[markot]

I get it going, but I get to like 4/10 in each and it fails for some reason... and I dont know why >.< there is no collision...

[markot]

Made it past that and a few other levels, teh games pretty damn awesome.

[confused]

Demo sucks >_< im already stuck on the third thingy, the tutorial isnt very good...

?? The first few levels tell you exactly what to do and why. If you don't pay attention it's your fault not the games.

[mclem]

I just single-reactor'd In-Place Swap.

I feel like a god.

[Burger]

I just started playing this at work*, up to the 3rd world. I'm terrible at programming though, so I imagine I'll hit a wall soon

*work is pretty quiet at the moment.

I'm hoping for an iOS release, perhaps that's too unlikely though...

Game runs great at 1024x768 :)

[djtiesto]

Considering how GAF tends to have such a hardon for both PC games and indie games, I'm really surprised this game isn't getting more love. It's a great game, very creative... but my one problem with it is that I find it to be too difficult :( I got the demo and made it up to the first stage in the second planet, and by that time my brain was hurting :( But the game is so creative, original, and challenging, stuff like this doesn't come around too often in the world of gaming... really wish more people would give it a chance.

[markot]

It gets so damn hard >_<

Trying to bond like 5 things when you only get 4 bond thingys, and essentially 2 bond paths... blehhhhh.

Its great though, love the music too.

[19Kilo]

It was a little annoying right off how the game didn't really TELL you directly what you're supposed to be doing, all it had was a couple of half-assed mechanic explanations, while I think all it really needed to make it easier is a quick text screen with a short explanation of what your mission is in the game, since it already takes a while just to get accustomed to the interface. What you are trying to do in the game, or at least what is the extent of the single screen levels, is take stuff from input to output. How the elements spawn at input and how they should arrive on output are described to the left of input and to the right of output. It's important to note on that third one, if you look at the icons for red and blue, that red can only initiate input for alpha and blue only for beta specifically, and similarly for output. Also, you can move the start location and can change the starting direction of the lines immediatly with the arrows.

If you right-click on the input symbol you can switch to either input, regardless of color. Likewise for output symbols.

[Evlar]

If you right-click on the input symbol you can switch to either input, regardless of color. Likewise for output symbols.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry for finding a single-reactor solution to No Ordinary Headache without knowing this. (LOTS of Sync statements...)

Anyway, pushed on to a three-reactor No Thanks Necessary. The interesting thing is I can't find any other solutions on YouTube that look remotely like mine. The game is a true sandbox.

[Oneiroscope]

If you right-click on the input symbol you can switch to either input, regardless of color. Likewise for output symbols.

Oh yeah, only discovered this a day later or so. Should have gone back and edited that part of my post maybe.

[Woo-Fu]

Spacechem got a 9 review from EDGE.

[taoofjord]

This game is amazing, a shame more people aren't playing it :(

[lorebringer]

This thread is the first I've heard of it and it looks awesome. I love these OCD fueling automation things. I used to spend hours and hours optimising factory throughput in x3. I am buying this game as soon as I get home. Thanks OP.

[epmode]

Any game that has something like this on the soundtrack gets my attention: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQiin3HzswY

Seriously, it sounds like something playing in that rad Hell's Kitchen bar in Deus Ex. With more Sims. Sort of. Anyway, it's fuckawesome for a puzzle game.

The game itself is just as awesome so you should probably try it!

[Castor Krieg]

Anyone had problems with buying from the website and inputting the key into EU Steam? Because 15$ vs. 15EUR makes a difference, plus all the money will go to developer.

[lorebringer]

I haven't gotten around to buying it from their site yet but I'd think it would probably work. I remember I bought all the AI war games from the dev directly and they unlocked in EU steam no problem.

I probably spent about 3 hours with the demo last night and still don't have it finished. Game is so much fun. Got up to world 3-1. How much longer is it? Going to buy this as soon as my money shows up in the paypal account.

[19Kilo]

Anyone had problems with buying from the website and inputting the key into EU Steam? Because 15$ vs. 15EUR makes a difference, plus all the money will go to developer.

I bought from their website before it was on steam. Once it was available I used the same key to register on steam with no problems.

[Primate Ryan]

I haven't gotten around to buying it from their site yet but I'd think it would probably work. I remember I bought all the AI war games from the dev directly and they unlocked in EU steam no problem. I probably spent about 3 hours with the demo last night and still don't have it finished. Game is so much fun. Got up to world 3-1. How much longer is it? Going to buy this as soon as my money shows up in the paypal account.

It's got 9 worlds and the difficulty will go up as well (not exactly in a linear fashion, but expect to get challenged). It's also more than likely that some puzzles will take you more than an hour to complete. I guess that "simply" completing the game will take you somewhere between 30 and 50 hours. If you enjoy refining your solutions and want to tackle the achievements, you might want to double that number.

There is no shortage of content here.


===

No problems with my Steam key either. Also an early adopter.

[lorebringer]

Yeah I ended up buying it yesterday evening from the dev directly and registered it on steam no problem. Works out at 10 euro to do that so that's sweet. Played up to world 4 and it definitely is starting to take more time to get levels finished.

I can't get over how addicted to this game I am, I love the way the steam category has it as casual as well. If this game is casual I'd hate to see the hardcore version. I've even been doing nothing but playing Codex of Alchemical Engineering in college as well, rather than getting any actual work done. This shit is ridiculous.

[Castor Krieg]

Just got my first WTF moment at "Removing Bonds" tutorial. Figured I can place Waldos and Bonders differently and voila - above-average elegant solution. I would love to upload it, but for some reason both manual upload and SpaceChem upload is making the video only 5 seconds long. Any ideas how to fix it?

[Yackie]

Wow, I just played through the demo. It was a little weird in parts and had to figure a couple things out on my own, but once it clicks...so much fun. I have to buy the full game now, I love it!

I can't believe this thread is so small. More people need to be playing this game.

[Primate Ryan]

I can't believe this thread is so small. More people need to be playing this game.

Quoted for justice. I guess it's a combination of the title of the game, the fact that it's only on pc <i>and</i> a difficult puzzle game, and that it's hard to get people excited with trailers, screenshots or stories since it isn't easily digestible. This is one of those games that you need to play to understand it, and once you do so chances are that you fall in love with it and put it high on your GotY-list before loudly declaring your love from the roof of your local mall.

I find it hard myself to explain to people what this game is about (and there is/was a contest for which people have to make short trailers that explain the game, which kind of supports that) and to get them to play it. I can exclaim how it's the best thing ever and how I'm in love with it, but that doesn't seem to be enough.

But look on the bright side: you did discover the game even if the unwashed masses did not.

[buffi]

Yeah, this game is pretty amazing. I'm at the last planet now, and it's crazy hard :)

I find it hard myself to explain to people what this game is about

I actually find it pretty easy to explain.

It's essentially simplified parallell programming as a game (only synchronization mechanism is SYNC which acts as a Barrier).
You are asked to produce a desired output from an input while using as few resources as possible. To do this, you may use multiple factories piped to each other, where each factory represents a two-core CPU. Each CPU has two loops representing concurrent execution threads. These threads are programmed by a small instruction set which operates on the input data.

[Primate Ryan]

Yeah, this game is pretty amazing. I'm at the last planet now, and it's crazy hard :) I actually find it pretty easy to explain. It's essentially simplified parallell programming as a game (only synchronization mechanism is SYNC which acts as a Barrier). You are asked to produce a desired output from an input while using as few resources as possible. To do this, you may use multiple factories piped to each other, where each factory represents a two-core CPU. Each CPU has two loops representing concurrent execution threads. These threads are programmed by a small instruction set which operates on the input data.

:D!

I do see the parallels with programming, but that's exactly the kind of thing that I don't want to mention to most people that I know as it would rather put them off than make them interested. And what I more or less meant was that I don't know how to explain it and make the concept sound exciting at the same time. I tried, but it didn't have any effect at least.

[buffi]

:D! I do see the parallels with programming, but that's exactly the kind of thing that I don't want to mention to most people that I know as it would rather put them off than make them interested. And what I more or less meant was that I don't know how to explain it and make the concept sound exciting at the same time. I tried, but it didn't have any effect at least.

This is pretty much as far from a casual game as any game could be though.
The game is amazing, but it's probably not for everyone, and I'd even say that I think most people probably wouldn't enjoy it at all.

[Primate Ryan]

This is pretty much as far from a casual game as any game could be though. The game is amazing, but it's probably not for everyone, and I'd even say that I think most people probably wouldn't enjoy it at all.

Don't scare people off!

I'm not sure I agree. I think it's somewhere in between. Outside a couple of tutorial problems such as not properly explaining some of the possibilities, the game itself is pretty accessible and it takes some time before the difficulty enters the wtf-zone, but by that time you'll probably have invested a large amount of time in the game to make it worth your while. The instructions (the flip-flop probably being the only exception) and the goals are easily understood, and it's the thinking part that provides the challenge. Not the controls or a lack of gaming experience. The pc has many more challenging games to offer that require significantly more commitment to fully discover or grasp, such as all those turn-based games from Paradox. There are only a few rules to learn here and they are easily grasped.

But of course it depends on what you think makes a game casual or hardcore or softcore or whatever.

[XiaNaphryz]

Just picked this up. More curious on how the wife's impressions on it end up being, as she was a chem major.

[Joseph Merrick]

but is she a chemical engineer?

[Primate Ryan]

Yeah, as the title of this thread mentions "it's not about chemistry". <silent voice>It's about programming</silent voice>

[Yackie]

This game! Some levels are soo hard! I'm tempted to look up a solution, but I really don't want to...goddamn.

[Darkflight]

I'm not very far into the game yet (Sleepless on Sernimir IV), but I did just work out Moustachium 604 from the just released update if anyone is stuck, 608 is making my brain hurt real bad - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq40MQHnHdE&hd=1

http://www.spacechemthegame.com/researchnet-update

[yeoz]

Here are my solutions for 602/604, if you just want the tf2 stuff like the bad person you just might be... (maybe I should post this in the tf2 thread instead):
602: youtube, screenshot
604: youtube, screenshot

608 will take me quite a few more minutes :/

[Primate Ryan]

I'm not very far into the game yet (Sleepless on Sernimir IV), but I did just work out Moustachium 604 from the just released update if anyone is stuck, 608 is making my brain hurt real bad - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq40MQHnHdE&hd=1 http://www.spacechemthegame.com/researchnet-update

Oh, the new update has already been released? I read about it, but didn't realise it would arrive this week.

Anyway, steam achievements + friends leaderboards, new levels and a level editor + way to share levels! Enough reasons to boot that beauty up again.

And buy this game people; it's not too late to repent. If you haven't played this by the end of the year, your GotY list will automatically be invalidated for lack of taste.

[Joseph Merrick]

This game! Some levels are soo hard! I'm tempted to look up a solution, but I really don't want to...goddamn.

yeah, it's the whole fun of the game for me to find your own solutions to the puzzles

[Luigiv]

Chemical Engineering the video game? Now I've seen everything.

[BudokaiMR2]

Absolutely love this game and my weekend is about to be devoted to it for very good reasons!

[yeoz]

I'll admit that I bought the game for the tf2 items initially, but, I am hopelessly addicted now.
I wish more of my steam friends would buy the game so that there'd be more scores to compare with. A global leaderboard would been nice too...

[Primate Ryan]

So, there is a Steam discount for the game: -50%.

Buy it. Now. Or else.

You don't think you need this game? You're wrong. You do. Just read through this thread and realise that practically everybody loves, adores and worships this game. With good reason. So yeah, buy it and play your future game of the year.

[Joseph Merrick]

it's definitely PUZZLE GAME OF THE YEAR

[SalsaShark]

this game looks like a job

[Traumahound]

So, there is a Steam discount for the game: -50%. Buy it. Now. Or else. You don't think you need this game? You're wrong. You do. Just read through this thread and realise that practically everybody loves, adores and worships this game. With good reason. So yeah, buy it and play your future game of the year.

Awesome, thank you for posting this. I played through the demo recently and it's definitely my game of the year thus far.

[Primate Ryan]

this game looks like a job

Give me a job as interesting as this game and I'll do it for the rest of my life!

I also don't know what the statement precisely means as it depends on how you look upon jobs/work. There is certainly some effort required to get the most out of it. It's not a grind, but a very rewarding experience that keeps introducing new challenges to push you to your limits.

You should definitely play through the demo, which offers quite a bit of content.

[ashbash159]

You should definitely play through the demo, which offers quite a bit of content.

Just played through the first world and first level of the second world from the demo.

I've been playing for 50 minutes and wow, I don't think I've ever felt as smart as I have when playing this game. Looking at the later levels I cannot imaging the though process you will have to go through to complete some levels.

It's nice that it's 50% on Steam this week. May have to pick it up once I've finished the demo.

Edit: Just completed the second world. Wow this demo goes on forever! BEST DEMO EVER!

[19Kilo]

Weeklong Sale: 50% off

SpaceChem is now available for 50% off until May 16th at 10AM Pacific Time! Now includes the ResearchNet update with a level editor, Steam Achievements, Leaderboards, and special TF2-themed puzzles with rewards!

That makes it $7.49 USD. Sweet!

Edit: I'm kinda slow ;)

[cheesetom]

Bought it immediately once I saw that it was 50% off. Definitely one hell of a puzzle game.

Solving 608 with the clumsiest solution possible = MASSIVE FISTPUMP

[SteveWinwood]

Just a word of warning to the people who might be checking this thread out when they buy it on sale: This game is freaking hard as hell. It's totally worth it when you figure it out though. I think my problem is I try to figure it out all before even running it instead of doing it step by step and adapting.

[Toma]

Anyone willing to share his leaderboards scores with me?
Adding on Steam please :) Dont have enough people playing this game on my friendslist.

http://steamcommunity.com/id/TomaLexi

[XiaNaphryz]

Anyone willing to share his leaderboards scores with me? Adding on Steam please :) Dont have enough people playing this game on my friendslist. http://steamcommunity.com/id/TomaLexi

Just join the GAF steam group. You can quickly see who's been playing.

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/neogaf

[TheBez]

I bought the game but I have a question before I start playing. My main computer is down right now so if I start this up is there cloud saving? If not is there an easy drag and drop save file I can just transfer via some form of memory stick?

[Toma]

Its amazing how this game encourages different solution. I was tinkering around in a level until I managed to solve it with only 1 start point instead of the suggested 2. Pretty neat.