Miss Zachtronics? Kaizen: A Factory Story is Here to Fill That Void (And Maybe Break Your Brain)
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Kaizen: A Factory Story, from a new studio featuring Zachtronics veterans, promises to be the next puzzle game to make you question your life choices (in a good way), set in a charmingly rendered 1986 Japan.
Right, listen up, because this one's for all you puzzle fiends who've been mourning the loss of Zachtronics. Turns out, they didn't *entirely* vanish. Some key members, including the wizardly Zach Barth himself, have conjured up a new studio called Coincidence, and their latest creation, *Kaizen: A Factory Story*, is shaping up to be a real head-scratcher.
Rock Paper Shotgun bravely ventured into the demo a few weeks back (after it got lost in the article-assembly line, bless 'em), and declared it worthy of your precious brainpower. And, fair dinkum, they're onto something. You're not just shoving blocks around here; you're diving headfirst into a beautifully rendered 1986 Japan, playing David Sugimoto, an ambitious fella who thought he was signing up for a swanky sales gig but ended up knee-deep in factory floor shenanigans. Sound familiar? (Shenzhen I/O, anyone?).
But here's where *Kaizen* seems to be leveling up: story. The RPS preview reckons the narrative's got more oomph than previous titles, with compelling co-workers and a manager who's cheerfully oblivious to your existential dread. And, of course, the core of any good Zach-like game, you get to build radios, wristwatches, and more with increasingly complex contraptions. You'll be dragging-and-dropping components, strategically placing welder gizmos, and hitting that big green 'START' button as sparks fly and products miraculously appear. It’s oddly reminiscent of that show *How It's Made*, but with the added pressure of deadlines and potential robotic uprisings.
The demo, sadly, doesn't quite throw you into the deep end of brain-melting complexity. According to RPS, it's all a bit too smooth sailing, lacking that crucial moment where your carefully laid plans explode in a shower of sparks and frustration. But fear not, fellow puzzle masochists, because the full game, launching on July 14th, promises TVs, arcade units, and coffee machines to… well, probably break us all. And you can record gifs of your mechanical monstrosities! Bonus points for those.
So, if you're itching for that sweet, sweet feeling of conquering a ridiculously complicated machine, keep *Kaizen: A Factory Story* on your radar. It might just be the Zachtronics-esque fix you've been craving, even if it is from "Coincidence". Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
Tags: puzzle games, indie games, zachtronics, factory automation, simulation
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun