Oddsparks: An Automation Adventure

As someone who both loves automation games and always leans towards "summoner" type playstyles in any game that supports it, this game is an amazing experience that lets me scratch both itches at once! Best described as an automation game where you use an army of magic little dudes to move items from place to place or solve various other problems, it has a good difficulty curve for something on the "cozier" end of the automation genre, and the crafting trees are never too annoyingly "complex for the sake of being complex" like you see in other automation games like Captain of Industry. It definitely feels different to use "creatures on a path" instead of conveyor belts like in other games, but it's easy to get the hang of and feels nice to use and is a good change of pace once you master the paths and different path addons. The combat in the game is a rather simple pikmin style combat, where most enemies have a unique gimmick that you have to engage with. There is also an endgame tower defence style section that has a similar vibe to factorio's base defence, while still working well with its own combat system. I would say, however, that up until then, combat is definitely not the "main" focus of the game unless you like to make a lot of mob farms. With the world settings released in 1.0, each playthrough is also highly customizable, allowing you to change things like how fast buildings make stuff, enemy respawn rate, combat difficulty, weather you start with the ability to place certain "unique" buildings anywhere, or even weather you can modify the terrain. The game also has a very nicely done and consistent art style that fits very well with the vibe of the game, and also a nice variety of character customization options! All in all, if you like automation games and you'd like a game where you can command little minions, I would very much recommend this game! Edit: Unfortunately this game suffers from some serious performance issues late game. After some investigating on the game's community discord, it appears that the game doesn't use more than 1 CPU core. For a factory game I don't understand this decision, and it means that even with my CPU that can handle late game satisfactory and factorio, Oddsparks is a challenge, and I get some very stuttery gameplay in the late game. This doesn't bother me too much to change from recommended, but keep this in mind if you don't have the CPU of a NASA supercomputer. Lastly, I see a lot of bad reviews for this game that complain about things that were either fixed in 1.0, can be customized with world settings (Such as one of the main resources, aether, not being automatable. Buddy, just read the quest logs and use a spark thrower. You can also automate this resource the traditional way later on. Combat too grindy? There's a world setting for that. Terrain annoying you? There's a world setting for that. Don't like running around to complete quests? Supply chests early world setting.) or are just plain silly. I get if the game is not their type, but this game has a disproportionate amount of reviews about stuff where their issue is either fixable with the click of a button, or isn't an issue at all. Another bad review I see a lot (which is very on the edge of not following steam's community guidelines, I might add) is people complaining about "raaawr LGBT+ in your face!" See, there's a set of LGBT flag cape styles that you have to unlock at the completely optional cosmetics NPC. If you don't unlock it, it doesn't appear in your customization menu. Quite literally as far out of your face as possible. The only way it can be "in their faces" is if they're running around wearing the cosmetics they complain about. The bad reviewers also comment a lot about "unrealistic diversity" when it's been mentioned by the devs that the NPCs were based on/inspired by the dev team themselves. What are the devs supposed to do, change their genetics? But hey, maybe the army of magic sentient logs in this game can listen to their complaints about "realism". If one is still on the fence about this game after seeing bad reviews, it has a very active discord server and a helpful community that can help and answer questions!

Oddsparks: an automation nightmare is a combination of pikmin and automation games yet both aspects are poorly implemented. Pikmins in this game are called "sparks" and there are many of them with different stats. Some are good at carrying stuff, some are good at crafting. Some can cut trees, some can break boulders. Some are good at fighting, some are good at supporting. Concept is cool but it gets stale pretty quick. Most of the time you'll be using them to clear obstructions for your production facilities. There are no puzzle aspects. Some of them have niche uses that you will use once or twice and never again probably. Combat is dull, mostly rushing to enemies all at once and calling them back before they die. Some enemies require strategizing and getting right combinations of sparks but after the first few fights it becomes repetitive. Automation part starts poorly as you will spend quite a bit of time trying to understand spark behavior, pathing and trying to optimize factory layouts by experimenting, finally realizing it is impossible to make a max performance production line with what you've given at the start. Too much sparks on paths? You get traffic jams. Too few of them? System barely works. Splitters, bridges? More the messier as they slow sparks down and get congested. Also some buildings can only be placed on certain locations, thus further preventing pathway optimization.  Item production amounts per minute is also extremely awkward and often causes confusion. For example one workstation produces item "x" at a rate of... 5.6 per minute? Why pick such a weird number? Another station requires item "x" at 3.8 per minute... It feels like they want me to make a 2:3 set up here but if the numbers are correct then i can't supply 3 of these (11.4) with 2 stations (11.2). Even if production was slightly higher you couldn't build such a setup because there will be efficiency loss during conveying without getting some later tier sparks like haulers. So you give up trying to maximize outputs and build "barely efficient" work stations until the game gives you the right tools in later tiers. This feels completely unsatisfactory. Resource distribution at the beginning is pretty rich so you may forgive inefficient builds for some time, 'til you progress through quests, reach higher tiers, use all nodes in starting area and realize that most resource nodes are clustered together in different parts of the map. Imagine satisfactory but all iron mines are in the west and all copper mines are in the east. You want to create a product that requires wood, stone and a few ancient bases? Well good fucking luck finding a place all three are close by. Even if you do, you will get more complex recipes that will require more resources. Only sensible solution to this is to make huge railway networks, and if you don't want to spend hours trying to figure out signalization to avoid your trains crashing into each other, you will be building lots of ugly loops of railroads. Don't forget to make fueling stations for each one too! Automation at later stages of the game is not getting nicer either. It becomes so frustrating and tedious that i can barely keep up with it without taking breaks. Unlike other factory games where "one more production line" mentality makes hours fly, every time i unlock a new stuff to mass produce i feel burned out and mentally prepare for the next abomination of a production line. Currently at tier 8, i can't stomach to make nonsensical regurgitation of garden/plant extractor chains and feedback loops game wants me to put together. I'm done. If you like pikmin solely for combat aspect, don't care about efficiency in your factories, love traffic jams and endless network of railroads then you would like this game. Otherwise, there are much better automation games to sink your hours into.

It's an original concept but it misses the mark, unfortunately. It's nice and has charm, but you really can't automate at scale due to how its mechanics are designed. It's more frustrating than stimulating, and it gets worse as you progress. Just read the negative review from a guy called Taxman, posted on 1 June. It sums up the issues perfectly.

At first, the game is fun and cute. The pikmin style sparks and the unique path system (instead of conveyor belts) is refreshing at first because it makes you think a little differently than a lot of other automation style games. The problem though, is the pacing. The game forces you to stop working on your factory and to go explore. Then you get access to something new -- but you won't have access to all the stuff you need to start using it. The progress feels unrewarding, the pacing is very disjointed. Just let me automate!!

I love this game! If you like factory type games with adventure then try this. I never give perfect 10's so I will give this game a 9.99999999999/10 because it is so addictive.

After 100+ hours, I found this game created a real love/hate relationship with my Automation itch. If you're searching for another Satisfactory/Dyson Sphere/Factorio experience, you are in the wrong place. The Love The overall whimsical theme is designed well and blends well together. I found the graphics, sounds, and animations all cute and entertaining. The combination of semi-automation (will get more into that later) and hunting local wildlife is a bit of a twist I was not expecting. The concept of Sparks comes off very entertaining as well. It presents a unique challenge implementing the right Sparks for the right task(s). The use of temperature as a way to challenge the player into organizing factories was a clever means to force some outside-the-box thinking. I enjoyed that. The Hate There are great many design considerations that simply do not make sense. Tasks are offered with goal requirements that don't even exist yet. This is because you haven't unlocked that item yet. So you wind up with 4 un-finishable tasks until one other task is completed. Why give the task, if there is zero ability to complete it? Each tier of progression felt like an effort to coerce you into automating to a certain point, and then tasking you entirely different requirements that offer zero overlap. All the previous factory work simply sits ideal with no meaningful purpose ever again. The concept of re-using an existing factory for future goals simply isn't feasible in most phases of the game progression. The design of the train system is the weakest area. Awkward load/unload design limitations necessitate dozens of train stations with little ability to re-use excess output from other parts of an existing factory. You wind up with 4 different factory areas producing the exact same sub-component because spacing in a (yet another) train station forces too much re-design of Spark pathways. Overall I found the use of (true) automation quite limited, and the connectivity between automation areas too tedious at best, downright obnoxious at worst. The game map itself is used to force you to traverse huge swaths of empty usable space with multiple rail lines back and forth to an extent it's nigh impossible to understand even the simplest flaw in your supply routes. Conclusion For a game with the word "Automation" literally in the title, this game falls far short until you have reached nearly the end. Only the last 2-3 tiers offer any meaningful sort of automation. I spent vastly more time teleporting mats around the map to resolve goals. The effort to automate those goals was simply too tedious for the trivial amounts involved in most of the task requirements. This left me substantially disappointed by the time I reached the end-game scenario. I was expecting an expansive network of production factories all working towards a set of common goals. Poor task requirement design made sure there was no chance of that happening. This game should be more aptly named "OddSparks: The Teleporting Wizard"

A true hidden gem. Genuinely unbelievable how high quality and polished this game is. Fluid intuitive controls with both mouse/keyboard as well as controller. Little to no bugs. Art style and sound design is beautifully congruent. The gameplay is complex but simple, in all the best ways. Really glad I found this one!

LOVE it!!! Quests keep you going, automation is done well and there is some fighting... Not a fan of the end part...

Fantastic game that felt like I was playing pikmin in a really nice version of factorio. It was a bit more fuzzy towards the edges of optimization so it felt far more chill than other factory builders but just as deep with very satisfying progression. Got to the end once all unorganized, said eff it and just restarted the whole game again. So 2 runs later and im still praising it. Well worth the buy

This game exceeded my expectations. It manages to be unique and compelling beyond the elevator pitch of "cute factory game but with walking paths and pikmin whistling." I enjoyed my beat-the-game playthrough and completing the quests and setting up a giant realm-spanding one direction rail line. I don't think this game competes with the extended playthroughs and tweaking and tinkering that a certain factory game with almost 10 years of QoL and usability features provides. However, co-op performance needs to be addressed. While working on tier 8 or 9 as the non-host my typical framerate went all the way down to 15 FPS on an i7-12700. In-game graphics settings had virtually no effect. Going around and removing old production lines and all spark activators brought me back to a playable 30 FPS, which isn't great but at least it's not nauseating. By the time we beat the game my FPS was back down to 15 FPS, even though we only added the slime farms and final challenge. Loading the same post-game save file solo brings me to 30 FPS, so something isn't right.

[h2]TL;DR[/h2] [b]Score:[/b] ★★★★☆ A visually intuitive and charming automation-puzzle hybrid with surprising complexity and fun exploration. Best for players who enjoy logistics with a creative twist and don't mind some manual combat along the way. [h2]Details[/h2] The main difference to other automation games is that you let little creatures called sparks gather resources and transport them instead of using belts. [b]Core Automation Mechanics[/b] • Core systems feel puzzle-like due to tight building constraints and location-based placement rules. • Production chains are interdependent and often circular, requiring careful planning. • Automation is visually represented through Spark movement - clear, satisfying, and easy to follow. [i]The core building and logictics loop is really fun. The circular chains make it a bit hard to plan, but it is very rewarding once it all works together, especially with train networks. In general, it is very fun to build a small scale factory of everything, but less fun to build huge factories (see modularity)[/i] [b]Modularity & Scalability[/b] • Lacks blueprinting tools, which limits modular design and reuse of production blocks. • Building placement restrictions prevent full creative freedom until late-game. • Scale is achievable, but it is less fun due to contraints of paths and building space • Due to lack of blueprints a lot of elements need to be micro-managed even in late game, very different from a game like Shapez 2 [i]Great for puzzle fans, but less suited to megabase-style planners.[/i] [b]World Design & Exploration & Combat[/b] • Exploration is essential - some buildings can only be placed in specific regions and you want to find the best spots for your factories, too. • Story exists, but it’s minimal and not the primary reason to play. • Pikmin-style combat is fun and requires you to learn the attack patters - especially later enemies can kill many sparks at once, moreover you have incentives to build and automate better sparks for easier combat • Waypoints exist to make it easy to move across large distances, but they need to supplied with resources so it is linked to your supply chains [i]You’re actively encouraged to eventually explore the whole map and think about a good waypoint network[/i] [b]Learning Curve & Onboarding[/b] • Quest system guides players smoothly through mechanics. • Tooltips and UI provide support for understanding systems. [i]A great entry point for players newer to the genre, without dumbing things down.[/i] [b]Progression & Pacing[/b] • Progression is decently paced, unlocking complexity steadily, however it can feel a bit slow at times, especially because it is not so much fun to build large scale factories so you sometimes rather want to build and wait (or do something else like combat or exploration in the meantime) [i]Engaging pace, though some bottlenecks come up.[/i] [b]UI/UX & Controls[/b] • Controls are intuitive and adapted well for both mouse/keyboard and controllers, including Steam Deck. • Good UI for tracking production stats [i]Factory planning feels good and approachable thanks to responsive controls and strong visual feedback. However, in the late game like for most automation games a separate spreadsheet is helpful in my opinion to keep a better overview of all the production rates etc.[/i] [b]Visuals & Clarity[/b] • Charming, colorful art style that’s also highly functional. • Nice and diverse set of NPCs and flexible character creator • Spark movement makes logistics extremely easy to parse at a glance. • Some decorative elements exist for factory beautification, but customization is limited compared to games like Satisfactory. [i]One of the most legible automation games out there, with a cute style that doesn't sacrifice clarity.[/i] [b]Performance & Stability[/b] • Runs well even on the Steam Deck. • No major bugs or stability issues encountered. • Some little visual glitches around edges and ledges [i]Stable gameplay also on the Steam deck without major issues.[/i] [b]Replayability & Endgame[/b] • Replay value mostly comes from trying new layout solutions within constraints. • In the endgame you are required you to defend your base which adds a completely new element to it - it was fun and nicely linked to production chains to have enough sparks to defend • Pikmin-style combat becomes a bit repetitive later on. • I had a great time during Early Access and again with 1.0 - almost 200 hours in total - but it’s not an endless-play kind of game. [i]Best experienced once or twice with real depth, but not an infinite sandbox.[/i] [b]Multiplayer / Co-op[/b] • Co-op multiplayer is available, but I haven't tested it personally, but I can imagine it being fun [h2]Verdict[/h2] [b]Recommended for:[/b] Fans of automation with puzzle elements and players who look for an automation on the go (like for the Steam deck) [b]Avoid if:[/b] You rely heavily on blueprinting, large-scale modular builds, or dislike manual combat. [i]Oddsparks is a unique and charming take on factory-building that rewards visual thinking and exploration over raw scale. A fresh perspective for the genre, especially good on the go.[/i]

There's enough design decisions that irk me that my levels of annoyance eclipsed my enjoyment of the game. - inventory management is a pain - the random map generation seemed to put everything in awkward places - the solution to most logistic problems seems to just be throw more spark bodies at the problem which feels bad - automating aether is not intuitive. There's a quest for it, but using stumpy sparks is a trap, and you have to make sure not to aim the launcher at the enemy spawner lest your choppy sparks destroy it. Both points being very important to know, but aren't explained in game. - mountain teleporters don't have a good fuel source which is annoying for what amounts to just a QOL kind of thing. - it seems like the best way to play is to set up a production line, afk for 10 minutes, then set up the next part. The fact that containers do not have limits means that if you want any buffer than some machines will get starved at the start till things fill up These are just the issues I recall right now. This is more optimizer in me being annoyed which isn't a problem if you just want a cozy automation game, but that is not what I want. So I can't recommend this as an automation game.

I want to like this game but I can only play for 30 minutes at a time before I get annoyed at it, usually I come up for air every 3-4 hours. I can lose 50 sparks in a single combat, and I get that's on me but, I play these types of games because I am crap at any combat more complicated than click on something until it dies. I am always running out of materials for building and having to refill my inventory. Way points are excellent but the majority of my trains are to keep them running. Having multiple of a factory with more than 1 input is crazy messy.

the base game and concept is good, and quite enjoyable. my only issue is the limitations to maximising the efficiency of the production lines - mainly the splitter you unlock unable to keep up with a steady line of traffic, making it bottleneck and making it impossible for it to be maximised. however, if you aren't so focused on that aspect of the game, definitely buy it.

this game is EPIC you can sit and play for like 10 hours. it just a bit thick at the start if your new to supply chain game but you learn fast. overall it's great, so much content, fun, chill, and good multiplayer.

Game has a few mechanics that differentiate it from others in the genre. Unfortunately, the ultimate progression is tied around item deliveries at such excessive quantities. Poor mechanics involving the terrain, logistics, and machinery limit the efficiency of meeting these quantities and make progression a long, arduous slog. By Tier Nine, the requirements for delivering to progress are so complicated and excessive that I lost interest in this game entirely. Especially for the fact that some required materials cannot be farmed automatically and thus requires you to hand (spark) harvest these resources at high quantity. Overall the progression system in this game forces you to spend excessive time doing the same actions for an entirely lackluster reward.

Interesting concept but doesn't scratch the itch for these kinds of games and is ultimately boring. I was willing to see where it went until the recent updates were pointless nonsense.

A nice relaxing spin on the classic factory sim. I usually create mega bases, but with Oddsparks I had to think differently and I enjoyed that. There is depth in gameplay here. I am about 40 hours in and it feels like I am near the final tiers. I've enjoyed my time and am looking forward to completing this game. I haven't done anything with the logic pieces. I felt like they were unlockable super early on, but I never found a strong use for them. I plan to explore that later.

Interesting twist to factory games, automation is through the labor of small wooden automatons. Simple patterns (so far). Glad I picked it up.

cute lil sparks also fun gameplay with better progression than game like factorio

This is a combination of Factorio and Pikmin. Take the two, put them in a blender add in some multiplayer fun and you have Oddspark. I have been playing the game with my son and it has been an amazing experience the whole time. The pacing is spot on as well. Go buy it and have a great time with it.

Cute af co-op automation game, lots of content, feels more approachable than some of the others. Also has more exploration than usual + cute pikmin style bois that follow you around. Also the trains are amazing. Love them. Highly recommended!

I've just completed the first biome in this game and I can already tell I'm going to be sinking some serious hours into this game. It's cute on the surface but there's so much to it once you start to build larger and more complex structures. Very much hoping other friends start playing it so I can start talking to them about it! Would absolutely recommend for anyone who likes automation, resource allocation, optimisation games or cozy games.

Oddsparks is a charming automation-driven strategy game where cute little creatures do the heavy lifting — a bit like Pikmin, but you probably already knew that. With 6 hours of playtime under my belt, I figured it’s time to share my impressions. So far, I’m having a great time. The game is engaging, and its mechanics feel fresh and unique. What I like: 1. The Sparks do the grinding and automation for you, which is both fun and efficient. 2. A distinctive fantasy art style and creature design that give the game a unique vibe. 3. Great exploration and inventive gameplay mechanics. I’ve read some of the negative reviews and want to address a few common points: 1. This game is not Satisfactory or Factorio — and it’s not trying to be. I’ve finished both, and I really appreciate that Oddsparks offers something different. It’s not a clone; it’s a new experience. 2. “You can’t build neatly”? Actually, you can — you just need to build modularly. 3. “Sparks get stuck”? Only if your planning is poor. With thoughtful design, that issue vanishes. What I don’t like: 1. The camera controls are a bit limited, similar to isometric RPGs. It can be frustrating. That’s honestly the only drawback I’ve encountered in six hours of fun. So, what’s the verdict? If you’ve enjoyed Factorio, Satisfactory, or Dyson Sphere Program, you’ll find Oddsparks delivers a fresh and creative take on automation. Highly recommended — now back to playing! :)

Most of the performance issues are completely resolved with the 1.0 version. This game has to be one of my favorite factory builders, with features I've enjoyed from satisfactory, factorio, and more. Don't let the simple start fool you... the complexity and puzzles emerge as the content deepens, and I'm already looking forward to replaying this since the world is randomly generated. Please note, I did not evaluate multiplayer yet. I have reasons to believe that autosave may make multiplayer a bit trickier, as I can see the lag spike when playing locally with a large world. That said, the game has been rock-solid so I doubt crashes will be an issue.

This game is an excellent combination of familiar mechanics and themes from Pikmin and Factorio coupled with adorable graphics and sounds. It blends to make a very addicting factory-grower game that leaves you with the classic "Just one more production line before I go to bed..." and then boom, it's 3 am.

The game is quirky and fun, though a bit too grindy at times. It takes a while to fully automate everything, mostly because you need to carefully plan the railway system, dismantle outdated tier logistics, and rebuild most setups to suit the terrain. I managed to fit several production sites onto a single mountain peak using the game’s mechanics and logic gates, and the result is incredibly satisfying. The worst part, though, is the final stage of the tower defense. The Spark AI basically "Nope, I'm not doing this" and stops everything amidst the hoard of enemies because of the sheer number of items and enemies on the floor. It’s not quite on the level of Satisfactory complexity since there’s no verticality. It’s more similar to Factorio in that sense. But a snap tool would be nice. Make the rails system look good is another kind of nightmare.

It's a factory game with some aspects of Pikmin. You do everything with little golems called Sparks. Spark tasks come in 3 broad categories: Fighting, operating machines, and carrying stuff. Fighting is where the game feels like Pikmin, you have a horde of combat-focused Sparks following you around, and you fling them at enemies. Most of the more advanced enemies require that you call for your Sparks to retreat to avoid a large attack with a big wind-up, or a temporary cloud of poison gas. When the danger's past, you fling them into combat again, usually to the rear of your target. Operating machines is straightforward. Most machines require 1 or 2 Sparks to operate. Some Sparks get a bonus for operations, doubling or tripling machine output. Things that you'd do in another factory game with conveyor belts, you do by laying out paths and assigning Sparks to carry stuff. This leads to some frustration that isn't present in other factory games. Sparks always attempt to turn right at any intersection, which leads to a large number of situations where layouts have a "handed" aspect. For example, if you want to put in an overflow storage container, it has to be on the left, since the Sparks visit that after doing everything on the right. Many layouts that look like that ought to work, don't because of the right-turn rule. The game includes logic gates, including NOT, AND, OR, XOR, SET / RESET, and Flip-Flops. There's a *lot* of things you can do with the logic. I used it extensively to control my train network, including things like remote stations requesting items from a central source. The game has trains. They're primitive compared to most factory games. The trains themselves have no intelligence or routing. Rather, they follow the rail, and do whatever the rails tell them do to. It's *possible* to create complex train networks with this limit, but much more work. You can mark trains with up to 4 objects, and track junctions can switch trains based on that identifier. You can also create logic circuits to operate track switches, which can be essential for telling a train to bypass a station that's full. Unfortunately the logic can't sense trains or their contents, only conditions on the surface. "Must use actual objects to identify things" is a painful limit when you're trying to route coal trains. What object do you use to distinguish the trains going to different branches? Once you're doing anything more complex than "Coal means this train carries coal," the identifiers are arbitrary and hard to remember. The production chain aspects of the game are generally pretty good, though a couple of the bigger more complex items are marginal once you've completed the related quests. The giant Copper Sapling greenhouse, for example, essentially converts fertilizer into copper, but at a rate that's so painfully slow that it's of no value compared to ordinary copper mines. The user interface is painfully bad in places. In particular, the build menu is rather awful. There are only 5 slots in the quick-select menu, which is too few for most tasks. You can switch between 4 sets of quick-select options, which, combined with the 5 slot limit, is just not enough for everything you'll need to do. For example, I typically was building paths, exploring, building railways, or building logic circuits. Which is 4 modes, except that I needed at least 8 items on a regular basis when building paths. The biggest problem with the build menu, though, is that it has 3 modes, and it's unpredictable which mode you'll be enter. Worse, pressing the B hotkey is not the same as clicking Build with the mouse. Despite 145 hours into the game, I *frequently* found myself in a build mode I wasn't expecting. In short, it's a good factory game, if a painfully flawed one. It's not a top-tier factory game like Factorio or Satisfactory, but if you enjoy the genre, it's well worth your time.

First things first, this is a light yes for me. At this point, I'd recommend to wait for the game to be on sale to buy it, like I did. Note: I'll try to avoid any spoiler but you may find some technical aspects of the game described below. I do like this game's gameplay overall. It's fun, and the route system for those pets named "sparks" is cool. Now there's still a few downsides: - too much farming. When the quantities gets in the hundreds if not close to thousands, it becomes an afk game, which is a bit saddening. And concerting, as it doesn't match with what's made out of it. - lack of story - there's a village, but you just go there for missions, you spend your life outside. From a conceptual standpoint, why the heck are you doing all of that for pretty much no personal benefits? I believe the character should have like a mansion or something, which he can grow and get benefits from using his sparks. That would make sense. - exploration isn't rewarding. This is the biggest downside for me. You can roam around, but you won't be able to activate shrines you visit, as their activation is blocked by some linear progression within the village. - the game gets quite repetitive over time. Now the good parts: - Your pets do the fighting, which is scarce. You can chill out most of the time. They kinda do everything actually, even pick stuff on the floor. - The pet system is fun to play with - Things are globally well though. You can automatize most stuff, and bring most things back wherever you want - the road system is quite cool. There's lots of possibilities, you can even handle traffic congestion, it's really well thought - [spoiler]those blowers on top of the mountains are so fun to travel with, I just love it [/spoiler] Thanks for reading

Game is pretty decent overhead automation style experience. The art style doesn't really do it for me but I'm probably not the target audience anyway. The tech tree is pretty well done and overall its a fairly mellow and positive experience.

I am new to automation games and thought this was a great intro to the genre for me. It's relatively simple to pick up, but as someone new to automation games I thought there is still a lot I could do to optimize my sparks and factories. I am nowhere near the level of automation that some people are looking for in this game, so I think it's perfect for me. In addition, it's really well polished and optimized, and I think the price point is good on sale (~$20). This game feels like a stepping stone into more complex automation games like Satisfactory and Factorio. I highly recommend if you are new to this genre. EDIT: I got up to tier 6-7 and wow does it get more complex. There's a lot of customizability and tools they provide for automation. It's awesome how simple and yet in depth it can get.

I recommend this to people who enjoy building things iteratively. This is not going to be fun if you think you're going to build something for a resource and be done with it on the first try. This will be fun if you enjoy seeing how the new tools you unlock and the different milestones you reach change how you would like things built. The game does a pretty good job of introducing fixes to (at least my) factory issues at different points throughout the progression. The key is to realize what you're missing and understand it will probably come soon enough. Come into this with the right mindset and you'll be able to sink hundreds of hours into the game.

- good = automation - bad = end level gameplay is not very exciting

Had a good time playing co-op with a friend. My one issue is that the problems changed from logistics puzzles to solving throughput issues in the latter stages, which makes it feel imbalanced.

Cute fun game, really enjoyed the process. The end gets a little grind but it is worth it. Highly recommend!

The concept of having an adventure along the way to automation is pretty neat, and the sparks are an interesting alternative to automation, with different ones specializing in combat, transporting resources, or crafting components. Like most automation games, later game can be a bit daunting, because it is designed to be automated, not done manually. If you do it manually until that point, then it feels insane; if you set up automation along the way, it isn't bad. Ultimately, setting up a large train loop with junctions allows for pretty easy movement of resources (sans cave area) and balances out the higher levels pretty well.

Very cute automation game, but don't let the simplicity of it fool you, it can get quite advanced. Biggest con would be you need to get to Haulers, Trains and magic storage for it to really open, which will take a few hours, up til then it feels quite limited in scope. Having played quite a while and almost finished the mountains, was surprised to see there were two more zones to go through, so a surprising amount of content in it.

It's a factory automation game where the logistics is done by cute golems made out of the remains of even cuter bunnies. What's not to love?

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! The sparks are tiny creatures that aid you along your production/automation workshops. As you progress you unlock better sparks. This game is great for beginner players who want to start playing automation games! As an automation newbie myself, I found it easy to understand and create production lines. The gameplay is straightforward. Resource collection, material production and spark creation are easy to understand with a little practice. You can choose the map you play on, world settings to make easier or harder based on your preference. I have always found automation games intimidating, I am slowly learning with this game. Obsessed is an understatement!

Amazing game! Wonderful little factory game with a smattering of ideas that I haven't seen in a factory game so far. The sparks transporting the items on paths make transporting items between your different machines much more interesting than using conveyor belts. The temperature mechanic is interesting and the way the ending area works is lovely and a nice change of pace. The logic system has way more possibilities and options than necessary for playing the game and my gf who's in an IT related field loved it while I mainly used for pretty simple things. The art style and creature designs are amazing, the sparks look wonderfully derpy and charming to the point where me and my gf both spent a good amount of time just looking at the silly goobers operating our factories. Definitely shorter than other factory games out there but absolutely delightful and the 54 ours we spent playing were well worth the time invested and price of the game. And I have a feeling I'll spend more time with the game even though I've completed the story.

Oddsparks is a brilliant mashup of Pikmin and Factorio—and that’s no small praise. It captures the thrill of exploration, resource gathering, and light combat from Pikmin, while layering in automation and logistics gameplay reminiscent of Factorio. The core mechanic of deploying your Sparks to haul goods, run pathways, and operate buildings is clever and satisfying. It's a fresh, well-designed experience that hits a sweet spot for fans of both genres. That said, I probably won’t stick with the game long-term, and here’s why: the overt social messaging took me out of the experience. From the start, character creation feels geared toward fluidity—there’s no male or female choice, just mix-and-match faces, hairstyles, and clothing. While that alone was easy to overlook, later elements—like a world populated almost entirely by non-cis or LGBTQ+ characters, and a cosmetic store full of LGBT-themed clothing—felt like more of a statement than a setting. It began to feel less like world-building and more like agenda-pushing. To be clear: I understand why this is meaningful to many players, especially those who’ve felt underrepresented in gaming. But I also believe that not every game needs to make a point about identity—especially when the gameplay itself is already so strong. I don’t know or need to know the sexual orientation of the Pikmin captain or the engineer in Factorio to enjoy those games. Oddsparks had the potential to stand proudly on its mechanics alone. Still, despite my misgivings, I genuinely think this is a well-crafted and creative title. If the thematic elements don’t bother you—or if they enhance your enjoyment—then you’re in for a treat.

like most of the comments in here will say, this game is like pikmin and factorio. I've been sinking a lot of time into this game and enjoying every minute. Starting small with just a couple little wood sparks helping you gather resources... then growing into an automated manufacturing hub with roads and trains everywhere and even recycling your excess for sweet decorations and cosmetics. Oddsparks really opens up once you have to start combining Giant Tree and Giant Stone resources. i enjoy figuring out the train system while adding multiple lines and engines. Recently unlocked the aether vials/refinement which has completely automated my spark production. This game just keeps opening up in a way that i really enjoy. I have not unlocked everything or even explored more than half of the map. looking forward to the snow and fire areas and whatever logistical headaches come with it haha. My one gripe with this game is that there is no Filter by item ID with the Logic system, which would help immeasurably with train wagon loading/unloading. The best work-around i came up with is to use an item that max stacks above the usual 200 (400 Stone Tiles, 400 Aether, ect.) That combined with a capacity sensor helps identify which trains arrives and whether to load and/or unload each of the wagons. IF you enjoy creating systems and stumbling into your own efficiency problems..... and then solving them with cute little wood and stone guys, then I highly recommend this game, especially to play with a friend! quests are shared progress in the hosts world.

Wonderful mix of automation, exploration, and cute adventure!

really like the pikman game-play, fun automation

Laid back and chill game play. Love that the game requires using logic and problem solving skills to achieve greatest results.

Its Factorio, its Pikmin, its 'Woke', and its fun. Definitely worth it if all that appeals to you. For some actual commentary, vs Factorio, its a much calmer more ambly experience. Resources don't run out, theres no threat of attacks coming to you (except in the final area), and although there are critters who will aggro on you they are easily outrunnable and wont seek you out unless you get close to them. All of that makes a much calmer and more casual experience. Its still got plenty of puzzlers, and the logistics lines get midgame / early late game factorio, and the uniqueness of the roads system vs conveyor belts and the availability of purely self sustainoing loops means is very much a different set of puzzles than Factorio. Theres some QoL I wish was a little better (copy pasting being better, maybe some throughput estimates on tooltips) but that didn't stop me from buying the game twice, once for me and once for my partner, and putting in 30+h in the first week and a half.

Just plain really good. It's got a surprisingly deep automation puzzle while being accessible and easy to learn. The RTS elements are genuinely fun too, (if occasionally a bit frustrating due to some quirks of the sparks AI) but for me this game is really all about optimizing your production lines, and it provides enough tools to keep you satisfied doing that for a long time. I played through most of what at that time existed during the Hot & Cold update, which took me about 60 hours, and I have now restarted for the 1.0 release and am having as much fun as ever. I don't typically review games, but I really like this one and would love to see a community develop around it. Buy this game!

There are a lot of elements to this game that need some serious TLC, like the abysmal spark pathfinding or roller coaster like advancement pacing, but those familiar with factory games will still have a good time.

It's a good automation game. If you are a person who likes to have perfect optimization early on, this isn't going to be for you, but after grinding for a while, you can start setting up pretty interesting setups. I'm having a ton of fun so far, and I really enjoy games like Factorio and Dyson Sphere.

Interesting concept bringing the storyline of a game like Stardew Valley and combining it with a factory builder game. However the gameplay and control scheme is a bit clunky. EDIT: The game is still a bit grindy - especially in very early game. However, I realized that you can build Spark Workbenches and build assembly chains - until that point I was spending a ton of time walking around the map.