Automachef is an automation game where the goal is to build increasingly complex automatic kitchens with the aid of different machines and the omnipresent conveyor belts you can find everywhere in the genre. Progression is tied to unlockable machines and computers.
For those who are new to the genre, these titles differ from regular puzzle games because they allow for more than one answer, limited only by the player's imagination. The tools players have available are usually similar to real world engineering or programming tools.
With a campaign that numbers 30 levels in total plus a procedurally generated mode Automachef isn't light on content, however all puzzles are fixed so there's little incentive for optimization, it's much easier to create a tailor made solution that aces a particular stage. There's also the issue that the most powerful control tool for the player is a computer with effing assembly.
As a result, I think Automachef is generally a good game, but it falls short of being great because it lacks the necessary polish. I would even argue the design is bloated in some ways and could stand to remove mechanics like disasters entirely.

Reviewed on Jul 26, 2022


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