(3) Grab (this square is where the 'input' atom appears, so this instruction causes the oxygen atom we called in to be picked up) (2) Input zone alpha (causes whatever the level's input atom or molecule is to be called in- in this case, oxygen) Starting from the big red circle, those smaller red circles are: That means you need to build a circuit which collects an oxygen atom, drops it off at the bonder, goes back and collects a second oxygen atom, takes it to the bonder, bonds the two atoms together, then drops the finished molecule off at the level’s output area. Using an intuitive and satisfying interface, you whip up tracks for chemicals to travel down with the objective of carrying an entirely different chemical to the level’s ultimate destination.Īt its simplest, let’s say a level provides you with oxygen atoms and expects you to build a circuit that produces a molecule made from two oxygen atoms bonded together (O 2). The actual game of SpaceChem is, quite simply, building circuits. In SpaceChem you play a new employee of a profoundly sinister interstellar chemical company (called SpaceChem), with the story of your career being told throughout the game through well-written text vignettes. If I have any chemists reading this, I can also guarantee that you’ll suck at SpaceChem as much as the rest of us. I can guarantee that you will learn almost nothing of any value, scientific or otherwise, playing this game. Since then I’ve lost many hours to its incredible chemical conundrums, and I’m very excited to tell you Wot I Think.īefore we start this review, the first thing you need to do, right now, is ditch any preconceptions you’ve made off the back of SpaceChem’s chemistry-related imagery, or the fact that the screenshots look, at worst, like educational software.

When I posted about indie puzzler SpaceChem last week, I wondered if we already had one of the year’s best indie games on out hands.

Spacechem final level