If you’re a fan of base-building and management games like Satisfactory and Factorio that let you create mammoth automated networks of conveyor belts, pipes, and vehicles to run a mining and manufacturing network, Captain of Industry is one you’ll want to be keeping an eye on. Since its launch via Steam Early Access in May 2022, the sandbox game has racked up a 94% positive user rating, with its most recent reviews trending even higher, and developer MaFi Games just launched a major update alongside a nice Steam sale discount.
Captain of Industry update 2 just launched on Steam, and there’s a whole heap of upgrades in here from two-person studio MaFi Games. Top of the list is the new map editor, a powerful freeform tool that lets you quickly create, tweak, and adjust the landscape to your desires, employing the sandbox game’s procedural generation tools and taking advantage of its new, more realistic looking erosion simulation. Create the perfect layout for your dream factory, or build challenge maps and share them with the community.
To help put this new feature through its paces, MaFi Games has revamped and improved all the pre-existing map types. This includes the addition of new starting locations to help add more variety to playthroughs, along with the creation of new map Armageddon, which takes advantage of the fourfold map size increase and is now the largest official map in the game so far, with the obvious focal point being the colossal crater at its center.
There’s much more besides that, however. Vehicle pollution is now a consideration, although hydrogen-powered alternatives to the standard diesel trucks and cargo ships can help reduce that. New conveyor lifts and stackable balancers unlock some powerful potential for more compact vertical construction, while custom surface materials and decals let you transform your factory into something that feels unique to you.
There are also plenty of new tree types, clearer labeling on pipes, tank trucks, fluid storage, and a sorting tool for ores. Alongside the choice of three difficulty settings, you’ll also be able to dig in deeper and make more granular tweaks to the challenge provided by certain elements. You can also take out loans now, and if you repay them promptly you’ll boost your credit score to get better rates in the future.
If you’ve already been playing Captain of Industry prior to update 2, MaFi games says all save files from update 1 are fully compatible, including all the new features, although you’ll need to start a new game to take advantage of the overhauled maps and improved terrain generation. If you haven’t played before, now’s a great time to start thanks to a big Steam sale discount.
Captain of Industry is on sale for 20% off on Steam until Friday, April 19. If you’re jumping in for the first time, then, expect to pay $23.99/£19.99 if you buy it now in the wake of this latest update, down from the usual price of $29.99/£24.99.
Alternatively, we’ve got even more of the best management games if you’re a big fan of overseeing everything from facilities and teams to countries and beyond. If you just love constructing, meanwhile, the best building games are the place to be.
You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some bargains.