SpaceChem Demo

Interesting game concepts usually come out as indie productions nowadays, while the big studios are working hard on releasing prequels and HD remakes to old titles. Gamers do not mind, on the other hand, as long as they get to play something nice and have a blast while doing it. Hence, realistic graphics and professional voice acting doesn’t mean much, if you haven’t got the right idea to begin with.

SpaceChem is a challenging puzzle game in which you get to play the role of an engineer tasked with producing the materials needed for human colonies on far away planets. In order to obtain the needed molecules and compounds, he must start off with individual atoms, which have to be combined in order to obtain the desired element and the process must be automated as well.

There is also a richer background story going on as you play along, but it doesn’t really interfere with the gameplay at all, nor is it very well told. In essence, the colonies are also in danger due to another race of aliens, which is never good news when you happen to be in deep space. You won’t really have too much time to deal with such problems, on the other hand, because the puzzles barely give you enough time to sleep, let alone concentrate on complex plots.

Your main goal throughout the game is to transport atoms in such a way as to create chemical compounds. There are plenty of rules involved, such as the fact that the atoms cannot touch each other as they move around the circuit. As you continue solving them, the puzzles get more and more difficult, exceptionally so toward the end.

Because of that, the rest of the game is quite simple, especially when it comes to graphics, which are two-dimensional. A lot of work went into making the interface accessible and straightforward, with both mouse and keyboard shortcuts, depending on your preferences. Hence, your entire attention can be concentrated on solving the compounds and beating the game.

When it’s all said and done, SpaceChem is all about the complicated puzzles, because nothing else is that impressive anyway. However, once you get hooked by the mechanics and you realize that you are free to give any solution you want, as long as it works, then you are bound to spend a few hours with the game.