1. shapez 2
  2. News

shapez 2 News

Devlog 034 - 1.0 Status Update & Gamescom Recap

[p]Hey everyone![/p][p][/p][p]Alice here again for this little status update whilst the rest of the team are still recovering from Gamescom and working hard on 1.0. Let’s jump right in :)[/p][p][/p][h2]Gamescom recap[/h2][p][/p][p]As mentioned in our last devlog and across socials, the tobspr team was at Gamescom last weekend. They manned the stand in the Indie Arena Booth, where so many of you visited and had a go at shapez 2. It was a massive motivation boost to hear your positive comments and compliments about the game, as well as getting some much-appreciated feedback on where we can improve.[/p][p][/p][p]You also seemed to love the merch we had to give away (you could have at least left some for me…). We had 500 stickers, 300 pins, and 200 keychains and you guys snapped them all up like they were going out of fashion. So, one of our biggest learnings for next year is to triple the amount of merch we have on offer…[/p][p][/p][p]Also, people LOVED the magnets. Stay tuned, because although these aren’t available to order yet, they will be soon! We've now got a newsletter you can sign up for below, where we'll be keeping you updated when the magnets are ready. We expect them to sell out fast, given the interest you guys have shown so far.[/p][p][/p][p]Sign up for newsletter[/p][p][/p][p]Check out some snaps the team took:[/p][p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p][/p][h2]shapez 2 in orchestra![/h2][p][/p][p]I teased this in the last devlog (just couldn’t hold my excitement), but we were waiting on the HQ video to share it fully with you.[/p][p][/p][p]A few weeks ago, something wild happened: shapez 2 was performed by a full symphony orchestra![/p][p][/p][p]We teamed up with Dyson Sphere Program for their Cosmic Harmony of Light and Strings over at the Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall. The fact a whole live orchestra learned and played one of our OST tracks still blows my mind. It’s one thing to hear a cool piece of music in game (thanks to Peppsen for putting it together), it’s another level to hear it with live instruments in a concert hall with an audience.[/p][p][/p][p]Check it out here:[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h2]1.0 status update[/h2][p][/p][p]Of course, the team is still hard at work on the 1.0 update. Here are some updates for you.[/p][p][/p][h3]New game mode[/h3][p]One of the main, most exciting things we’re bringing to 1.0 is the new game mode (currently called ‘Factory Mode’). Basically, it focuses on building huge, permanent factories, in contrast to the current mode where the build > demolish > rebuild mechanic takes precedent. This is something that’s been requested the most above all else, and we’re super excited about what we’ve got so far. It’s progressing well, but there’s still a lot to be done. We hope to get some beta builds out soon for early testing.[/p][p][/p][p]As a little teaser, here’s some WIP footage of the rocket animations (pls don’t tell Max I’ve shared this):[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Modding support[/h3][p]We’ve mentioned this previously, but ICYMI: 1.0 will have modding support! After gathering feedback from our community, mods will use the Steam workshop. If everything goes to plan, we’re hoping we can do some sort of closed beta around October.[/p][p][/p][p]We’re considering holding a modding contest with prizes up for grabs - let us know if this is something you’d be interested in.[/p][p][/p][h3]Achievements[/h3][p]Taking in your feedback on achievements (as well as a pretty rigorous in-house approval process), we’ve got a decent shortlist and we’re making good progress with the technical implementation.[/p][p][/p][h3]Release date[/h3][p]Now for a bit of disappointing news I’m afraid. I know we’ve said previously that we aimed to release 1.0 in November this year, but that’s looking more and more unlikely. We want to make a game that’s worth the 1.0 label, and we just don’t feel it’s up to par yet. Especially with the new game mode - this has to be worth the wait.[/p][p][/p][p]Whilst we can’t give a definitive date yet, we’re now aiming for somewhere around early April 2026. Of course we’ll keep you updated every step of the way.[/p][p][/p][p]That’s all for now. Thanks for reading, and I’ll catch ya in the next one.[/p][p][/p][p] - Alice & the tobspr team[/p][p]
[/p][h3]Join the community:[/h3][p]
Discord Reddit Suggestions Portal X / Twitter YouTube TikTok [/p]

Devlog 033 - Gamescom & 1 Year Anniversary

[p]Hey everyone! Alice here for this devlog.[/p][p][/p][p]Whilst the team is hard at work with 1.0, here are some updates. We’ve had a lot going on lately, including an unexpected musical twist![/p][p][/p][p]First of all:[/p][p][/p][h2]shapez 2 & the tobspr team are heading to Gamescom![/h2][p][/p][p]From August 20-24, shapez 2 will be in the Indie Arena Booth (Hall 10.2, Booth F010g - E019), at Gamescom in Köln. We’ll have playable stations where you can try out the game, take part in activities, and get your hands on some veryyyy exclusive merch.[/p][p][/p][p]We'll also have previews of the shapez 2 x roons kits that a lot of you backed, and the 3D-printed magnets which will be available to preorder soon! Come grab some swag, find out more about 1.0, and say hello :)[/p][p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p][/p][h2]shapez 2 is one year old![/h2][p][/p][p]It’s crazy writing this, but one year ago this month, shapez 2 released in Early Access! We had an incredibly successful launch, with a peak CCU of almost 19,000! Since then, with your help, shapez 2 has grown in ways we could never have imagined.[/p][p][/p][p]Over the past year, we’ve released patches, squashed countless bugs, held community contests, and the game has sold over 600,000 copies worldwide… and that’s only scratching the surface of what we’ve accomplished with your help.[/p][p][/p][p]We can’t thank you enough for playing, wishlisting, and sharing our game. We really appreciate all the support and we feel honored to have such a dedicated community quite ready to share just yet. Stay tuned for the next devlog where we’ll have more info on this.[/p][p][/p][p]That’s all from me for now! Sit tight for more updates on 1.0 soon.[/p][p][/p][p]Until then, the vortex is hungry.[/p][p][/p][p]- Alice & the tobspr team[/p][p][/p][p]Thanks to mari on Discord for the screenshot used in the cover art![/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Join the community:[/h3][p]
Discord Reddit Suggestions Portal X / Twitter YouTube TikTok [/p]

Devlog 032 - Achievements

[p]Hey everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]Game Designer Ce here![/p][p][/p][p]I happily joined the tobspr team this April, still catching up on the long history of shapez 1 and 2 though.[/p][p][/p][p]Before we go into the meat of this Devlog, we have an announcement:[/p][p][/p][h3]Games Forged in Germany[/h3][p][/p][p]Shapez 1 & 2 will be part of the Games Forged In Germany Steam Event! We're proud to be an indie studio from Germany, and this kind of recognition means a lot to us. There's some really cool titles in this event, so make sure to check it out.[/p][p][/p][p]An honourable mention for Star Birds from Toukana Interactive! It's a relaxing asteroid base-building and resource management game. If you like shapez, this is probably up your street too. It's a chill, no-pressure game with beautiful visuals and unique 360° building, and scratches that automation/optimization itch I know you have.[/p][p][/p][p]The demo is currently available for testing on Steam, so give it a go and let us know what you think![/p][p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p][/p][p]Psst: their other title, Dorfromantik, is currently 40% off - check it out :)[/p][p][/p][p]Okay, now into the actual Devlog.[/p][p][/p][p]As promised in the last Devlog, I bring you more details about Achievements.[/p][p][/p][h2]Retroactive achievements[/h2][p][/p][p]A few of you had questions like this:[/p][p][/p][p]For achievements to become active, you will likely need to start a new game. More info about this can be found in Devlog 031:[/p][p][/p][p]Even if that should change and for additional achievements after the 1.0 Release, only those achievements based on already existing stats will have progress retroactively (and it might be some effort preventing that). I am very interested in for how many of you that might be a big issue, and for how many not so much. Would you prefer retroactive achievements, or would you prefer to start fresh?[/p][p][/p][h2]Workflow[/h2][p][/p][p]Now I’d like to share how I went about designing the achievements. First, I collected our requirements for Achievements and investigated priorities. It’s one thing if only a few people making the whole game have ideas. But for the increased team it takes more to align our visions.[/p][p][/p][p]Saving effort for other improvements makes us consider what we need to prioritize for the 1.0 release, and what we can postpone to a future update. For example, we decided to not implement an in-game Achievement screen for now, and instead make use of the Steam achievement system as much as we can. Using the actual shapes as achievement icons is another time-saving trick we decided for now, which I find quite fitting.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]With the 1.0 release, we want to give you at least 30 meaningful achievements but avoid any rather complicated or high effort cases. We expect to at least add some of those in future updates though, so regarding feedback and ideas from your side the sky is the limit.[/p][p][/p][p]We've already had quite a few suggestions, like this one:[/p][p][/p][p]This achievement made it onto the “Extra for Release or after Release” list:[/p]
  • [p]"MAM (Make Anything Machine)" - Complete any random operator level without modifying your factory[/p]
[p][/p][p]For clarification on the “Extra for Release”: we are usually pretty pressed for time, BUT all in the team are so passionate about the game that ever so often, someone (especially Tobias) either finds time, or takes time (don’t ask about his weekends - he promised to behave better :D ). That’s how several features and improvements from wishlists still made it. Though you may not always want to inquire the other developers about the consequences. ;)[/p][p][/p][p]Part of the next step - Research - included refreshing general Achievements lessons from articles like Achievements 101. In short, for every achievement I need to consider your resulting game experience with it. How interesting would it be to just run the game without doing anything, for the sake of that achievement? And that’s how game design works. This would change the above achievement to this:[/p]
  • [p]"MAM (Make Anything Machine)" - Reach random operator level 200 Complete any random operator level without modifying your factory[/p]
[p][/p][p]We went through lists of achievements for shapez 1 and other factory games for inspiration and potentially homage ("good artists copy, great artists steal"), considering all existing shapez 2 objects and player actions, and of course devouring anything you might have dropped related to achievements on the shapez 2 Discord server, like this:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]I think the same. How about:[/p]
  • [p]Finish milestone W or higher, in mode X or Y/or any mode, in difficulty Z (/any difficulty except custom)[/p]
    • [p]“I’m Gonna Be” - Milestone 9, in any mode, in any difficulty except custom[/p]
    • [p]“Lucky number Slevin“ - Milestone 7, in Hard or Insane mode, in any difficulty except custom[/p]
    • [p]"As you wish.” - Milestone 6, in any mode, in difficulty challenge[/p]
    • [p]“Hex hex“ - Milestone 5, in Hexagonal mode, in any difficulty except custom[/p]
    • [p]“Life is pain, Highness.” - Milestone 4, in Insane mode, in any difficulty except custom[/p]
[p][/p][p]The names and numbers are placeholders and can be changed. But more on that later - first we need to decide what the achievements will actually be ;)[/p][p][/p][p]My research quickly resulted in a long basic list of potential achievements. There were and still always are different cases and player types to consider. Some achievements support new players to bridge the gap between the visible milestones and onboarding steps, for example:[/p]
  • [p]“Architecture”- Save a blueprint[/p]
[p][/p][p]I want players to early get on using our copy, paste, save and use blueprint features.[/p][p]Other achievements reward you for playing extensively and building up a huge factory:[/p]
  • [p]“Marathon”; "Can't stop"; …; … - Reach Operator level X (or higher)[/p]
    • [p]10; 50; 100; 500[/p]
[p][/p][p]As you can see, I am not even set on all the required achievement names yet. I am looking forward for any proposals you might have.[/p][p][/p][p]A few achievements even might require some skill and special effort. Others are for fun, for example:[/p]
  • [p]"The logo!" - Deliver the shapez 2 logo[/p]
[p][/p][p]At the same time, we don’t want to guide anyone into a bad game experience just following any additional goal we might set with a thoughtless achievement. For example:[/p]
  • [p]“I’ll be back” - Perform 800 Redos. (or perform X redos in a row)[/p]
[p][/p][p]How would you achieve that in the fastest and easiest way possible? Spamming the hotkey 800 times in a row? Would that be fun? I don’t think so, that’s why:[/p]
  • [p]“I’ll be back” - Perform 800 Redos. (or perform X redos in a row)[/p]
[p][/p][p]If you think otherwise, let us know in the comments. Alice wasn't joking when she said we're always watching...[/p][p][/p][p]Additionally, we were looking for patterns among those achievements, meaning a similar mechanic but for different structures, modes, or sometimes just a progression of the same achievement. That does not only make it easier for anyone to understand, but also relieves our team from implementation effort, which results in more improvements somewhere else. Ideally, we can do many great achievements with one or a few patterns, for example:[/p]
  • [p]Have (at least) X amount of X entity on single map[/p]
    • [p]“Factory day”; …; …; … - Have X platform(s)[/p]
      • [p]100; 1.000; 10.000[/p]
    • [p]…; “I need trains”; “Milky way” - Have X space belt(s)[/p]
      • [p]10; 25; 100;[/p]
    • [p]“Choo choo”; …; “Tycoon” - Have X trains[/p]
      • [p]3; 10; 25[/p]
[p][/p][p]The result so far were three lists of potential achievements: a first internal to start with for setting up the systems and workflow, extended for an MPV for the release fulfilling our requirement of at least 30 achievements, and the “Extra for Release or after Release” list.[/p][p][/p][p]The next step for me was to share the list with the rest of the team, especially the colleagues which would be responsible for implementing them, also making sure no reasonable questions or foreseeable problems were left open to discuss. They took the chance to add their own ideas, feedback as players, and there were some good reasons to strike through some more achievements. One particular example is counting anything within the simulations you might remember from Devlog 027. As you might imagine, we don’t want to ruin the shapez performance for the sake of any Achievement.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Current progress and possible changes[/h2][p][/p][p]The current state of the achievements is that we have started implementing them.Hopefully, I soon come to point to add the according data, test them, have them tested (hopefully by a lot of you players) gather all the feedback and problems, and iterate. It can already start with more ideas and feedback from you. The design of shapez 2 never ends. The factory must grow.[/p][p][/p][p]One for you hardcore enthusiasts:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Quite a “Perfectionist”. It definitely needs a condition when to check. I have to sleep at least a night over this one. Maybe I find some comments when I wake up, shining some light on your perspective how you would feel about such an achievement?[/p][p][/p][p]I dearly hope you are going to like what Achievements we end up with in 1.0. But now I am looking forward to your reactions.[/p][p][/p][p]~ Ce & the shapez 2 team[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Join the community:[/h3][p]
Discord Reddit Suggestions Portal X / Twitter YouTube TikTok [/p]

Very good strategy sim Shapez 2 hits 1.0 release in November, including a "permanent factory" mode

"Peerlessly satisfying," was how RPS guides editor and self-described "Anton Ego of factory games" Ollie Toms summarised Shapez 2 back at early access launch in August 2024. Throwing caution to the winds, he suggested that it had "turned the holy trinity of factory games (Factorio, Satisfactory, Dyson Sphere Program) into a holy quartet."


To tinker with such perfection is surely tempting the wrath of the gods, but nonetheless, developers tobspr Games have been meddling. They've just announced that they hope to release the automation strategy sim into 1.0 this November, together with a new mode, proper modding support, and Steam achievements.

Read more

shapez 2 is aiming for the 1.0 update in November with a new game mode

shapez 2 is a wonderfully chilled factory building sim that recently had a huge upgrade, and hopefully in November it will be ready for the full release.

Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/07/shapez-2-is-aiming-for-the-1-0-update-in-november-with-a-new-game-mode/