Space is cold, harsh, and controlled by corporate overlords—and Astronomics leans into that with both satire and style. This indie automation sim from developer Lowcart Games doesn’t just follow the genre playbook; it quietly rewrites parts of it, creating a more personal, streamlined experience without losing the thrill of optimization.
While many factory-building games ask you to think big and build bigger, Astronomics thrives in the small scale. You’re not laying down sprawling conveyor belts from orbit. You’re launching expeditions to asteroids, sending bots to mine, and squeezing out every ounce of value before the rock drifts out of range. The goal? Earn your way back to Earth… eventually.
It’s part management sim, part logistics puzzler, part dystopian satire—and it works remarkably well.
Indentured Mining: The Setup
You play as a lone worker under Cube Corp, a cheery, soulless megacorporation with one clear message: work hard, dream of Earth, and keep extracting. You’re stationed aboard a small freighter, launching trips to asteroid fields to collect minerals, earn Cube Credits, and inch your way toward the absurd cost of a residency permit back home.
The worldbuilding is pitch-perfect. From the moment the game begins, Cube Corp propaganda floods your screen—Earth is paradise, but only for those who can afford it. You? You’re a cog in the system, mining gypsum by hand, dreaming of grass you’ll never touch.
This theme carries throughout the entire experience. Whether you’re dragging rocks through microgravity or listening to upbeat corporate music while checking contracts, Astronomics never lets you forget who owns your time.
Core Gameplay: Expedition Over Expansion
Rather than sprawling bases or endless automation chains, Astronomics focuses on short, contained runs. You jump to an asteroid sector, deploy your shuttle, and get to work. Each asteroid drifts through your claim for a limited time—usually 15 to 20 minutes—adding urgency to your mining session without turning it into a stress-fest.
The Tools at Your Disposal:
- Command Bots: Your main unit. Used for scanning, mining, and tagging resources.
- Worker Bots: Autonomous haulers that retrieve tagged minerals and return them to your shuttle.
- Mining Turrets & Lasers: Stationary extractors for denser nodes.
- Cranes: Essential for moving bots and materials across elevation changes.
- Forges: Allow you to refine materials and build structures mid-mission.
The gameplay loop is straightforward but engaging:
- Land on an asteroid.
- Assess the terrain and mineral layout.
- Deploy tools and bots strategically.
- Maximize your haul before the asteroid drifts out of range.
- Return to the station, sell your cargo, upgrade, and repeat.
Every run feels like a mini logistics puzzle. Do you prioritize high-value minerals or go for bulk? Do you risk deploying your only mining laser, or play it safe and haul manually? The simplicity of the loop is deceptive—efficiency and smart planning matter.
Upgrades, Progression & Corporate Strings
The game features a dual-currency economy:
- Cube Credits are used for ship upgrades, bot enhancements, and tools.
- Earth Dollars slowly accumulate via revenue share and act as your long-term “freedom fund.”
Upgrades feel meaningful. Adding a second worker bot drastically speeds up trips. Unlocking cranes opens up new terrain types. Extending battery life or expanding cargo storage makes every expedition more lucrative.
There’s also a contract system—mini objectives that push you to try new strategies or collect specific minerals. These add focus and direction without overwhelming the player.
Atmosphere and Style
Astronomics nails its tone. The low-poly visuals are clean and charming, with a muted color palette that fits the bleak-yet-dryly-humorous tone. The audio design is equally strong, blending ambient space noise with propaganda-laced music and voiceovers that feel pulled straight from The Outer Worlds or We Happy Few.
The satire isn’t heavy-handed. It’s woven into the game’s systems and presentation. You’re not told that Cube Corp is evil—you feel it in every mechanic, every upgrade gate, every condescending ad on your terminal.
What Works Well
✅ A Focused, Rewarding Loop
Unlike massive factory sims that spiral into spreadsheet territory, Astronomics keeps its loop tight and tactical. Each asteroid is a self-contained puzzle, and each run feels satisfying and complete.
✅ Excellent Worldbuilding
The game’s humor, visual identity, and corporate dystopia are all consistent and effective. It’s immersive without relying on heavy exposition.
✅ Tactical Automation
The mix of manual control (command bot) and strategic automation (worker bots, turrets, cranes) hits a sweet spot. You’re always engaged without being overwhelmed.
✅ Upgradeable Systems
Every upgrade has a noticeable effect on gameplay, giving you a real sense of progress even after short sessions.
✅ Relaxed, Time-Limited Expeditions
You don’t need to invest hours at a time. A single asteroid run can fit into a lunch break, making it ideal for pick-up-and-play sessions.
What Could Be Improved
❌ Slow Early Game
The opening hours are grindy. You only have one bot and limited tools, making each trip feel sluggish until you unlock more gear.
❌ Limited Variety (For Now)
Asteroid layouts and mineral types start to feel familiar after several hours. More biome diversity or mission types would help long-term replayability.
❌ No Threats or Hazards
While relaxing, the game lacks tension beyond the time limit. Pirates or environmental hazards are hinted at but not yet implemented.
❌ Repetitive Tasks
Dragging rocks or micromanaging storage can get tedious, especially when bots are limited or terrain is complex.
❌ Basic Visuals
While charming, the low-poly art can feel repetitive or flat during longer sessions. More environmental variety would help.
Who Should Play Astronomics?
🎯 Play This If You:
- Enjoy strategy and resource management without overwhelming complexity.
- Liked Hardspace: Shipbreaker, Deliver Us Mars, or Stationeers.
- Appreciate games with corporate dystopia satire baked into the mechanics.
- Prefer chill, time-boxed gameplay over sprawling megaprojects.
- Want an automation game without a massive learning curve.
⛔ Skip This If You:
- Need combat, fast action, or real-time threats.
- Get bored by early-game grinding or slow starts.
- Prefer detailed blueprints and complex production chains.
Astronomics: Astronomics doesn’t try to compete with factory-building giants like Factorio or Satisfactory—and that’s exactly why it works. It’s a smaller, smarter, more grounded take on the genre that emphasizes moment-to-moment decision-making over long-term micromanagement. Its mix of chill pacing, strategic depth, and corporate satire creates an experience that’s oddly addictive. Whether you're optimizing crane routes or grinding for a better drill, Astronomics keeps you coming back. It’s still in Early Access, but the core systems are solid. With more variety, expanded tech trees, and perhaps some light hazards or narrative missions, this could become a genre classic. – ColdMoon
