Funny and creative sandbox multiplayer game
Scrap Mechanic is a premium adventure game where you play as a mechanic who has crash-landed on a distant agricultural planet. Its core mechanics allow you to build imaginative machines, transform vehicles, and create bases to survive. It is a great canvas for budding engineers to create without limits.
Scrap Mechanic’s user-friendly sandbox design makes it simple to bring your ideas to life, from complex mechanical devices to simple and fun creations with friends. Originally released in 2016, its loyal community has kept the creative spirit alive through various mods and user-made creations available, adding to its longevity and popularity.
Build what you want, how you want
Scrap Mechanic’s physics-based building system is the true highlight, allowing for a deep level of mechanical experimentation. The inclusion of a survival mode gives purpose to these creations by requiring you to gather resources and defend against dangerous robots. This mode encourages unique and practical designs tailored to overcome the world's challenges, showcasing player creativity in a not-so-practical environment, enhanced with co-op gaming.
While the survival mode is a welcome addition, it suffers from a grindy resource collection loop and lacks an endgame to motivate long-term play. It also becomes repetitive after a while, and without a major objective, you must create your own goals. It's largely dependent on your self-motivation and desire to build for the love of it, rather than to complete a story.
A notable point of frustration for the community is the development pace. The game has been in Early Access for several years, with a small team and infrequent major updates. The lack of communication from the developers regarding the next big update, Chapter 2, has left many players feeling a sense of abandonment. Despite this, the game is somehow maintained by its player base through custom content.
The community holds it together
Scrap Mechanic is a fantastic creative sandbox that excels in its building mechanics and encourages players to be resourceful and imaginative. However, its long development cycle and a lack of endgame content in survival mode hold it back from reaching its full potential. Still, if you want a sandbox game with endless limits, solo or playing with friends, it’s a great time nonetheless.
