Factorio and RimWorld are perfect examples of a very specific type of game. Between Cities Skylines 2, Civilization 6, and Stellaris, strategy sims are always about a kind of efficiency – making the right decisions, creating the perfect road and building networks, and striking a balance between democracy, industry, culture, and diplomacy. Factorio, RimWorld, and other hits like Satisfactory take this process to the next level, as you slowly design a flawless, automated world, and then step back to marvel at your perfectly ordered masterpiece. Into this unique sub genre steps a contender. Factorio and RimWorld may be the biggest names in the automation game, but a huge Steam strategy sim, that’s just got a big new update, is here to stir the pot.
This is Desynced, or, to give it its full title, Desynced Autonomous Colony Simulator. An automation strategy game with a twist, you play a stranded space explorer who needs to discover and mine resources, and convert them into ship parts, so you can make it back home. First up, there are no conveyor belts – your robotic helpers will automatically move components to where you need them, or, if you need more advanced behaviors, you give your drones custom paths and scripts. Secondly, all of your drones can be transformed and customized. Desynced’s drag-and-drop editor lets you improve and enhance your existing units, and outfit them for every different task.
Research technologies. Build a production chain. Explore the vibrant alien world. Desynced’s brand-new Exploration update adds dynamic weather, changing seasons, and more varied reactions and behaviors to the planet’s wildlife. There are new areas of interest to discover, new bot types to create, and new missions – special, scripted events you can find in the map that require you to complete a certain set of building tasks to unlock more components and utilities.
Desynced is still in Steam Early Access, with five more substantial updates on the way. But if you want to get in on the ground floor of the next big automation sim, you can check it out right now.
Alternatively, try some of the other best management games on PC, or perhaps the best grand strategy games of all time.
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