Block Factory News

Hello everyone!

We have now released our first major update for the Block Factory playtest. This update is shaped by the feedback and suggestions you’ve shared on Feature Upvote (our public board). It brings a number of major changes to the game thanks to the insights we’ve gathered since the playtest began!

Invites have been sent to all who have applied to participate, don’t forget to request access if you haven’t already!

Save files have been wiped and all progress has been reset.

Check out the full changelist here:

[h3]New content[/h3]

• New level: Dinner
  
• New figurines:
  
  • Tuna Sushi
    
  • Omelette Sushi
    
  • Egg
• New machines:
  
  • Rounder. Use a Rounder to modify pieces and give them a smooth finish.
    
  • Bleacher. Paint any block white without dyes.
    
  • Burner. Paint any block black without dyes.
    
  • Double Cutter. This machine allows you to keep both sides of a cut figure, enabling recycling of materials. It must be unlocked through the Upgrades Menu.

[h3]User Interface & Usability Improvements[/h3]

• The tutorial now has a button to better guide you through the steps.
  
• Added visual Hotkeys throughout the UI to help you navigate the game with more ease.
  
• If you click on the side panel "Complete Diorama" when you deliver all the figurines, it will now open the Diorama Window instead of centering the Diorama on screen.
  
• Added a Top View (Hotkey "T") feature to give a new perspective to the game, letting you see all machines properly without them hiding behind others.
  
• Dragging the camera with the mouse will now more accurately keep the floor under the mouse in place.
  
• Camera rotation now follows your mouse instead of setting a constant rotating speed.

[h3]Machine & Conveyor Mechanics[/h3]

• Machine speed is now represented in Units Per Second (u/s) to calculate optimal machine placement more easily.
  
• Most machine speeds have been tweaked to align with Piece and Dye Dispensers output speeds (1 u/s).
  
• Conveyors now behave more smoothly.
  
• Conveyors auto-connect to machines and other conveyors when placed adjacent to them.
  
• Teleporters now have a brief delay when receiving a piece for the first time, matching the time it takes a conveyor to move that piece from TP-input to TP-output.
  
• Subsequent pieces are teleported at the same rate as a conveyor (4 u/s).
  
• When making a big selection, the Machine Actions menu now appears on screen, even if the selection area was previously off-screen.

[h3]Upgrades & Machines[/h3]

• The Upgrade System of the Island Menu has been improved with the following changes:
  
  • Added visual representation for each unlockable machine.
    
  • Easier navigation and understanding of the upgrade section.
    
  • Upgrade costs have been tweaked so you can upgrade more items.

[h3]Bug Fixes & Performance[/h3]

• Fixed several reported minor bugs and softlock issues.

Thank you all for your feedback and suggestions, we can't wait to hear your thoughts and feedback on this update!

Hello everyone!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the playtest so far. If you have a few minutes, please take the time to fill out our player satisfaction survey. Your feedback is invaluable and will help us enhance the overall experience for everyone!

Survey

Our first update for the Block Factory playtest will be released later this week. This update is shaped by the feedback and suggestions you’ve shared on Feature Upvote (our public board) and through the insights we’ve gathered since the playtest began.

A lot of your feedback has focused on key areas like the tutorial, user interface, user experience, and controls. So, you can expect most of the changes to target these elements. We’ll be sharing a detailed change log once the update goes live later this week.

Additionally, this update will introduce a new level featuring three brand-new figurines. Stay tuned for more details as we reveal the new content. Bonus points if you can guess the theme!

Don’t forget to sign up for the playtest if you haven’t, the plan is to accept everyone on the waiting list once the new update is live!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2827680/Block_Factory/

Hello everyone, we’re excited to announce that the Block Factory playtest is live!

In last week’s blog post we shared what content is available in the playtest. Since then, we have decided to add the following features:

• Challenge Mode: Once you have completed an Island/Level in the Campaign Mode, you will be able to play it in the Challenge Mode. In this mode, speed is key! You will have to deliver a certain amount of each figurine as fast as you can to get a star rank. If you want 3 stars, you will need to optimise your factory!
  
• Tech Tree / Upgrade System: After delivering the first unit of a figurine, your factory will continue to produce more units that will be stored. After delivering X units of a figurine, you will be rewarded with a coin. Coins are used in the Archipelago Menu to buy new machines, upgrade mechanics or improve your production speed.

[h3]Bug reports, Feedback and Suggestions[/h3]
We’ve set up a public bug tracker and suggestions board, Feature Upvote, that allows you to submit any issues you might be experiencing, or suggestions you might like to see added or changed, and vote on them as a community. This gives us a clearer view of how prevalent each issue or idea is and prioritise accordingly.

We love to involve the community in our development, we value all suggestions and feedback as we work together to build a better game.

You can also join our Discord to discuss your ideas with us and other players!


[h3]Content Creators[/h3]
You are free to live stream, record and share videos of the playtest. We would appreciate it if you mention that the build you are playing is a playtest / beta version of Block Factory. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions or requests via Twitter / X or on our Discord server.


[h3]Haven’t signed up yet?[/h3]
For those of you who haven’t signed up yet, don’t worry you haven’t missed out. The playtest will run until September 2nd so don’t forget to request access by signing up on Steam!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2827680/Block_Factory/

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to share them in the comments and we’ll try our best to answer them all.

Hello everyone! We’ve been hard at work preparing the Block Factory playtest, and we’re excited to share with you what kind of content you can expect once you gain access.

Let’s dive right in!

In the playtest, you’ll be able to explore the first three levels (Islands) of the Pioneers Land archipelago - one of several archipelagos that will be featured in the final version of the game.

Below, you can see a sneak peek of one of the Islands that will be available in the playtest.

This Diorama has four figurines: Pumpkin, Bluebird, Crow and Scarecrow

The three Islands included in the playtest are: Ocean, Farm, and Pond. Ocean and Farm each feature four figurines, while Pond offers two, all varying in shapes, sizes, and colors for you to build using a wide array of machines.

Here’s a glimpse of some of the figurines from the different Islands: the Turtle from Ocean Island, the Crow from Farm Island, and the Frog from Pond Island.

The scale is different in-game

The figurines available in the playtest are simpler than those found in later levels; expect more challenging content in the full game.

As mentioned earlier, you’ll have access to several machines (because what’s a factory without its machines?) that will become available as you progress. Each machine plays a unique role, allowing you to advance from constructing small figurines to larger, more complex ones that will challenge your puzzle-solving skills!

We can’t wait to open up this playtest to you and would love to hear your thoughts on what we’ve shared in this post. Don’t forget to sign up for the playtest and wishlist Block Factory if you haven't already!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2827680/Block_Factory/

Hello everyone!

We've received a few questions from you since we announced Block Factory last week, so we thought it would be a good idea to answer them here.
Feel free to share any other questions you might have in the comments and we'll get back to you as soon as possible!

[h3]What is Block Factory?[/h3]
Block Factory is a production and automation game focusing on creating 3D figurines from building blocks in a factory. Shape your models, design and optimize your assembly lines to bring your creations to life! Developed by OverPowered Team and published by Shiro Unlimited.

[h3]When is the Early Access release date?[/h3]
Q4 2024

[h3]Will there be a demo?[/h3]
Yes, in a couple of months and we’re also planning a playtest so stay tuned!

[h3]Where can I stay up to date with the latest news? [/h3]
Steam, Discord, X/Twitter, Reddit and TikTok.

[h3]What were your inspirations?[/h3]
Of course, top-tier automation games like Shapez and Factorio are among our inspirations. However, we also aimed to appeal to a broader audience, so we drew inspiration from other management games like Dorfromantik and Mini Metro.

[h3]Will it have multiplayer or co-op features?[/h3]
Not at EA launch.

[h3]What are the minimum and recommended system specs to run Block Factory?[/h3]


[h3]What languages will be supported?[/h3]
English, French, Italian, German, Spanish (Spain), Galician, Russian, Simplified Chinese

[h3]Will mods be supported?[/h3]
No plans for mod support.

[h3]Will Steam Deck or controllers be supported?[/h3]
No plans at this moment in time, but we are open to exploring this depending on the demand.


[h3]Will there be achievements?[/h3]
Yes.

[h3]Can I join a playtest?[/h3]
Yes but your access will not be guaranteed.

[h3]How can I support the development of Block Factory?[/h3]
You can support us by wishlisting the game on Steam, signing up for the playtest and following us on social media.