Satisfactory is a modular, space-age factory automation game that’s been in early access since 2018 and is finally out for its 1.0 release! Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
Satisfactory Review Overview
What is Satisfactory?
Satisfactory is a factory automation game by Coffee Stain Studios that began its journey in early access back in 2018, with annual updates steadily enhancing the experience. Now, with its 1.0 release, the game features a complete story, the eagerly awaited 9th Phase, and a host of new features designed to satisfy all your automation needs!
Set in a universe where humanity hasn’t just reached for the stars but has conquered them in the name of ruthless capitalist expansion, Satisfactory puts you in the role of a Ficsit Inc. Pioneer, charged with exploiting the resources of a new exoplanet. With demanding quotas looming and a world of untapped potential at your fingertips, you'll start from scratch, mastering the art of automation, innovative problem-solving, and satisfying factory design to deliver every shipment on time. Just ensure you don’t get eaten by the local fauna; those uniforms aren’t cheap!
Satisfactory features:
⚫︎ Modular factory construction with 100% material recycling efficiency
⚫︎ Expansive tech tree for each major research material
⚫︎ 9 production phases with 4-6 milestones each
⚫︎ Macro-scale factory and logistical design
⚫︎ Customizable characters and factory colors
⚫︎ Open-world alien planet exploration
⚫︎ Equippable exploration, resource-gathering, and traversal instruments
⚫︎ 4-player online co-op multiplayer
| Digital Storefronts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Steam |
 Epic Games |
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| $39.99 | |||||||
Satisfactory Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Artisanal Game Design Peak Sandbox Gameplay Subtle, Yet Effective World-Building Multiple Avenues of Progression |
A Gargantuan Time Commitment |
Satisfactory Overall Score - 94/100
To call Satisfactory simply "satisfactory" would be the understatement of the century. After six years in development, the game has used every moment to craft the ultimate automation experience—one that is unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon and will keep us engaged until that day comes. With its intuitive design, dense content, remarkable sandbox automation, compelling world-building, and stunning visuals, Satisfactory has undoubtedly earned its place at the top of the genre.
I’ve been here from the very beginning, eagerly awaiting the day when the game’s final piece would fall into place. It’s truly an honor to witness the crowning of a new king in the automation genre, and Satisfactory has just ascended to its rightful throne, accolades and all.
Satisfactory Story - 8/10
Since its early access debut in 2018, Satisfactory has always struggled with its narrative, even as its popularity soared. The game's 1.0 release finally adds that missing piece, introducing an active story that complements the strong background storytelling and world-building it’s known for. While the story might lack nuance and deep character writing, it's still a solid addition, especially considering how long fans have waited for it.
Satisfactory Gameplay - 10/10
What happens when you blend the artisanal skills of a master clockmaker, the foresight of a seasoned engineer, the ergonomics of a cutting-edge product designer, and the quality-of-life features of a modern smartphone? You get Satisfactory—a sprawling, meticulously crafted, and brilliantly accessible gameplay experience. With multiple paths to progression, the most intuitive building system you’ll ever encounter, and factory-automation mechanics that outshine even the heavyweights like Factorio, Satisfactory sets a new gold standard in its genre.
This is a true gem of game design, and it’s hard to imagine any title rivaling it in the near future.
Satisfactory Visuals - 10/10
I never imagined the bleakness of a capitalist future could look this stylish, especially when everything is mass-produced and modular. Satisfactory boasts a distinct visual throughline that ties together all of its assets, from the alien landscapes and fauna of the exoplanet you’re exploiting to the sleek, space-age machinery you’re using to do it. The game’s visual language perfectly captures a sense of sleekness and intuitiveness, mirroring its gameplay while remaining effortlessly appealing. Love it or hate it, Ficsit Inc.’s questionable ethics can’t overshadow their impeccable product identity!
Satisfactory Audio - 9/10
The melody of a factory lives in the rhythmic hisses and clanks of its machinery, and Satisfactory captures this industrial symphony with stunning clarity and weight. The soundscape feels orchestral, each machine adding its voice to the chorus, while the alien wilderness hums with life beyond the groans of your automated empire. And, of course, there's ADA’s calm voice whispering in your ear whenever you make a new discovery. Though the game could benefit from a dedicated background score to weave the sounds of nature and machinery into a cohesive musical experience, this is a minor flaw in an otherwise deeply immersive auditory landscape.
Satisfactory Value for Money - 10/10
Few games have earned their reputation through sheer volume of content and replayability quite like Satisfactory. If you've played a factory automation game before, you already know how much gameplay can be extracted from even the simplest titles. Now imagine Satisfactory—a juggernaut in its genre, packed to the brim with features and complexity—all for just $40! This isn’t just a steal; it’s a mass-produced marvel that sets a new benchmark for value in its genre.
Satisfactory Review: The Newly Crowned King of Factory Games
There’s a certain magic in watching something good evolve into greatness through dedication, persistence, and talent. It’s like seeing a childhood friend finally reach their full potential or watching a sapling grow into the towering oak you always knew it could be. That’s exactly how I felt when Satisfactory hit its long-awaited 1.0 release—the culmination of its development, living up to all the high expectations. There’s a lot to unpack here, but rather than dwell in nostalgia, let’s dive into the gears, cogs, and sprockets that make Satisfactory's 1.0 release truly deserving of its place atop the genre.
As with any factory, we start with the foundations. Satisfactory is a factory automation game built around user-friendly design, large-scale automation projects, and clever quality-of-life features. We’ll break down these elements shortly, but for now, it’s worth noting that the game is crafted to be accessible to everyone—from complete newcomers to seasoned automation veterans. The goal is simple: meet your quotas by designing efficient factories. You’ll gather raw materials, convert them into machines, and automate every step of the process until you achieve peak efficiency—a fully operational, no-holds-barred factory.
At its core, the concept of factories in Satisfactory is simple: raw materials go in one side, and processed goods come out the other. However, the real challenge lies in sourcing those raw materials. You’ll either need to set up meticulously optimized logistical chains from distant resource hotspots, where resources are infinite, or gather rare materials by hand from smaller, scattered deposits across the map. On top of that, each machine and recipe comes with its own production rate, and balancing these rates is key to avoiding bottlenecks or waste. To fine-tune your factory, you have a host of tools like overclocking, underclocking, splitters, and mergers at your disposal—allowing you to dial in that perfect production flow.
Of course, every automation game aims to streamline production, but Satisfactory stands apart thanks to its modular building system, the vast array of resources at your disposal, the sheer scale of your builds, and the perfect balance it strikes between factory management and exploration. You’re not just encouraged to explore the open world—you’re required to. Progress depends on discovering new materials and technologies, keeping your factory from stagnating due to bottlenecks.
Each breakthrough lies hidden in the wild, waiting to be uncovered. But exploration isn’t without its dangers—you’ll have to fend off hostile wildlife and traverse hazardous landscapes as you expand your industrial empire. The world is as vibrant and alive as the factories you build, with diverse biomes and hidden secrets begging to be explored. The reward for your curiosity? Breathtaking vistas and alien landscapes that provide both beauty and new opportunities for innovation.
Turning back to factory management, the game’s outstanding quality-of-life features deserve special mention. Logistics, the backbone of any factory, can make or break efficiency, and Satisfactory’s system is nothing short of intuitive brilliance. Unlike Factorio’s 2D top-down view, Satisfactory’s 3D environment opens up dynamic possibilities, with conveyor belts taking center stage for material transport. The game capitalizes on this by providing a robust, upgradeable, and—if you’ll pardon the phrase—idiot-proof conveyor belt system.
Everything you need to optimize your factory is right at your fingertips: conveyor speeds, material processing times, power consumption, fluid intake and pressure, building ranges, and material recipes are all easily accessible. Paired with the built-in calculator, blueprint planner, and world-grid system, this level of accessibility equips you with the tools to fine-tune your entire operation, pushing your factory to new heights of efficiency.
It’s easy to lose yourself in the intricacies of factory planning in Satisfactory. Hours slip by in the blink of an eye, as I discovered while perfecting my production line. With its rewarding exploration, intuitive factory-building mechanics, and challenging quotas, it’s no surprise the full release was so highly anticipated—and now that it’s here, it’s shining as bright as we all hoped.
Yet even the best production lines have their flaws. Satisfactory’s long-awaited story, while functional, isn’t winning any awards for its narrative depth or complex characters. It’s solid enough, bolstered by the intriguing world-building of Ficsit Inc. and its shady corporate practices, but it’s not the storytelling masterpiece some may have hoped for.
On the visual front, however, the game still manages to impress. The sleek industrial-futurism of the machine designs, paired with the grandeur of sprawling production landscapes, is a visual feast worth working towards These machines are the true stars of the show, capturing the grand scale of industrial power that defines Satisfactory’s identity. On the audio side, the realistic clanks, hisses, and hums of machinery bring your factories to life, complemented by excellent voice acting for the game’s in-game AI assistant. The lack of background music, though, is a mixed bag—some players may find it enhances immersion, while others may feel it leaves the soundscape a bit too barren.
All in all, Satisfactory has made the most of its six-year development cycle, cementing its place as the definitive factory-building experience. A new king has claimed the throne. Step aside, Factorio, and make room for the reigning champion of factory simulators. Dyson Sphere Program and Shapez 2, take note—Satisfactory is out of early access and ready to wear the crown.
Pros of Satisfactory
| Things Satisfactory Got Right |
|---|
|
Artisanal Game Design Peak Sandbox Gameplay Subtle, Yet Effective World-Building Multiple Avenues of Progression |
Artisanal Game Design
Although centered around factories and mass production, I see Satisfactory as an artisanal creation, crafted with a clear vision and designed to deliver a unique experience. The meticulous attention to detail in fine-tuning every aspect of automation makes it impossible to dismiss this game as anything less than worthy of its price—far from a mere cash grab aiming for broad appeal. This game is made for those who truly appreciate the factory automation genre, complete with every quality-of-life improvement imaginable. For fans of the genre, Satisfactory stands as its current pinnacle—one unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon.
Peak Sandbox Gameplay
Sandbox gameplay is only as strong as the intuitiveness of its design. When a sandbox lacks clarity, where literally anything can happen, it can quickly spiral into unplayable chaos. Satisfactory, however, is the opposite of chaos—it is a symphony of order, where you can achieve anything as long as you work within the rules of its meticulously crafted sandbox. Given the sheer number of moving parts in the game—resource gathering, processing, building, and optimizing—it seems almost impossible that the developers could account for every possible variable in this intricate automation experience. And yet, that’s precisely what they’ve accomplished.
Subtle, Yet Effective World-Building
Satisfactory has never been about deliberate narrative progression. Instead, it shines through its creative world-building and unwavering commitment to its themes. At the heart of it all is Ficsit Inc., the game's resident dubious capitalist conglomerate, which serves as the narrative backbone by supplying your character with all the machines, gear, and motivation needed to meet production quotas.
Without giving away too much, the presence of Ficsit Inc. in the game's story and world has only deepened with the 1.0 release, offering more context for their Pioneer projects and the endless list of materials they demand you fabricate. It’s a subtle narrative approach—never resorting to cutscenes or lengthy lore dumps—but the weight of Ficsit Inc.’s influence and the far-reaching impact of its operations become fully apparent in 1.0, bringing the game's rich world-building, which has been a hallmark since the beginning, to a satisfying culmination.
Multiple Avenues of Progression
One of the standout features of Satisfactory is its ability to keep gameplay fresh and constantly moving forward, eliminating any sense of stagnation and accelerating player progress in multiple ways. While the MAM station offers an expansive tech tree, it is far from the only path to advancing your factory-building endeavors. The game provides numerous other avenues for progression, such as the AWESOME Store, nine distinct production phases, various milestones, scattered story elements across the map, and ongoing insights from ADA through your suit. Every action you take, no matter how big or small, contributes to your progress, creating a consistently rewarding automation experience.
Cons of Satisfactory
| Things That Satisfactory Can Improve |
|---|
|
A Gargantuan Time Commitment |
A Gargantuan Time Commitment
It’s difficult to find a flaw in Satisfactory, given the quality of its gameplay, the distinctiveness of its visuals, and the skillful execution of its design. However, if there is one drawback, it’s that the game demands a significant time investment. With its sheer volume of content and the scale of its operations, even seasoned automation game enthusiasts will find themselves with a lot to manage and explore. Exploration alone can consume a great deal of time, especially since vehicles aren’t unlocked until later stages, and while factory machinery can be sped up, their production speeds are still bound by certain limits.
Not everyone has the luxury to sink endless hours into a game, and the largest projects can require truly staggering amounts of time to complete, which can limit the game’s accessibility for those with tighter schedules.
Is Satisfactory Worth It?
Worth Every Second You Put Into It
Few games offer as much value for their price as Satisfactory. With its immense volume of content, countless hours of gameplay, endless sandbox replayability, and potential for massive, intricate builds, the game more than justifies its $40 price tag—and perhaps even exceeds it. The fact that you get the complete, quintessential automation experience with no additional purchases or microtransactions makes this game an absolute steal!
| Digital Storefronts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam |
Epic Games |
||||||
| $39.99 | |||||||
Satisfactory FAQ
What New Features Came With Satisfactory’s 1.0 Release?
Satisfactory’s 1.0 release includes the following new features. For more information regarding each feature, you may refer to the game’s official Steam announcement about the game’s 1.0 release:
⚫︎ New Endgame Tier (Tier 9)
⚫︎ Integration of Mercer Spheres, Somersloops, and SAM in the MAM.
⚫︎ Finalized HUB Design
⚫︎ Pioneer Cosmetic and Customization Options
⚫︎ Additional Factory Customization Options
⚫︎ Quality of Life Changes
⚫︎ Finalized narrative
⚫︎ Optimized Online Integration
⚫︎ Various Bug Fixes
How Do I Solve a .exe Error in Satisfactory?
To fix a .exe error, you must restart Steam and verify the game files for Satisfactory through your Steam folder.
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Satisfactory Product Information
 | |
| Title | SATISFACTORY |
|---|---|
| Release Date | September 10, 2024 |
| Developer | Coffee Stain Studios, Coffee Stain North AB |
| Publisher | Coffee Stain Studios, Coffee Stain Publishing |
| Supported Platforms | PC(Steam, Epic Games Store) |
| Genre | Adventure, Strategy, Simulator |
| Number of Players | Online (1-4) |
| Rating | Rating Pending(RP) |
| Official Website | Satisfactory Official Website |
