game where the goal is take raw materials from a planet you crash landed on and eventually process them into parts to build a rocket off the planet. There are a lot of intermediate steps to get there of course, and while it is possible to craft straight out of the inventory, automation is practically required in order to actually process everything required in your lifetime.
I’d like to add that this game feels very polished and accessible, thanks to its developers. There’s also a free demo which got me absolutely hooked (and a very reasonable price for the full game)
It’s also the only game I’m aware to have a “never goes on sale” stance from the developers. So if you like it, there’s never a reason to wait for a sale.
I’m also fascinated. I think a big part of it is coming home to tasks that are low stakes, guaranteed solvable and made fun to solve.
Gives some much needed stimulation of your job is to solve complex tasks which are high stakes, not guaranteed solvable and which require lots of effort for little reward.
It has always fascinated me that people come home eager to play digital work simulations for recreation.
I don’t know this game though. So maybe this is off topic.
It’s Factorio, and it’s pretty good at giving you little dopamine hits as you complete smaller automation goals and expand.
As for people who play “work” games in their free time, the joy is often that they’re doing it on their own terms. It’s like how some car mechanics have a restoration/project car at home, or professional programmers make their own things.
For me, it’s like how people played with train sets in the 40s.
You’re just watching the system go. You fix some things here and there. There’s no reward, besides intrinsic dopamine boosts. And little to no failure. Except from outsiders who mock it.
It’s factorio, a game where the goal is take raw materials from a planet you crash landed on and eventually process them into parts to build a rocket off the planet. There are a lot of intermediate steps to get there of course, and while it is possible to craft straight out of the inventory, automation is practically required in order to actually process everything required in your lifetime.
I’d like to add that this game feels very polished and accessible, thanks to its developers. There’s also a free demo which got me absolutely hooked (and a very reasonable price for the full game)
It’s also the only game I’m aware to have a “never goes on sale” stance from the developers. So if you like it, there’s never a reason to wait for a sale.
I’m also fascinated. I think a big part of it is coming home to tasks that are low stakes, guaranteed solvable and made fun to solve.
Gives some much needed stimulation of your job is to solve complex tasks which are high stakes, not guaranteed solvable and which require lots of effort for little reward.
not to mention that the tools at your disposal for stuff like this makes the job easier instead of harder. it’s like only the fun parts of the job.
i have an acquaintance who’s a farmer and plays faming sim on his off hours.
Autonomy coupled with genuine interest in the subject.