Techtonica is a first-person factory automation game set beneath the surface of an alien planet. Work alone or in co-op to build factories, gather resources, research new technologies, mold the destructible terrain, establish a base of operations, and uncover long-forgotten secrets.

There’s no combat in this game. There are no enemies in this game. You can go anywhere and survive anything in the game. Air, food, water, no problem.

When will one of these games understand the repeated playability of survival games like 7 Days to Die, and the satisfaction of a factory game like this one? You can only build so much, of so long before you’re done and the game has nothing left to offer. Factorio and Satisfactory both have that problem, as the survival becomes trivial at later points. Right from the start though, this game doesn’t even have any sort of survival… How long before people try it, say “that’s cool,” and put it down to collect dust in their library?

The lack of a meaningful challenge in Techtonica is a significant issue that affects the game’s longevity and player engagement. While the game offers an impressive range of activities, such as building factories, gathering resources, and researching new technologies, the absence of combat and survival elements leaves players without a substantial objective to strive for.

To fix Techtonica and address the challenge it presents, the developers should consider incorporating elements of survival gameplay alongside the factory automation mechanics. By introducing threats, such as hostile creatures or environmental hazards, players would be forced to strategize and adapt their automation systems to ensure their survival. This would add a new layer of complexity and challenge to the game, making it more compelling and encouraging replayability.

However, it is essential to strike a delicate balance between survival and automation. The survival aspects should enhance the factory gameplay, rather than overshadowing or becoming tedious. The introduction of survival challenges should complement the core mechanics of building and managing factories, creating a symbiotic relationship between the two gameplay elements.

In addition to balancing survival and automation, Techtonica could benefit from the inclusion of engaging objectives. While the game currently allows players to explore, gather resources, and research technologies, setting clear goals and providing meaningful rewards would give players a sense of progression and motivation.

These objectives could be tied to uncovering the long-forgotten secrets of the alien planet or unlocking advanced technologies that expand the player’s capabilities. By providing a purpose for players to strive towards, the game would become more enticing and encourage continued play.

To address the concern of the game becoming repetitive and lacking content, Techtonica could introduce an endless challenge mode. This mode would generate procedurally generated levels with increasing difficulty, offering a continuously evolving experience for players. Each new level could present unique obstacles and require players to optimize their automation systems to overcome the challenges effectively.

By providing an endless mode, Techtonica would give players an ongoing objective and a reason to keep playing the game even after completing the initial campaign or objectives. The inclusion of leaderboards or online competitions would further enhance the replayability and foster a competitive community.

Fixing the lack of challenge in Techtonica is crucial to ensure the game’s long-term success and player engagement. By incorporating survival elements, designing engaging objectives, and implementing an endless challenge mode, the developers can transform Techtonica into a captivating and replayable experience. With these enhancements, players will have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the alien planet’s automation and survival, creating a game that stands out among the rest.