Retro Gadgets Review Summary

A fun, creative gadget sandbox and excellent gateway to Lua for coders, though frequent bugs, a steep beginner barrier, and unclear tutorials can hinder progress.

Broadly praised as fun: Many reviewers simply describe the game as good, entertaining, wonderful, or really fun. The sentiment is overwhelmingly positive with little caveat.

Excellent gateway to Lua: A recurring theme is that the game makes learning Lua approachable, even without prior experience. Players appreciate the built-in teaching and documentation.

Creative sandbox for gadgets: The game is described as a full playground for building gadgets, gizmos, toys, and even games. Endless possibilities and user creations are highlighted.

Appeals to programmers: Reviewers who enjoy programming find the game especially rewarding. It is frequently recommended for programmer-minded players.

No real electronics needed: Players appreciate that they do not need to worry about wiring, resistors, power supply, or grounding. This lowers the barrier to creating circuits.

Frequent bugs break functionality: Reviewers report numerous bugs that hinder gameplay, such as UI buttons not working, menus getting stuck, and tools animating only partially. These issues often require restarting or even using external methods to close the game.

Lua is a steep barrier: Many reviewers without Lua experience find the game impossible to enjoy because creating anything requires scripting knowledge. The game offers little to no in-game guidance for learning Lua, leaving newcomers frustrated.

Tutorials are unclear and unhelpful: Players frequently struggle with the introductory experience, often not knowing what to do after the first launch. The tutorial and documentation are considered sparse, clunky, and even in need of their own tutorial.

Abandoned in early access: The developers released the game in early access and seemingly abandoned it, with no meaningful updates for a long time. They also moved on to another early access game and abandoned that as well.

Code editor is severely limited: The in-game code editor is criticized for missing basic features like find/replace, navigate to definition, automatic formatting, and full-screen mode. It also sometimes falsely reports syntax errors.

Requires learning Lua programming: Many users note that using the game fully requires learning Lua scripting, which can be a barrier for those without programming experience. Some players appreciate the opportunity to learn coding through the game.

In-game programming and coding: The game involves programming gadgets with Lua, providing a coding sandbox environment. Players can create games, toys, and systems from scratch using Lua scripting.

Building gadgets and devices: Players can construct various electronic gadgets and devices from components, making them functional. This includes building drum machines, synthesizers, and other interactive projects.

Steam Workshop integration: The game features Steam Workshop integration, allowing players to browse, share, and play gadgets made by others. This fosters a community for learning and collaboration.

Sandbox game with no story: Players describe the game as a sandbox where you can do everything, with no story mode. Some mention a planned campaign mode, but currently it lacks narrative.

Game crashes during play: The game can crash unexpectedly while playing, which can lead to loss of progress and frustration. Crashes are a serious stability issue.

Freezes on launch: The game can freeze on launch, preventing players from starting the game. This is a critical startup issue.

Poor battery performance: The game does not run well on battery power, likely causing higher power consumption or reduced performance. This is a concern for laptop users.

Non-fullscreen display bug: There is a bug when running the game in non-fullscreen mode, resulting in large black borders that cannot be fixed. This affects visual experience and usability.

Laggy sound buffer: The sound buffer is laggy, causing audio delays or stuttering. This degrades the overall gaming experience.

Recommended for coding enthusiasts: Players who enjoy programming, tinkering with gadgets, or building things from scratch highly recommend the game. It appeals to those who like coding and creating physical or virtual devices.

Recommended for beginners with patience: Some reviewers recommend the game for beginners who are patient and willing to learn coding basics, noting that it can be a good entry point for those new to programming.

Not for non-coders: Multiple reviewers explicitly warn that those without coding knowledge should stay away, as the game offers little fun or value for them. It is deemed unsuitable for non-programmers.

Great for electronics tinkerers: Players who enjoy tinkering with electronics and building gadgets find the game highly suitable and recommend it for like-minded individuals.

Good for learning programming logic: The game is praised for teaching programming logic and serving as a tool to learn Lua through practical projects. It is recommended for those interested in coding and problem-solving.

Session length: 4.5h.

Retro Gadgets can become fun after players push through a steep coding and tutorial barrier using trial and error and Workshop inspiration, but early guidance is widely reported as weak or nonexistent.

Friction: Large learning curve and time investment for newer programmers; No meaningful in-game tutorial or online answers; Unclear tutorial start (must press print); Tutorial expects players to understand sample gadgets; Reliance on external YouTube videos; Steep cliff for newbies.

Unlock drivers: Brute forcing and trial and error; Workshop inspiration.

Aspiring Coder Learning by Tinkering: Follows guides and documentation to write small scripts and experiment with basic logic. Motivation: Learning programming fundamentals (loops, types, data structures) in a playful, hands-on environment. Stance: buy.

Hardware Tinkerer / Electronics Hobbyist: Assembles circuits and devices in-game with attention to realistic detail. Motivation: Prototyping gadget and circuit ideas before committing to physical hardware. Stance: buy.

Experienced Coder / Audio-DSP Builder: Writes Lua directly to construct synths, sequencers, and procedural audio gadgets. Motivation: Creative freedom to build complex, code-driven systems and sound tools from scratch. Stance: buy.

Steam Deck: The audit reveals that the game is playable on Steam Deck but requires Proton due to the lack of a native Linux version, leading to performance issues and poor battery life. Users report that it can be a pain to run and only works with Proton, indicating tinkering is necessary. Positive feedback includes overall enjoyment and working controller support. The friction score is 50, reflecting a tinkering required experience.

Linux and Proton: Linux/Proton feedback is limited but consistent: the game is playable through Proton, yet users report performance issues under Proton, a desire for a native Linux build, occasional hassle when running it, and missing Linux widget functionality. There is no sign of anti-cheat, launcher, or crash blockers, so the Linux experience appears mostly functional with minor friction.

Extensive in-game documentation and tutorials: The game includes comprehensive documentation for Lua and the game itself, along with tutorial projects and interactive examples. A PDF covering Lua basics is also provided, and documentation is being completely redone.

Steam Workshop gadget sharing: Players can upload and share their gadget creations via Steam Workshop, and browse or use others' designs. Workshop support is a major community feature, allowing non-programmers to enjoy gadgets made by others.

Early access with ongoing updates: The game is in early access and continues to receive content updates, including new features and planned additions. Developers have published a roadmap and gradually add new content.

Programming with Lua language: The game uses Lua (specifically Luau) for coding, a real-world programming language, and includes a sprite editor and auto-completion. Learning Lua is considered a bonus, though some users wish for Python support.

Compared to other coding games: Reviewers compare it favorably to other programming games like Pico-8, RPG Tsukuru, Retro Gadgets Playground, and Plasma. It is described as more friendly and fulfilling than alternatives.