Since its initial 2016 release,Factoriohas become one of the most popular indie games on Steam despite its old-school graphics and dull colors. This is likely due to the game’s addictive and evolving nature as players gradually automate the tedious processes of the game, slowly building an efficient factory that practically runs itself.
Due toFactorio’s popularity, a plethora of “factory management” and automation games have followed suit, with many offering unique experiences with distinct art styles.
Updated on June 29, 2025, by Harry Ted Sprinks:Management and automation games continue to be one of the more popular genres on Steam, arguably due to their high replay value. Games like Factorio propelled this genre even further into the mainstream, and though few have ever reached its heights, games such as Mindustry and Dyson Sphere Program get rather close. Although an abundance of games continues to take inspiration from it, Factorio itself remains a consistently updated game, with several updateshavingalreadybeen released in 2024. Hopefully, some of these Factorio-adjacent games will live up to the high standards that Factorio has set.
12Captain Of Industry - A Grounded Game Of Logistics
Steam User Rating: 93%
Captain Of Industrytasks players with building and managing a production line. Players will spend hours gathering and processing resources in order to mass produce a variety of products, with gameplay that emphasizes efficiency.
Captain Of Industry’saesthetic is relatively bland, but its theme and visuals allow it to feel more grounded. For those who are happy with a mechanics-first management game packed with logistical work,Captain Of Industryis a perfect fit, but it does little to capture the imagination.
11Dinky Guardians - Planetary Colonization And Automation
Steam User Rating: 89%
This planet-colonization game tasks players with replicating and managing colonies of “Dinkys”, a race of small, strange, pink creatures that are great for performing automated tasks. The game features a tech tree and even allows players to leave the planet to colonize new ones.
On top of creating automated machines and colonies,Dinky Guardiansallows players to set up supply chains between planets. However, players also have to worry about the night, during which they’ll be tasked with defending their bases using minefields and turrets.
This resource management puzzle game tasks players with designing and building automated kitchens by building and programming a variety of machines in order to construct the perfect production line for their restaurant.
Automacheffeatures a campaign of puzzling scenarios and a “contracts” mode, as well as a sandbox mode that allows players to freely experiment with the game’s mechanics. WhileAutomachefmay lack the depth and longevity ofFactorio, it’s certainly a worthwhile foray for those looking for more variations on automation gameplay.
This unique “word-building” game has a clear and simple art style and easy-to-learn gameplay that tasks the player with building chains of colorful factories that manipulate the letter “i” into more complex letters.
AlthoughWord Factoriis more of a puzzle game than a factory management game, it encourages players to optimize their factory chains to get higher scores. The game is fairly short but features extra goals such as challenge levels and hidden word art to keep players engaged.
This voxel-based colony-sim management game has players building andmanaging a colonythrough resource management and production lines built out of complex machinery, allowing for a unique take on the saturated colony-sim genre.
Kubifaktoriumfeatures a variety of transport systems, including trains, conveyor belts, and zeppelins that allow the player to move their resources back and forth across their colony. Furthermore, the game allows players to automate their colony’s production through automated farms, smelters, and crushers that make use of conveyor belts.
This abstract automation game features a minimalist aesthetic and gameplay that features an infinitely expanding map on which players must automate the production of increasingly complex shapes through the use of the game’s various machines.
Shapezis unique for its relaxing atmosphere and simplistic aesthetic that is both easy on the eyes and clear to read, making the puzzle-like gameplay a breeze to experiment with.Shapezmay not be as much of a sandbox asFactorio, nor does it feature any combat or technology trees, but it’s a fun and clever automation game that’s easy to sink many hours into.
This highly unique automation game stands out for its colony-building gameplay that tasks players with automating various productions by crafting robots and teaching them how to do their jobs through an educational visual programming language similar to Scratch.
Autonautsgives players an abundance of things to do and teach to their robot workers. Throughout the game, players will work to create a fully automated and peaceful colony through careful tinkering as they build their robotic workforce. Seeing an entire colony run by automated workers programmed by the player is a uniquely satisfying experience.
Thisbase-building sandbox gamehas an emphasis on mining, tasking players with digging for various resources and selling them for a profit by developing a mining base with a modular building system and hydro-powered machines.
Players will need to design an efficient mining operation by creating various networks of pipes and controlling water pressure to power their machines. Players will spend a lot of time digging through the game’s voxel-based terrain, hunting down ore veins, and transporting their goods across the map.
This sci-fi sandbox puzzle game tasks players with assembling products for their alien overlords by building factories in various 3D environments from a first-person perspective.Infinifactoryfeatures a story-driven campaign that takes the player through over fifty puzzles, as well as end-of-level histograms that allow players to see how efficient their factories are and compare them against others.
Furthermore, the game featuresa sandbox modethat allows players to experiment with the game’s “block engine,” as well as extensive Steam Workshop support that allows players to build and share their puzzles.
This science-fiction open-world game puts players on an exotic alien planet and tasks them with building and managing multi-floored factories heavily reliant on heaps of carefully placed conveyor belts.
AlthoughSatisfactoryis heavily focused on its factory management mechanics, there are also light exploration and combat mechanics in the game that allow players toexplore the alien planetand fight off local fauna.Satisfactoryalso allows players to further automate their production by automating transport vehicles like trucks and trains to carry their goods across the planet. Furthermore, the game features online co-op that allows players to build factories and explore the planet together.
