I have a soft spot for factory games, but there’s always a thin line between “I’m enjoying this” and “I need to uninstall this before it takes over my life.” I’m curious to see where Shapez 2 will land when it launches in Early Access on August 15th.
Check out the Early Access announcement trailer released earlier this week:
In Shapez 2, like most factory games, you’ll be setting up conveyor belts to transport items between machines that will modify those items in various ways. The twist here is that instead of dealing with ores or materials, Shapez 2 focuses on… shapes. This unique approach opens up a wide range of solutions, as there are no set recipes for the objects you need to create. You’ll have machines that perform basic actions like cutting shapes, changing colors, or rotating them, and it’s up to you to figure out how to combine them.
Another intriguing aspect is that you can freely place machinery, and resources are unlimited. It leans more towards being a pure puzzle game, similar to Opus Magnum rather than Factorio. Personally, that’s right up my alley. (Ollie, who thrives in every factory imaginable, absolutely loved the Shapez 2 Next Fest demo.)
Although I missed out on the original Shapez (which has received overwhelmingly positive reviews and is currently priced at less than £1 on Steam), the move to a 3D presentation in the sequel makes it more inviting. Shapez 2 will also be available on Steam, with plans to stay in Early Access for approximately six months.
