shapez 2

What is being developed in Aachen and on over 300,000 wishlists? shapez 2 by topspr games! The factory automation simulation will be released in Early Access on 15 August, and all signs point to a hit.

Wube Software's Factorio has more or less created a new genre, that of automation games, in which you build factories on a large scale, optimise them and constantly increase production. Like its predecessor, shapez 2 from tobspr Games, based in Aachen, focuses on this genre and avoids the big competitors at the same time, because shapez 2 will be released on 15 August, well before the end of the Early Access period for Satisfactory (10 September; over 5.5 million sales) and the first Factorio expansion, Space Age (21 October; over 3.5 million Factorio sales).

The first shapez is a 2D factory building and automation game about creating increasingly complex shapes on an infinitely expanding map. It has sold more than 650,000 units on Steam and attracted more than 10 million players to its demo on shapez.io. The second shapez is on over 300,000 wishlists on Steam and continues the basic concept of its predecessor. It is a game with infinite resources and no construction costs, so everyone can solve the production puzzles at their own pace. It all starts small and you can use the skills you learn as you progress to build bigger and more complicated factories, this time with 3D gameplay that allows the player to stack up to three belts on top of each other.

It is this 3D element that is the big improvement over the previous game. There are also no enemies, which means there is no additional pressure on the player. It is much more about optimising production lines and perfecting automation on a truly gigantic scale. As the game progresses, players must create increasingly complex shapes to feed the vortex. The factory grows from a single conveyor belt to a multi-station space factory connected by space trains. However, the game is much more abstract than Satisfactory or Factorio, as it does not produce known products, but abstract shapes in different fluids (colours). Fluids are also new. "There are no predetermined recipes in shapez 2 - buildings perform simple functions such as cutting shapes in half, changing their color or stacking them, so it's up to you to find a way to transform basic circles and squares into all kinds of colorful shapes," the company says. "Performance is very important to us, and with the complete rewrite of Shapez 2 in a new engine, we're doing our best to make sure that massive factories run smoothly - even with the all-new 3D visuals!"

"We're proud to have reached the point where shapez 2 is ready to be released in Early Access. The game already offers players a full-fledged experience worthy of a full launch - now we're going to take the time to continue polishing the game and add more content until we’re completely satisfied with what we've created. We're thankful for our passionate community that is just as invested in this game as we are and will help us shape the game even further during the Early Access period. Without our players we could not have made it this far to begin with." - Tobias Springer, founder of tobspr Games

At launch, shapez 2 can be played in four different modes: Normal, Hard, Insane, and an experimental Hexagonal mode where shapes have six sides instead of four. More modes and content will be added as the developers continue to work on the game.

tobspr Games is developing and publishing the game itself, with Gamera Games helping with publishing in Asia. Game Drive from the Netherlands is involved in PR and marketing. tobspr Games was founded in 2018 by Tobias Springer. The company started as a hobby with a focus on web games. The first game was a tower defense game called YORG.io. After it became clear that a much larger player base could be built on Steam, the concept changed to a hybrid approach: demo on the web and full version on Steam.

After YORG.io 3, shapez was the breakthrough for the company and so it expanded. In 2022 Springer decided to develop shapez 2, this time much bigger and with more employees. Without the 537,833 Euros in federal funding (BMWK), it would not have been possible to grow so much and increase both quality and scope to such an extent. Tobias Springer told GamesMarkt in August 2023: "I'm very grateful that we got the funding, and the application and advice from DLR was also great. As a small studio in Germany, the cost of employees is really a big issue, and unfortunately there is a lot of competition abroad. Thanks to the funding we can now create five jobs in Germany". The development team employs no more than ten people.

shapez 2 will be released on Steam Early Access on 15 August 2024. The game will be available for 24.99 Euros. There is also a Supporter Edition for 34.99 Euros. This includes the base game, cosmetic rail twisters and loops, and an additional 40 minutes of soundtrack. The Supporter Edition Upgrade DLC will be available for 9.99 Euros. The Early Access period is expected to last at least six months.

Conclusion

shapez 2 is designed to satisfy fans of factory construction and automation simulations, with numerous and significant improvements over its predecessor. The game is definitely a highlight!

Features

• Total focus on factory automation with infinite resources, no construction costs and no enemies.
• Easy to learn, but still offers plenty of challenges advanced or professional players
• Performance is also key for tobspr games, with numerous improvements over shapes leading to gigantic factories