Info about NGU INDUSTRIES:

Official game description:
From the crayon-eaters that brought you NGU IDLE, we present: NGU INDUSTRIES!  
NGU INDUSTRIES is a brand-new Idle Clicker and Factory Manager game featuring:  
*   Hundreds of unique, hand drawn materials to manufacture! Mine some Cardboard Ore, construct a glucose-based explosives, or build a Buttbot complete with twin machine guns!  
*   Place Buildings, Beacons, Labs, Army units and more in a wide variety of layouts to try to optimize and min-max your Factory! Math nerds love this stuff.  
*   Encounter or Fight a wide variety of characters to expand your control of the NGUniverse! Mow down Fleshy Demons, meet the infamous Brian, destroy an entire armada of futuristic spaceships, make friends with a Cool Camel, or stomp on sentient candy corn!  
*   Play around with a unfolding set of Features and resources that unlock as you progress! Complete Work Orders for customers to receive BDSM (oh my)! Use labs to research stupid topics to earn mysterious Elementium! Plant and breed crops that give you... stats! somehow!  
*   Progress Bars! They fill and then give you stuff and it feels nice.  
*   A great mix of active and Idle gameplay for everyone to enjoy!  
*   A Gripping, hilarious, and sometimes sexy story that unfolds as you progress!  
*   Even more awful-er puns.  
*   A page dedicated to showing off all your progress and giving you shiny medals and trophies for making Numbers Go Up.  
*   Way better Graphics than the last game! Featuring revolutionary new COLOURS and SHADING technology.  
*   A Badly Drawn Kitty!  
*   Premium currency you can PASSIVELY OBTAIN at a reasonable pace, without paying a cent. Only toss some money my way if you want to support me, not because you need to in order to progress.  
*   Absolutely no rats this time. Nope. No rats whatsoever. c:

Release date: Apr 5, 2021

Categories: Idle Game, Incremental Game, Factory Building, Resource Management, Automation, Combat, Clicker Game


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 720.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 0.3h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The review stating the whole game can be beaten in a month gives a completion-time estimate; treating a month as continuous idle runtime gives about 720 hours. Another review confirms the game can be fully beaten except for two impossible achievements, supporting that completion is possible. Session length is supported by a player describing a few minutes of play before leaving for a day and by another describing almost half an hour spent tweaking maps; I use a representative session length of about 0.25 hours. Story completion and endgame hours are left null because no numeric story-completion or endgame playtime for NGU INDUSTRIES is given.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game can start off fine and progression can be enjoyable, but repetitiveness, tedium, resource balancing, and placement chores make it less fun over time; some players never find it fun at all.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Tedious resource balancing and object placement; Missing quality-of-life and auto-optimization/placement features; Nit-picky upgrade buying and unrewarding unlocks; Repetitive, shallow feedback loop; Cumbersome factory management; Shallow combat and shared resource pools
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: Early game starts off fine; Reaching the third island triggers chore feeling; Newly unlocked mechanics worsen the problem; Enjoyment depends on tolerance for optimization and research-order learning; Expectation of a chill idle game; Progression can be enjoyable before repetitive design dominates; Abandoned development status affects long-term play; Lack of clear logical progression compared to other factory games
- Player Archetypes:
  - NGU Idle Devotee (buy)
    - Motivation: Continue following the NGU Idle developer's work and enjoy his signature humor, art, and incremental design in a new title.
    - Playstyle: Long-haul incremental grinding across hundreds or thousands of hours, already fluent in the studio's mechanics.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: fan
    - Reference games: NGU Idle
  - Factory Automation Optimizer (no buy)
    - Motivation: Optimize production ratios and feel powerful while automating a factory without hand-tuning every machine flow.
    - Playstyle: Min-maxing resource ratios and redesigning production layouts, intolerant of grind that undoes their optimizations.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Factorio; Satisfactory; Dyson Sphere Program
  - Chill Idle Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Relaxing, low-attention progression that can run in the background while numbers grow.
    - Playstyle: Leaves the game idling for long stretches and checks in periodically, judging it against other idle titles.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Achievement Completionist (no buy)
    - Motivation: Fully completing the game, including every achievement and content branch, in a finished and actively supported title.
    - Playstyle: Hunts 100% achievements and monitors patch and early-access status before investing further time.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Humor and Charm Praised (weight 0.39): Many reviewers highlighted the game's unique humor, including silly lore, cheap jokes, and comedic quips that made them laugh. The humor carries over from the developer's previous game, NGU Idle.
- Fun and Enjoyable Gameplay (weight 0.37): Reviewers consistently described the game as fun and enjoyable, with many expressing they loved it and had a great time playing. It offers a good experience for both short and long sessions.
- Deep Progression and Optimization (weight 0.28): The game features deep progression systems, multiple layers of optimization, and strategic planning. Reviewers appreciated the complexity and the constant need to balance resource production, upgrades, and battles.
- Factory Building and Resource Management (weight 0.27): Reviewers enjoyed managing factories, refining resources, and optimizing production chains. The game condenses factory building to the assembly line part, appealing to fans of resource management.
- Addictive Idle Mechanics (weight 0.25): Many found the game highly addictive and engaging for many hours, with satisfying progress bars and the ability to leave it running in the background. It is considered a top-tier idle game.
- Unique Take on Idle Games (weight 0.2): The game offers a creative take on idle games, encouraging swapping production and featuring grid-based gameplay. It is seen as refreshing and different from typical idle games.
- Progress and Rewards (weight 0.19): Reviewers appreciate offline progress, achievement bonuses, and the rewarding feeling of progression. The game provides constant goals and opportunities.
- Beacon System Adds Depth (weight 0.17): The beacon system creates engaging optimization tradeoffs and is a fun addition. Different beacon effects and stacking mechanics are well-designed, adding strategic depth.
- Lots of Content and Unlockables (weight 0.15): The game offers a variety of content, including multiple maps, quests, relics, experiments, and hundreds of upgrades. There is always something new to unlock, keeping it replayable.
- Good for Relaxed and Optimized Play (weight 0.14): The game supports both relaxed playstyles and deep optimization. Players can enjoy it without worrying about perfect efficiency or dive into complex min-maxing.
- Regular Updates and Events (weight 0.14): Reviewers appreciate the regular in-game events and look forward to future updates. The developer's history with NGU Idle gives hope for continued improvements.
- Satisfying Factory Optimization (weight 0.14): Optimizing the factory and production lines is satisfying and fun. The game provides a sense of accomplishment when improving efficiency.
- Visuals and Theme (weight 0.13): The graphics are considered an improvement over previous games, with a cohesive theme and visually appealing style despite being crude by design.
- Good Balance and Stickiness (weight 0.13): The game strikes a good balance between mechanics, stickiness, and idling, keeping players engaged over long periods.
- Simple Start, Easy to Learn (weight 0.11): The game starts simple with easy-to-understand basic mechanics, making it accessible for new players. The learning curve for buying researches is magnificent.
- Potential for Greatness (weight 0.11): Some reviewers see potential in the game but feel it has a thin foundation that could be improved with rework. They hope for future development.
- Engaging Puzzle Aspects (weight 0.11): The game includes puzzle-like elements, such as arranging boosters and optimizing layouts, which add to the enjoyment.
- Positive Comparisons to NGU Idle (weight 0.08): Fans of NGU Idle find this game enjoyable and note similarities in humor and charm. It is seen as a worthy follow-up from the same developer.
- Novel Experiment and Breakthrough Systems (weight 0.08): The experiment system is novel and hints at build variety, while the breakthrough draft system could lead to different optimal endgame builds for each player.
- Free-to-Play Model Appreciated (weight 0.04): The free-to-play distribution model is appreciated by reviewers, making the game accessible to a wide audience.

Common complaints:
- Game Abandoned by Developer (weight 0.59): Many players report that the game is no longer supported or updated, with the developer officially abandoning it. This has led to a sense of the game being dead and stuck in early access limbo.
- Impossible Achievements Block 100% (weight 0.23): Multiple achievements are impossible to earn legitimately, making 100% completion unattainable. This frustrates players aiming for full completion.
- Less Fun Than NGU Idle (weight 0.22): Players frequently compare the game unfavorably to NGU Idle, stating it is less fun, lacks depth, and is more monotonous. This comparison highlights the game's shortcomings in gameplay.
- Upgrades Unbalance Production (weight 0.18): Buying upgrades often throws off production balance, causing strain on other parts of the system and requiring rework. This makes progression feel frustrating and time-consuming.
- Slow and Pointless Progress (weight 0.13): Many players feel that progress is slow and lacks purpose, diminishing the overall sense of advancement. This makes the time investment feel unrewarding.
- Repetitive and Monotonous Gameplay (weight 0.11): The core gameplay loop is described as highly repetitive, involving clicking and waiting, which many find boring and tedious. This reduces long-term engagement.
- Poor Scaling of Work Orders (weight 0.07): Work orders and experiments scale poorly with production and speed, which kills the sense of progress. Players find this aspect poorly designed.
- Not Fun Overall (weight 0.07): Some players simply find the game not fun, describing it as unengaging and dull. This general dissatisfaction contributes to negative reviews.

Gameplay feedback:
- Idle Clicker Incremental Factory Game (weight 0.35): Multiple clusters describe the game as an idle or clicker/incremental experience set in a factory context. This framing is consistently emphasized across the feedback and defines the core loop and pacing.
- Resource Management and Balancing (weight 0.3): Players frequently mention managing and balancing resources, including dealing with constantly shifting production ratios. This is a core challenge that drives engagement and decision-making.
- Factory Building and Upgrading (weight 0.26): A central theme is constructing and upgrading factories and production chains, using resources to purchase production upgrades. This mechanic is repeatedly noted as the primary activity.
- ISOPOD Combat System (weight 0.25): The game includes a combat feature called ISOPOD, with scaling difficulty, boss fights, and stat progression. It adds an action-oriented layer to the idle factory core.
- Micromanagement and Rebuilding (weight 0.25): Players highlight micromanagement, especially when upgrades force redoing entire island layouts. This can be a source of both engagement and tedium.
- Research Unlocks and Production Boost (weight 0.25): Research is highlighted as the main way to increase production and unlock new features. It is deeply integrated with resource generation and tech progression.
- Work Orders and Resource Sinks (weight 0.23): Work orders, the Mussluk Pit, and experiments serve as additional resource sinks and goals, often requiring factory rebuilding. They help manage excess resources and provide rewards.
- Progression via Unlocks and Maps (weight 0.22): Progression involves unlocking new features, zones, land masses, and additional maps beyond the first. This expansion provides long-term goals and variety.
- Beacon System for Production Optimization (weight 0.22): Beacons can be arranged near factories to optimize production, including stacking effects and knight's move placements. They add a spatial optimization layer to factory layouts.
- Prestige and Rebirth Systems (weight 0.2): Prestige systems like Rebirths and Evil, as well as BDSM points and relics, offer long-term progression. These mechanics reset or enhance progress for powerful upgrades.
- Production Chains and Ratios (weight 0.19): Managing input-output ratios for production chains is a key activity, with recipes needing constant adjustment. It forms the core puzzle of the factory.
- Automation and Blueprint Systems (weight 0.18): The game features production automation and blueprint/template saving for factory layouts. These tools help manage complexity but can become obsolete with upgrades.
- Upgrades and Exponential Growth (weight 0.18): Players can buy hundreds of upgrades, leading to exponential tech tree growth and production multipliers. This drives the incremental feel.
- Resource Sinks and Rewards (weight 0.17): Excess resources can be dumped into pits or sacrificed for rewards and boosts. This provides a way to convert surplus into progression.
- Multiple Maps and Islands (weight 0.16): The game structure includes multiple maps, islands with unique layouts, and a silly story. This variety keeps the experience fresh as players progress.
- Puzzle Elements in Resource Management (weight 0.13): Some players describe puzzle-like aspects in optimizing resource management and production chains. These add a strategic thinking component to the idle loop.
- Tech Trees and Skill Progression (weight 0.13): Large skill trees, tech trees with tiers, and gradual unlocking of upgrades are prominent. They provide long-term progression and customization.
- Offline Progress and Idle Mechanics (weight 0.11): The game supports offline progress (capped at one day) and can be left running in the background. This fits the idle genre but has limitations.
- Grid-Based Placement and Limited Space (weight 0.1): Buildings are placed on grid squares, and space is limited, requiring careful layout. This adds spatial constraints to factory design.
- Comparison to Factorio (weight 0.09): Some players compare the game to Factorio, noting it removes line-laying work but retains factory building. It is seen as a stripped-down or parody version.

Performance notes:
- Performance with many enterprises (weight 0.04): One player reports possible lag when many enterprises are active. The issue may impact performance in large-scale scenarios.
- Resolution options and windowed mode (weight 0.04): One player notes that resolution options skip from 1080p to 4K, so on a 4K monitor windowed mode only uses a quadrant. This limits gameplay flexibility on high-resolution displays.

Recommendations:
- Unfinished and abandoned game (weight 0.37): Multiple reviewers warn that the game is incomplete and no longer updated, leading many to advise against spending money or investing time.
- Prefer NGU Idle instead (weight 0.36): A large number of reviewers recommend playing the original NGU Idle instead, calling it more complete, deeper, and the better idle game overall.
- Avoid or don't play (weight 0.28): Some reviewers strongly advise against playing at all, telling others to steer away or not waste time on it.
- Still recommend to NGU fans (weight 0.23): Reviewers who enjoyed NGU Idle often recommend this game to fans of the original, though some note it is different enough for those who disliked NGU.
- Good for idle genre fans (weight 0.16): Players who enjoy idle games, economic simulators, or gradual scaling often recommend it for those audiences.
- Free to try, don't pay (weight 0.16): Because the game is free, several reviewers suggest trying it without spending money, warning against purchases given its abandoned status.
- Micromanagement and optimization focus (weight 0.12): The game appeals to players who enjoy constant optimization, resource management, micromanagement, and strategic planning.
- Stop playing or lost support (weight 0.12): A few reviewers have stopped playing or withdrawn support, citing abandonment and lack of updates.
- Factorio-like without ratio slavery (weight 0.11): Reviewers recommend it for fans of factory-building games like Factorio, Satisfactory, and Dyson Sphere Program who dislike strict ratio management.
- General recommendation to try (weight 0.08): Despite mixed opinions, some reviewers simply recommend checking the game out or recommend it to everyone.
- Good for background play (weight 0.07): Some reviewers find the game suitable for leaving running in the background, short sessions, or constant idle progression.
- Wait for updates (weight 0.07): Some recommend waiting a month or two for updates before deciding whether to jump in.
- Not for limited time (weight 0.06): Reviewers note it is not suitable for players with little time, and can consume hundreds of hours.
- Better alternatives exist (weight 0.06): Reviewers suggest playing Runescape or finding something else instead of this game.
- Enjoy humor and graphics (weight 0.04): A reviewer recommends the game for its humor and graphics, though this is a niche positive point.
- Not for story or visuals (weight 0.04): The game is not recommended for players seeking dynamic stories, active mechanics, or visual effects over numbers and graphs.
- Completionists should beware (weight 0.04): Those who like to get 100% in games are specifically warned against this game due to its unfinished state.

Other player notes:
- Game Abandoned After Release (weight 0.46): The game was abandoned just a few months after release, with no updates for years and no plans for future development. It remains permanently stuck in Early Access limbo.
- Game Officially Declared Dead (weight 0.4): Developer 4G announced on the official Discord that the game is dead and will not receive further updates. Multiple clusters confirm the game has been officially abandoned and discontinued.
- Unfavorable NGU Idle Comparison (weight 0.39): Reviewers consistently compare this game unfavorably to NGU Idle, citing better gameplay, level design, and engagement in the predecessor. Some note they put thousands of hours into NGU Idle but only a fraction into this game.
- Compared To Factorio And Satisfactory (weight 0.28): Reviewers compare this game to factory-builders like Factorio, Satisfactory, and Dyson Sphere Program. It is described as a parody or simplified version with line-laying work removed.
- Developed By 4G (weight 0.23): The game is developed by 4G, the same creator behind NGU Idle. This connection is frequently mentioned as context for expectations and comparisons.
- Game Is Free To Play (weight 0.2): The game is free to play, though there are in-game monetization options for acceleration. Some reviewers note a potential pay-to-win aspect.
- Unfinished And Incomplete (weight 0.19): The game is unfinished and incomplete, with content only up to Candyland representing the entirety. It remains in an unfinished state with no further production planned.
- 100% Completion Impossible (weight 0.18): Achievements are unimplemented or impossible without cheating, making full completion unattainable in the game's current state. Two achievements specifically cannot be legitimately earned.
- Content Amount Varies By Player (weight 0.13): Some reviewers note there is much content for many hours, while others find it lacking. Completion can take over a year or thousands of hours.
- Store Page Misleading After Abandonment (weight 0.11): The store page still shows Early Access and allows spending money despite the game being abandoned. It has not been updated to reflect the abandoned status.
- Shared Humor And Charm (weight 0.11): The game shares humor and charm with NGU Idle, including funny flavor text and comedic quips. However, some note that flavor text hides actual information in tooltips.
- Screen Resolution Issues (weight 0.07): Both NGU Idle and NGU Industries have screen resolution issues, with limited resolution options. This is a recurring technical complaint.
- Developer May Listen To Feedback (weight 0.07): Some hope the developer may expand and listen to feedback, despite the current abandonment. Others note the core system is unlikely to change.
- References To Other Games (weight 0.07): The game references NGU, NGU Industries, and a missing cat from Daycare. These Easter eggs are noted by players familiar with the developer's works.
- Technically Better Than NGU Idle (weight 0.06): Some reviewers find the game technically better developed than NGU Idle but shares its flaws. It started out as promising before abandonment.
- Played In Closed Alpha (weight 0.04): Some reviewers played the game in closed alpha before its release. This indicates early testing and a long development period.
- Release Date May 2021 (weight 0.04): The game was released on May 4, 2021. It was live for only 2-3 months before abandonment.
- Sudoku Limitation Caused Abandonment (weight 0.03): The developer abandoned the game when sudoku could not support endless increments. This specific reason was cited for dropping the project.
- Willing To Spend If Improved (weight 0.03): Some players would be willing to spend money in-game if improvements are made. This suggests potential monetization if development resumed.
- Supports Relaxed Playstyles (weight 0.03): Few games support both optimization and relaxed playstyles, which this game attempts. This niche appeal is noted by some reviewers.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.98): Players are disappointed that the game was abandoned by the developer, leaving it unfinished with impossible achievements and content that cannot be completed. They also feel it fails to recapture the fun and depth of NGU Idle, with shallow gameplay and scaling issues that ruin the progression.
- Frustration (weight 0.6): Frustration stems from tedious micromanagement and constant reconfiguration of production chains, as upgrades disrupt factory layouts and force players to redo their setups. Additionally, the game's abandonment and impossible achievements contribute to a sense of futility.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.38): Players enjoy the deep progression systems, the engaging optimization of factory layouts, and the humor throughout the game. The constant puzzle-like adjustments and variety of content keep them entertained despite some grind.
- Boredom (weight 0.23): The game becomes boring due to repetitive gameplay, slow and pointless progression, and a lack of exciting new features. The feedback loop feels unrewarding and tedious, leading to monotony.
- Dissatisfaction (weight 0.06): Dissatisfaction arises from hitting the content end without a satisfying conclusion and a lack of dopamine-inducing progression. The numbers don't increase steadily, making the experience feel unrewarding.
- Sadness (weight 0.06): Sadness is caused by the game's abandonment, as players wanted to see the story and islands fully developed. The potential was cut short after only a few maps, leaving a sense of loss.
- Shame (weight 0.04): Players feel shame that developers abandoned an enjoyable game and left it without updates for years, tarnishing its legacy.
- Caution (weight 0.04): Caution is advised because the creator dropped the project, making spending money risky. The game remains abandoned while still offering in-game purchases.
- Love (weight 0.04): Players love the game's humor, including puns and unique currency, and express a strong affection for the game itself.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Excitement comes from the addictive gameplay with constant progression and the rare ability to complete an idle game. The sense of advancement keeps players engaged.
- Amusement (weight 0.04): Amusement is derived from the game's humor, such as making the reviewer laugh within the first minute and the Factorio collaboration after spending thousands of hours in NGU and Factorio.
- Dread (weight 0.04): Dread is felt because upgrades disrupt the entire factory setup, and the next upgrade might further mess up the configuration, causing anxiety about future changes.
- Tedium (weight 0.04): Tedium results from micromanaging small percentage upgrades and tremendous micromanagement with little payoff, making the gameplay feel like a chore.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Satisfaction comes from solid gameplay, balanced mechanics, and humor. The game offers a good mix of stickiness and idling with unlimited potential.
- Inspiration (weight 0.02): Inspiration is sparked by the game's systems, motivating a player to code a program to find good beacon patterns.
- Addiction (weight 0.02): Addiction is driven by deep progression and optimization systems that keep players engaged for hours on end.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Nostalgia arises from returning to the game and seeing what was left behind, as well as missing the rats from the previous game.
- Relaxation (weight 0.02): Relaxation is achieved through the game's relaxing nature, allowing players to unwind while playing.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Appreciation is felt because the game is not as mindlessly stupid as many clicker games, offering more depth and engagement.
- Distrust (weight 0.02): Distrust is caused by the developer abandoning the game without updating the Steam page, leading to skepticism about the game's status.}