About the catalog

An independent fan catalog and review desk for factory, logistics, and automation games.

01 What this is

Automation Games is an independent, non-commercial catalog tracking the factory-building, logistics, and automation game genre. We maintain a scored, annotated index of titles — Early Access through fully shipped — so you can find exactly what you want before you commit 200 hours to it.

There are no affiliate links. There is no advertising. Every score reflects our genuine read of the genre, weighted toward depth, replayability, and respect for the player's time.

02 The rating system

Each game receives a score from 0 to 100, weighted across five dimensions:

Depth

How many distinct systems the game layers — recipes, ratios, logistics, research, power, fluid networks, belts vs. bots vs. trains. More interacting layers, higher ceiling.

Clarity

Can a player with no prior genre experience figure out what to do next? Tutorials, in-game reference tools, and the slope of the learning curve all count.

Craft

Production quality — art direction consistency, UI legibility, sound design, performance on mid-range hardware, and overall sense of intention.

Longevity

How long before a complete playthrough? Endgame content, modding support, and multiplayer all extend this. A 40-hour game can score above a 400-hour one if the 40 are excellent.

Value

Price-to-content ratio and platform availability. Free-to-play titles are evaluated on whether the monetization model interferes with factory-building enjoyment.

// Scores are our calibrated opinion, not a crowd average. We update them when games ship major updates or exit Early Access.

03 What we track

A game qualifies for the catalog if automation — the act of building systems that produce outputs without continuous player input — is a primary mechanic, not incidental. Minecraft (the base game) doesn't qualify. Create mod Minecraft does. Factorio qualifies. Stardew Valley doesn't.

We currently track 58 titles across PC, console, and mobile. We update the index as notable new releases ship.

04 Contact

Found an error in a game listing? Think we've missed a title that belongs in the index? Reach out via the community rules page for the appropriate channel.

We don't accept sponsored placements, review copies in exchange for positive coverage, or paid inclusions. The catalog is editorial.