{{short description|Construction and management simulation video game}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Factorio
| image = Factorio cover.png
| developer = Wube Software
| publisher = Wube Software
| platforms = {{Unbulleted list|[[Linux]]|[[macOS]]|[[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]|[[Nintendo Switch]]}}
| released = {{ubl|'''Linux''', '''macOS''', '''Windows'''|14 August 2020|'''Nintendo Switch'''|28 October 2022}}
| genre = [[Factory simulation]], [[real-time strategy]]
| modes = [[Single-player]], [[multiplayer]]
| director = {{Unbulleted list|Michal Kovařík|Tomáš Kozelek}}
| producer =
| designer = Michal Kovařík
| artist = {{Unbulleted list|Albert Bertolin|Václav Benč}}
| composer = Daniel James Taylor
}}
'''''Factorio''''' is a [[construction and management simulation]] game developed by the [[Czech Republic|Czech]] studio Wube Software. The game was announced via an [[Indiegogo]] [[crowdfunding]] campaign in 2013 and released for [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[macOS]], and [[Linux]] on 14 August 2020 following a four-year long [[early access]] phase to positive reviews. The game was released on [[Nintendo Switch]] on 28 October 2022.[{{Cite web |last=Reynolds |first=Ollie |date=14 September 2022 |title=Highly Acclaimed Management Sim 'Factorio' Is Heading To Switch |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/09/highly-acclaimed-management-sim-factorio-is-heading-to-switch |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |language=en-GB}}][{{Cite web |title=Factorio is coming to Nintendo Switch™ |url=https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/factorio-on-nintendo-switch |access-date=14 September 2022 |website=Factorio}}]
The game follows an engineer who crash-lands on an alien planet and must harvest [[Natural resource|resources]] and create [[Manufacturing|industry]] to build a [[rocket]]; however, as a [[sandbox game]], players can continue the game past the end of the storyline. The game features both [[single-player]] and [[multiplayer]] modes.
==Gameplay==
''Factorio'' is a construction and management simulation game focused on resource-gathering with [[real-time strategy]] and [[Survival game|survival]] elements and influences from the ''BuildCraft'' and ''IndustrialCraft'' [[Video game modding|mods]] for the video game ''[[Minecraft]]''. The player survives by locating and harvesting resources to craft various tools and machines, which in turn create more advanced materials that allow for the progression to more sophisticated [[Technology|technologies]] and machines. The game progresses as the player continues to build and manage their [[Automation|automated]] [[factory]]-style system, which automates the mining, transportation, processing, and assembly of resources and products. Players research advanced technologies that allow them to create new structures, items, and upgrades, starting with basic automation and eventually leading to oil refining, robots, and powered exoskeletons.[{{cite web |last=Jauch |first=Daniel |title=Our Nation's Factorio Review |url=http://apgnation.com/archives/2014/05/15/2020/nations-factorio-review |work=APGNation |access-date=16 May 2014 |url-status=dead |date=15 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517121814/http://apgnation.com/archives/2014/05/15/2020/nations-factorio-review |archive-date=17 May 2014}}][{{cite web |last=Priestman |first=Chris |title=Factorio Is A Machine-Fetishist's Best Friend |url=http://indiestatik.com/2013/04/15/factorio/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425062337/http://indiestatik.com/2013/04/15/factorio/ |date=15 April 2013 |archive-date=25 April 2013 |work=Indie Statik |access-date=16 May 2014}}]
The game features a blueprint system, which allows for players to create reusable blueprints for factory parts. The blueprints consist of a baseline for construction, allowing for the copying of factory systems or entire factories, and subsequent construction.
The game is formally "won" by launching a rocket, although choosing to ignore this goal and instead continue building a factory is possible, as ''Factorio'' is an [[open world]] game. Constructing a rocket requires a massive amount of resources, motivating the player to set up a sizeable, effective factory in order to achieve this goal.
===Combat===
The player is tasked with defending themselves and their factory from the planet's [[Indigenous (ecology)|indigenous]] fauna, known as 'Biters', 'Spitters', and 'Worms', who become increasingly hostile as [[Pollution|pollutant]] emissions created by the player's factory increase, necessitating consideration of the balance between the player's production and the enemy's aggressiveness. The player can utilize defensive turrets, tanks, and other weapons to eliminate enemies.[{{cite news |last=Livingston |first=Christopher |date=28 July 2014 |title=The Lighthouse Customer: Factorio |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/07/28/factorio-alpha-review/ |access-date=4 June 2019 |website=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}][{{cite web |url=https://www.factorio.com/content |title=Factorio – Content |website=factorio.com |publisher=Wube Software |access-date=10 January 2015}}] As the game progresses, enemies evolve and become harder to defeat.
Players may also elect to set the planet's fauna to "peaceful," during the start of the game. The fauna will still spawn, but will only attack the player and factory in retaliation from direct physical damage on themselves or a neighboring unit.[{{Cite news |last=Toms |first=Ollie |date=14 August 2020 |title=Factorio guide [1.0]: 15 top tips to help grow your factory |language=en |work=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]] |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/factorio-guide-1-0-15-top-tips-to-help-grow-your-factory |access-date=25 September 2022}}]
===Multiplayer===
Multiplayer mode allows people to play together cooperatively or versus one another both [[LAN|locally]] and via the Internet.[{{cite web |title=Factorio - Content |url=https://www.factorio.com/game/content |access-date=8 November 2020 |website=factorio.com |publisher=Wube Software}}][{{cite web |author=Rogers |first=Tristan |date=1 November 2014 |title=Factorio Gets Multiplayer |url=http://sandboxdb.com/factorio-gets-multiplayer/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141121161205/http://sandboxdb.com/factorio-gets-multiplayer/ |archive-date=21 November 2014 |access-date=21 November 2014 |publisher=SandboxDB}}][{{cite web |last=Luces |first=Mike |date=24 April 2017 |title='Factorio' Version 0.15.0 Released: Comes With Military, Production, High-Tech And Space Packs |url=https://www.ibtimes.com/factorio-version-0150-released-comes-military-production-high-tech-space-packs-2529972 |access-date=10 September 2020 |website=www.ibtimes.com |quote=Wube Software included new scenarios for PvP…}}] Factorio supports both [[Game server#Dedicated server|dedicated servers]] as well as player-hosted [[Game server#Listen server|listen servers]]. In the past, the game used [[Game server#Peer-to-Peer|peer-to-peer connectivity]], however this was removed as more robust options were developed.[{{Cite web |url=https://www.factorio.com/download-headless |title=Factorio Headless download |website=factorio.com |publisher=Wube Software |access-date=25 April 2017}}][{{Cite web |last=Kovařík |first=Michal |date=15 July 2016 |title=Friday Facts #147 - Multiplayer rewrite |url=https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-147 |access-date=10 September 2018 |website=factorio.com |publisher=Wube Software}}] Saved world files can be seamlessly loaded in either single- or multiplayer. By default, all players on a server share technologies, unless a system of multiple teams has been instituted by the server host. [[Friendly fire]] is present. While the hard limit for number of players is 65,535 due to limitations of the [[SOCKET protocol]], this number has never been reached; the most popular servers were able to successfully handle several hundred players at once.[{{Cite web |last=Kozelek |first=Tomáš |date=16 September 2016 |title=Friday Facts #156 - Massive Multiplayer |url=https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-156 |access-date=10 September 2018 |website=factorio.com |publisher=Wube Software}}] Players can share construction [[blueprint]]s with other players on their server, via a public blueprint library.[{{Cite web |last=Majerech |first=Ondřej |date=23 December 2016 |title=Friday Facts #170 - Blueprint library GUI design and redesign |url=https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-170 |access-date=10 September 2018 |website=factorio.com}}]
===Modding===
''Factorio'' is designed to be customisable via [[mod (video gaming)|mods]] to create additional content, such as modifications to gameplay or re-texturing of visual elements. The developers offer an online portal on the ''Factorio'' website for mod developers to host their content. To help support the modding community, there is an in-game mod manager that allows players to quickly download them. Mods are written in [[Lua (programming language)|Lua]].
==Development==
The game has been developed by a team of developers from [[Prague]], Czech Republic, since mid-2012. The development team originally consisted of a single person, but has grown larger. Wube Software was created in September 2014 by Michal Kovařík and Tomáš Kozelek in Prague. To fund the game the development team began an [[Indiegogo]] campaign, which started on 31 January 2013 and concluded on 3 March 2013. The campaign raised €21,626 of the €17,000 goal.[{{cite news |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/05/02/factorio-trailer-demo |title=Factorio Trailer Looks Like A Fun Factory, Has Demo |last=Smith |first=Graham |website=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]] |date=14 May 2014 |access-date=16 May 2014}}][{{cite web |title=Factorio |url=https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/factorio |website=[[Indiegogo]] |access-date=16 May 2014}}][{{cite web |last=Kozelek |first=Tomáš |date=24 October 2012 |title=Here we are |url=https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/here-we-are |access-date=16 June 2014 |website=factorio.com |publisher=Wube Software}}] Following the [[crowdfunding]] success, Wube sold [[early access]] editions of the game to raise further funds. The developer credits the April 2014 release of the game's [[Trailer (promotion)|trailer]] as a significant driver of those sales.[{{cite web |url=https://gamasutra.com/view/news/218280/How_a_single_game_trailer_turned_the_tide_for_Factorio.php |last=Rose |first=Mike |title=How a single game trailer turned the tide for Factorio |website=[[Gamasutra]] |date=27 May 2014 |access-date=28 November 2015}}] As of March 2021, the team consists of 18 members.[{{cite web |title=Factorio - Team |url=https://www.factorio.com/game/about |access-date=8 November 2020 |website=factorio.com |publisher=Wube Software}}]
Michal Kovařík, the game's lead designer, cited the ''IndustrialCraft'' and ''BuildCraft'' [[Minecraft mods|''Minecraft'' mods]] for inspiration during the game's development.[{{cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/nerdcubed/comments/2c9rh7/nerd%C2%B3_fw_factorio/cjdtffh/ |date=1 August 2014 |first=Michal |last=Kovařík |title=kovarex comments on Nerd³ FW – Factorio |website=[[Reddit]] |access-date=5 September 2014}}]
The game was released on [[Steam (service)|Steam]] as early access on 25 February 2016, but had been available to download from [https://factorio.com factorio.com] since early on in development.[{{Cite web |date=26 February 2016 |title=Friday Facts #127 - Steam Status III: Thank You |url=https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-127 |access-date=8 November 2020 |website=factorio.com |publisher=Wube Software}}] It was officially released out of early access on 14 August 2020.[{{Cite web |date=14 August 2020 |title=Friday Facts #360 - 1.0 is here! |url=https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-360 |access-date=27 August 2020 |website=factorio.com |publisher=Wube Software}}][{{Cite magazine |last=Brown |first=Fraser |date=14 August 2020 |title=Factorio finally leaves Early Access after 4 years |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/factorio-finally-leaves-early-access-after-4-years/ |access-date=14 August 2020 |magazine=[[PC Gamer]]}}] It was originally planned to be released on 25 September 2020, but was moved up a month as to not compete with the release of ''[[Cyberpunk 2077]]'', which, at the time, was scheduled to be released on 17 September 2020.[{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/factorio-10-will-come-a-month-earlier-than-expected-to-avoid-cyberpunk-2077 |title=Factorio 1.0 will come a month early to avoid Cyberpunk 2077 |last=Bolding |first=Jonathan |date=30 May 2020 |magazine=[[PC Gamer]] |access-date=1 June 2020}}][{{Cite web |last=Reisinger |first=Don |date=18 June 2020 |title=Cyberpunk 2077 release date pushed back again |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/cyberpunk-2077-delayed-november |access-date=20 July 2020 |publisher=[[Digital Trends]]}}] In February 2021, the developers announced that 1.1 would be the final major update of the base game, and that a new expansion pack was being developed. On February 4th 2022, the developers revealed a planned price of $30.00 for the expansion pack, stating plans to make the expansion feel like an addition as big of the base game.[{{Cite web |title=Friday Facts #367 - Expansion news |url=https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-367 |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=Factorio}}] A port of the game to Nintendo Switch was released on 28 October 2022.[{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Iain |date=13 September 2022 |title=Factorio is coming to Nintendo Switch next month |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/factorio-is-coming-to-nintendo-switch-next-month/ |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |language=en}}]
===G2A Audit===
[[Video game key]] reseller [[G2A]] was accused of selling stolen keys on their site, affecting developers of games, specifically in the indie scene. On 5 July 2019, G2A offered to pay the developers of a game ten times the worth of the stolen game keys if the problem could be proven via audit.[{{cite web |title=[Updated] G2A vows to pay devs 10x the money proven to be lost on chargebacks |url=https://www.g2a.com/news/latest/g2a-vows-to-pay-devs-10x-the-money-proven-to-be-lost-on-chargebacks/ |access-date=26 August 2020 |website=[[G2A]]}}][{{cite magazine |last1=Brown |first1=Fraser |date=5 July 2019 |title=G2A says it will pay devs 10 times what they lose in chargebacks due to fraud |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/g2a-says-it-will-pay-devs-10-times-what-they-lose-in-chargebacks-due-to-fraud/ |access-date=26 August 2020 |magazine=PC Gamer}}] Wube was the only developer to call on this, stating "G2A - worse than [[Copyright infringement|piracy]]" and emailed a list of 321 canceled Steam keys due to chargebacks.[{{cite web |title=Friday Facts #303 - Under 100 bugs (but still not stable) |url=https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-303 |website=Factorio |publisher=Wube Software}}][{{cite web |title=Factorio devs say G2A hasn't been "exactly prompt" to compensate over fraudulent key sales |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/factorio/g2a-compensation |access-date=26 August 2020 |website=PCGamesN}}] After over ten months, G2A confirmed 198 of those keys were sold on the platform and paid Wube Software $39,600 as part of the promise. Due to the sensitive nature of the investigation, the audit was instead done internally.[{{cite web |date=22 May 2020 |title=Friday Facts #348 - The final GUI update |url=https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-348 |access-date=26 August 2020 |website=factorio.com |publisher=Wube Software}}][{{cite web |last=Batchelor |first=James |date=20 May 2020 |title=G2A and Wube Software settle $40,000 chargeback dispute |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-20-g2a-and-wube-software-settle-usd40-000-chargeback-dispute |access-date=26 August 2020 |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]]}}][{{cite web |last=Plunkett |first=Luke |date=20 May 2020 |title=Shady Key Reseller G2A Fucks Up Spectacularly |url=https://kotaku.com/shady-key-reseller-g2a-fucks-up-spectacularly-1843574224 |access-date=26 August 2020 |website=[[Kotaku]]}}][{{cite magazine |last1=Prescott |first1=Shaun |date=21 May 2020 |title=G2A has paid Factorio studio nearly $40,000 over sale of illegitimate keys |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/g2a-has-paid-factorio-studio-nearly-dollar40000-over-sale-of-illegitimate-keys/ |access-date=26 August 2020 |magazine=PC Gamer}}][{{cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Charlie |date=20 May 2020 |title=G2A pays Factorio developer $39,600 over illegally obtained game keys |url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/5/20/21265275/g2a-confirms-it-sold-stolen-game-keys |access-date=26 August 2020 |website=Polygon}}][{{cite news |last1=Clayton |first1=Natalie |date=21 May 2020 |title=G2A pay Factorio devs over £32,000 after uncovering stolen key sales |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/21/g2a-pay-factorio-devs-over-32000-after-uncovering-stolen-key-sales/ |access-date=26 August 2020 |website=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}]
== Reception ==
{{Video game reviews
| MC = 90/100[{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/factorio |title=Factorio for PC Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=25 December 2021}}]
| IGN = 8/10[{{cite web |last1=Hafer |first1=Leana |title=Factorio Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/factorio-review |website=[[IGN]] |date=19 September 2021 |access-date=19 September 2021}}]
| PCGUS = 91/100[{{Cite magazine |last=Lane |first=Rick |date=24 August 2020 |title=Factorio review |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/factorio-review/ |access-date=26 August 2020 |magazine=PC Gamer}}]
| NLife = {{rating|8|10}}[{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/factorio |title=Review: Factorio - A Most Engrossing Management Sim, Despite Some Issues |date=28 October 2022}}]
}}
''Factorio'' received positive reception from critics while still in early access.[{{Cite news |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/03/07/factorio-review-early-access |title=Factorio: The End Of Management Games |last=Meer |first=Alec |date=7 March 2016 |website=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]] |access-date=14 January 2018}}][{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-02-26-meet-factorio-the-wonderfully-complex-game-about-designing-factories |title=Meet Factorio, the wonderfully complex game about designing factories |last=Yin-Poole |first=Wesley |date=26 February 2016 |website=[[Eurogamer]] |access-date=14 January 2018}}] In the 2018 [[Steam Awards]], ''Factorio'' was voted by Steam users as a runner-up in the "Most Fun with a Machine" category.[{{Cite web |last=Watts |first=Steve |date=15 February 2019 |title=Steam Awards 2018 Winners Announced, And Most Aren't From 2018 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/steam-awards-2018-winners-announced-and-most-arent/1100-6464905/ |access-date=7 February 2019 |website=[[GameSpot]]}}] By the beginning of 2020, the game had sold two million copies,[{{Cite web |date=27 December 2019 |title=Friday Facts #327 - 2020 Vision |url=https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-327 |access-date=30 December 2019 |website=factorio.com |publisher=Wube Software}}] by the beginning of 2021, the developers reported over two and a half million sold copies,[{{Cite web |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/factorio/expansion |title=Factorio is getting an expansion |first=Ian |last=Boudreau |date=5 February 2021 |access-date=5 February 2021 |work=[[PCGamesN]]}}] and by its sixth anniversary in February 2022, the game had just passed 3.1 million copies sold.[{{Cite web |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/factorio/3-million-sales |title=Factorio has passed 3.1 million sales in 6 years |first=Chris |last=Capel |date=26 February 2022 |access-date=26 February 2022 |work=[[PCGamesN]]}}]
Upon its release in 2020, Factorio received positive reviews. Rick Lane of ''[[PC Gamer]]'' praised Factorio, calling it "a manufacturing masterpiece". Nicolas Perez of ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' praised Factorio's use of early access, stating, "…''Factorio'' has set an example of what the Early Access system is truly capable of."[{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Nicolas |date=21 August 2020 |title=Factorio Is an Ambitious Game That Lives up to Its Intentions |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/games/factorio/factorio-10-review/ |access-date=26 August 2020 |website=pastemagazine.com}}] It was named IndieGameReviewer.com's Indie Game of the Year, after also naming it one its most anticipated in 2013.[{{cite web |date=5 January 2021 |title=Top 10 Best Indie Games of 2020 |url=https://indiegamereviewer.com/top-10-best-indie-games-of-2020-indiegamereviewer/ |access-date=13 May 2021 |website=indiegamereviewer.com |publisher=Indie-Game-Freak}}] In 2021 ''[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]'' ranked ''Factorio'' the 7th best management game for the PC.[{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Graham |date=22 April 2021 |title=The best management games on PC |work=Rock Paper Shotgun |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-management-games-on-pc-2020 |access-date=14 May 2021}}]
== Legacy ==
''[[Neobuthus factorio]]'' is a species of [[scorpion]] from the family [[Buthidae]] found in [[Somaliland]]. It was named after the game by one of the researchers who first described the species, who is the father of the game's designer and co-director.[{{Cite journal |last=Kovařík |first=František |last2=Lowe |first2=Graeme |last3=Ibrahim Awale |first3=Ahmed |last4=Sh Abdirahman Elmi |first4=Hassan |last5=Hurre |first5=Ali Abdi |date=12 December 2018 |editor-last=Fet |editor-first=Victor |title=Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part XVII. Revision of ''Neobuthus'', with Description of Seven New Species from Ethiopia, Kenya and Somaliland (Buthidae) |url=http://www.kovarex.com/scorpio/pdf/2018o-Neobuthus_271.pdf |journal=Euscorpius - Occasional Publications in Scorpiology |issue=271}}][{{Cite web |last=Kovařík |first=Michal |date=21 December 2018 |title=Friday Facts #274 - New fluid system 2 |url=https://factorio.com/blog/post/fff-274 |access-date=30 July 2019 |website=factorio.com |publisher=Wube Software}}]
''[[Satisfactory]]'', a 2019 factory-building game by [[Coffee Stain Studios]], has been compared to ''Factorio'' and described as a [[First-person (video games)|first-person]], 3D interpretation of the game.[{{Cite news |last=O'Connor |first=Alice |date=12 June 2018 |title=Satisfactory looks a lot like first-person Factorio |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/12/satisfactory-looks-like-first-person-factorio |work=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]] |quote=Satisfactory sure does resemble Factorio but first-person. Which, really, I am up for. |access-date=12 May 2021}}]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{Official website}}
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[[Category:2020 video games]]
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[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]
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