New Factory Building Game on Steam Looks Like Satisfactory 2 with Space Exploration

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I wasn’t actively searching for another factory-building game, but Main Sequence on Steam has really caught my eye. It seems to perfectly understand what makes Satisfactory so enjoyable. I love finding the best way to do things, and the automation and building involved in both Satisfactory and now Main Sequence are incredibly rewarding. Plus, I’m a huge space enthusiast and will try any game set in space. I even enjoyed Starfield (and still do!), despite its mixed reception – I just can’t get enough of the setting.

I’m really excited about Main Sequence because it combines two things I love: building and optimizing, and exploring space. It’s more than just building a single, huge factory; it feels like you’re creating and managing an entire industrial network across space, with research and fleet management playing a big role. It’s still early in development, so the full depth of the game isn’t clear yet, but so far, Main Sequence stands out as a potentially unique automation game on Steam by taking the action beyond Earth.

Main Sequence’s Features at a Glance

  • BUILD AN INTERSTELLAR INDUSTRIAL EMPIRE across space.
  • COLLECT RESOURCES AND AUTOMATE PRODUCTION lines with machines and conveyors.
  • EXPAND YOUR BASE of operations with space stations and ship hubs.
  • DESIGN AND CUSTOMIZE SHIPS and stations, AND save blueprints for reuse or sharing.
  • EXPLORE A PROCEDURALLY GENERATED GALAXY with unique stellar phenomena.
  • ENCOUNTER ALLIES AND ENEMIES while exploring and expanding.
  • FLEET COMMAND AND DEFENSE against an ancient alien defense system.
  • RESEARCH NEW TECHNOLOGIES using items you produce to unlock more machines, modules, and upgrades.
  • Supports SINGLE PLAYER and online CO-OP play.

Main Sequence Feels Like Satisfactory in All the Right Ways

You have a lot on your plate, so it’s time to automate! Create machines, link them together with conveyor belts, and carefully design your production process to work as smoothly and quickly as possible.

Like most games where you build a base, Main Sequence is centered around making steady progress. As you play, you’ll unlock new possibilities and expand your base by moving through different crafting levels. You start with simple tools, gather resources to build stations for your ship and the machines inside, and then need more advanced tools and resources to keep growing. While many base-building games emphasize automation like Satisfactory, Main Sequence isn’t focusing on that aspect.

I’m still amazed by Satisfactory! It’s been over a year since it officially launched, leaving Early Access behind, and it still has an ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ rating on Steam – with more than 100,000 reviews! It’s incredible to see a game maintain that level of praise.

Similar to Satisfactory, the most rewarding part of playing Main Sequence isn’t simply constructing things, but creating a base that runs on its own. Both games truly shine when you move from doing tasks by hand to having automated systems that handle everything, allowing you to focus on even more ambitious goals.

Main Sequence appears to follow a similar successful pattern, where adding new machines or stations actually speeds up gameplay instead of creating more tedious tasks. The real reward comes from seeing your plans succeed and creating a system that runs smoothly on its own – that’s the feeling that keeps players engaged with Satisfactory for hours. If Main Sequence can recreate that experience, it has the potential to be just as captivating.

What Happens When Satisfactory Moves Into Space

The real excitement in Main Sequence comes from exploring its vast, ever-changing galaxy, where you’ll encounter both friends and foes.

I’m really excited about Main Sequence because it’s not just trying to be another Satisfactory. It needs to stand on its own, especially when Satisfactory is already considered one of the best base-building games ever! So, instead of sticking to one world like Satisfactory does, Main Sequence takes that same awesome base-building and automation gameplay into space. The core gameplay loop is similar, but honestly, playing it feels like Starfield and Satisfactory had a baby – that’s the vibe I definitely got while testing it on Steam!

Main Sequence Blends Starfield’s Space Exploration With Satisfactory’s Crafting Loop

The recent Main Sequence test version probably doesn’t show everything the final game will offer, but it gives a good idea of how it works. You begin by flying your ship around an asteroid field and collecting raw materials. You’ll scan to find asteroids rich in resources, then use your ship’s lasers to break them apart. A tractor beam then pulls the resulting materials to your ship, letting you create items, and eventually, build stations and machines.

In Main Sequence, stations are your home base in space. You can build and connect different facilities to create your own custom space station, where you can dock and board your ship. The station designer works a lot like the ship-building system in Starfield, but you can also choose a more hands-on, creative approach to building if you prefer.

The real excitement in Main Sequence comes from exploring its vast, randomly generated galaxy, which is populated with both friends and foes. The more you craft and progress, the larger the galaxy becomes, offering opportunities to find incredible sights like black holes and neutron stars – each area presenting its own unique challenges and rewards. But be careful not to venture too far from your base! Your industrial efforts have alerted an ancient alien defense system determined to dismantle everything you’ve built.

Overall, Main Sequence really appeals to the way I think. I enjoy creating self-sufficient systems, and I’m drawn to the idea of space exploration, so managing factories across ships, stations, and planets feels instantly engaging. It’s still early in development and it might not become the next Satisfactory, but I’m definitely excited about what I’ve played so far and will be keeping a close eye on its progress.

You can now add Main Sequence to your wishlist on Steam! The developers are working on a demo that should be available soon, though they haven’t announced when the full game will be released yet.

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2026-01-17 18:06