And do you know what’s one of the best construction and management simulation games? It’s Factorio! Wait? Have you played Factorio before? Then try out these ten other best games like Factorio to get the excitement and have fun!
Are you bored of playing battle royale games or action games? Or is it just too crude for your brain? Are you looking for something that will undoubtedly ignite your mind and get you in the zone?
A game that is all about strategy? A game that deals with creating things and investments? Then the genre of the kind game that you might be looking for is called ‘construction and management simulation game.’
Exciting Factorio Like Games To Play In 2020 & Beyond
1. Prison Architect
Prison Architect takes construction and management games to the next level. And by level, we mean a maximum security level prison. We’re talking a jail filled with the worst among the worst and equally terrifying prison wardens!
What’s your job description among all of this? Guess what? You own the prison. Create the prison; design it to your liking; upgrade your prison; expand and generate revenue by creating the most secure and inescapable prison ever built.
Find the chance to test your prison’s integrity as prisoners frequently try to escape. Every failure will motivate you, and every success will fill you with satisfaction and, more importantly, hard cash!
But it does not end there. Remember the prison wardens? Yeah, never forget them. In case you do, they will revolt. The same goes for the prisoners as well. It is equally important that you keep both the prisoners and wardens satisfied.
This game like Factorio comes in two modes: a story mode and an escape mode. Join Edward in his quest to escape, with Story mode. But if you want to go all Sylvester Stallone (like in Escape Plan), try to avoid from your creation with Escape mode.
Top Features
- Two modes to play in
- Create your own prison and test its security
- Run your own economy
- Engaging
- Involves strategy making and problem-solving
2. Human Resource Machine
So do you fancy working in Information Technology? Some people say that work at Information Technology is quite hectic, especially for ‘em programmers. Pity them. But what if programming became fun?
What if programming became something exciting like a puzzle? You may be laughing right now, thinking that all of this is nonsense. But guess what? The people at Tomorrow Corporation just did the unthinkable!
They designed a puzzle game that involves all those zeros and ones that you use in programming. Human Resource Machine is a game the very game that makes super programming fun and super engaging.
You’re an office worker, and your office is a computer. It has an inbox and an outbox. Your boss gives you a task that you need to complete to move on, and you use programming to this; programming via drag and drop commands.
Start with two commands and make your way all up to eleven commands. Master basic programming with this game and don’t worry, you don’t need to have prior exposure with programming to play this game. It is all the essential exposure you will need for real-life basic programming!
Top Features
- Engaging
- Programming skills
- Educational
- Involves logical reasoning
- Funny animations
Human Resource Machine For Android
Human Resource Machine For iOS Devices
3. Blueprint Tycoon
Now, are you looking for the ultimate management game? A game that is a virtual monopoly but more engaging and more straightforward? A game more grounded towards reality?
Blueprint Tycoon is one of the best literal construction & management games and Factorio alternatives as well. The game involves: gathering raw materials, creating a commodity, and selling them to a contractor for a profit. Run your settlement from your earnings.
But what makes this game stand out from other construction and management games is that in Blueprint Tycoon, you have to pay the workers whom you have hired to gather raw materials and craft commodities.
And if any of your tools or machines break, you need to bear the costs of it — research new products to manufacture and put up in the market for sale. This Factorio like game is an abridged Masters of Bussiness Administration course.
Blueprint Tycoon is the ultimate simulated experience for those among you who aspire to become businesspeople. Learn how colonies are built and expand your reach. The more the workers, the more the profit!
Top Features
- Construction and management
- Build an economy
- Run your own virtual firm
- Invest and reap profits
- Colonize and expand
4. Mini Metro
Urban planning is an actual job. This similar game like Factorio involves planning where to conduct constructions based on several criteria, but the main focus is to ensure that resources are available and accessible.
There are many city-building games. Those are quite common. But what about a game that is all about transportation. And by transportation, we are referring to the metro railway system.
Mini Metro is a game where players need to draw metro rail routes and connect various destination stations. Better connectivity between stations means that more of the non-playable characters will come to travel by rail; i.e., more metro rail lines are equal to more metro train commuters.
But another challenge is that one should also ensure that the metro rail line does not cause the metro trains to delay. This game is metro urban planning at its best. Play from three unique modes: a Normal mode, an Endless mode (sandbox mode), and an Extreme mode (high difficulty mode).
But don’t expect the gameplay to be all easy and smooth as you will face harsh and hectic situations like sudden crowds inside the metro stations and the like.
Top Features
- Three game modes: Normal mode, Endless mode, and Extreme mode
- 20 real-world cities to make metro urban planning for
- Construction and management
- Engaging and compelling
5. Big Pharma
Not to be confused with the real pharmaceutical company, Big Pharma is one of those construction and management automation games like Factorio.
It’s about owning a drug company, expanding the product line, and marketing the drug. What’s weird is that it exhibits a very unnerving similarity with what could be happening in the real world.
You are required to create campaigns to promote your drug among the populace. This includes convincing them that they are sick and hence need your wonder drug. It may seem a bit too dark, but that’s just how business generally is.
This is a highly competitive game similar to Factorio that requires a large amount of logical reasoning and strategizing. It has quite simple graphics but very complex gameplay.
Top Features
- Complex gameplay
- Competitive and challenging
- Business management
- Two modes to play: custom mode and free-build mode
- Play in 7 different scenarios
6. Dig-N-Rig
Dig-N-Rig is a 2D game created by Digipen. This Factorio substitute game can bring about a lot of nostalgia for all of those 80’s or 90’s gamers because the game design is constructed with 8-bit animation.
The game requires the player to dig for minerals and construct conveyors to transport the minerals to the rig. Yes! The gameplay is simple enough, but trust us, that’s what makes this game addicting. This is the best game for those who enjoy puzzle-based games mixed with some adventure.
The game involves a lot of strategy making and logical reasoning. You need to expand your rig, make money (as it costs to install a conveyor unit), and make sure to expand your wifi range (so that you can control your robot drill at lower levels).
Top Features
- Simple gameplay
- Logical reasoning
- Nostalgic
- Challenging
- Construction and Management game
7. OpenTTD (Transport Tycoon Deluxe)
Open TTD (Transport Tycoon Deluxe) is like version 2.0 of the original game ‘Transport Tycoon.’ If you are wondering what Transport Tycoon Deluxe is a construction and management game that involves a whole lot of urban planning.
Construct buildings, roads, and railroads. Try to run your own city! This open-world game like Factorio has no limits and is quite engaging.
Upgrades in Open TTD, from the classic, include bigger maps, advanced functions, more stable multiplayer mode, better graphics, and more game units to construct. The game involves a lot of strategizing, planning and executing. Build the ultimate metropolitan city!
Top Features
- Create complex patterns
- Advanced functions
- Engaging
- Urban planning
- Multiplayer mode
8. SpaceChem
Are you looking for a puzzle game laced with science fiction? A little something to tease the scientific mind in you? SpaceChem is an addictive design-based puzzle game.
Take on the role of a Reactor Engineer. As a reactor engineer, construct factories to create valuable chemical products from raw materials.
Challenge yourselves to meet production quotas, and to add a bit more spice to your gaming experience, battle aliens that try to attack your factory.
SpaceChem comes with more than 50 of the most challenging puzzles. Travel to various planets and solve tough puzzles to not only craft ‘em chemicals but also to trigger the defense mechanisms that protect your production line from the invading aliens.
The game grows tougher as you pass each level. So get ready for some high octane, mind-boggling, brain-teasing puzzles and get excitement from this Factorio alternative.
Top Features
- Puzzle-based
- Competitive leader board
- Challenging
- Sci-fi theme
- Basic chemistry and programming
9. Towns
Are you bored with plain city or town building games? Are you looking for something new and fascinating in the same genre? Then ladies and gentlemen, what you need is Towns!
Do not judge the name all too quickly because of its name; Towns is a town cum dungeon construction and management game.
Are you bored playing the hero in most other games? Well, Towns is quite different in that aspect as the player owns and runs a town that caters for heroes who want to go on adventures in its dungeons.
It is one of the excellent games like Factorio where you can expand your town and craft unique weapons to sell to heroes. Protect your town from evil forces that do not like the business you are running.
Top Features
- Town building
- Expand your town and dungeon
- Craft weapons to sell
- Battle evil forces
- Unique gameplay experience
10. Infinifactory
What is SpaceChem was 3D? From the creators of SpaceChem comes ‘Infinifactory’! Infinifactory is a sandbox puzzle game that involves designing and running factories, manufacturing products, and trying not to unleash the wrath of your alien overlords!
Apart from the sandbox mode, this Factorio like game also comes with a story mode. Yup! It comes with more than 50 puzzles and is just as challenging as SpaceChem.
Top Features
- 3D graphics
- Puzzle-based
- Challenging
- Sci-fi theme
- Two modes to play: Sandbox mode and Story mode
Also Read – Games Like RimWorld
Wrapping Up
Each of these games like Factorio is at a league of its own. While they may share similarities with Factorio, they are different with respect to their theme. Choose the one that best matches your interests.
Take a break from all those generic actions, turn-based, adventure, and battle-royale games; try out something new for a spiced up gaming experience. You may share your thoughts about this article with me!