Fantastic Factories: A Management Game of Goods Production
Watch the gears turn and whirl into action in the intriguing world of production with Fantastic Factories.
Maybe I’m a little on the slower side when it comes to playing new games these days. However, I’m not completely out of it! I found a preowned copy of Fantastic Factories at a recent virtual board game swap. Pounce! The specific mechanics and theme never grabbed me in the past, yet there seemed to be something more to it. To the factory!
Game Overview
Game Name: Fantastic Factories
Publication Year: 2019
Designer: Joseph Z Chen and Justin Faulkner
Artist: Joseph Z Chen
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Dice represent workers, who may be used in different ways to produce resources and the ultimate goal: Goods! With a large number of available buildings and even special contractors to hire, the possibilities are quite intriguing and varied. I was immediately impressed with the high-quality components. Dual-layered? Yes, please!
First Play
August 18, 2020
Complexity
2
Latest Play
October 24, 2021
Expansions
5
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
14
Play Time
25 Minutes
High Score
30
Game Area
20" x 18"
Low Score
16
Oh My Goods! and More Related Exclamations
There was a time when I owned Oh My Goods! It worked nicely with multi-purpose cards, unique details in the art, and a plethora of ways to produce goods. Ultimately, though, I sent it along to a new home when it fell flat for me. The random elements were a little too much for me, particularly when the chapter-based expansion came into play.
The idea of creating a production chain interests me to a certain degree, but the theme has never truly appealed to me. So I took a risk with this new game. The fact that “goods” were an abstract concept without definite inputs and outputs made me happy. That simplicity gave me the chance to focus more on what I was doing at a macro-level. Yeah!
Constant Decisions
At the start of each turn, the choice comes down to hiring a contractor or picking up a specific building. There are plenty of options, and it’s not always easy to decide.
One thing that struck me was how I wasn’t actually creating a factory per se. There were a lot of other elements that felt like building a town or community.
Take a look at that robot! If this was built, it could help add another die to the available workers during a turn.
Since I was completely inexperienced, I just went with the flow and wanted to try out a few strategies for practice.
An Appendix’s Power
Never underestimate the usefulness of an appendix! Tucked at the end of the rules, I found a wonderful reference for all of the cards in the game.
Although the iconography was straightforward, I still appreciated having this reference nearby.
I only came across a single question during this session. The appendix answered it within seconds, rather than me having to go seek a solution online. Quite nice!
The little things won’t make or break a solo board game, yet these touches improve my experiences noticeably.
Against the Machine
Rather fittingly, I found myself up against a mysterious entity known only as The Machine. “I’ll be back?” No, no!
A simple card explains the entire process for running the solo opponent. My first couple of turns had me getting the hang of things, but the time dropped off to 10-20 seconds.
That’s another element of the solo game that can’t be overlooked! An easy-to-run solo opponent is often important to avoid unnecessary downtime and steps.
With a simple way to adjust the difficulty level, I was impressed. And also ready to destroy The Machine!
Delicious Dice
There are some seriously beautiful dice here. Maybe nothing noteworthy compared to some custom dice out there, but I was thrilled with the quality! So pretty.
My only complaint came with the setup instructions for the solo mode. I was instructed to use… The white frosted dice. And only those. Excuse me?! Unacceptable.
The Machine took 5 dice of different colors. I’m going to adjust my setup in the future. I love bright dice!
Note that these are standard-sized dice, and not the smaller variety that I often shake my fist at. Ha ha!
Good Goods: A Story
With some luck, I started to get into a rhythm early on. Plenty of goods showed up, although I definitely didn’t set myself up for success! I relied entirely on the dice.
For instance, I needed 3 dice of consecutive values to gain 2 goods. Alternatively, I needed 3 dice with a total value of 14+ for another 2 goods. Not exactly easy!
My first play was an odd experience. I love to play new games, but a stressful workday made it a bit lackluster.
It’s important to recognize that, though. I may not have loved the game, yet it was still a nice way to unwind!
Stacking the Deck
The Machine collected plenty of cards. The process stole some useful cards from the market, but I didn’t feel like I needed to worry about managing cards myself.
That’s what I got for playing at the easy difficulty level! I imagine it will be very challenging in the future.
Each building type forms a stack for the solo opponent. The dice determine if goods are produced, and this probability slowly increases throughout the rounds.
Monuments were worth a lot, and I was unfortunate enough to see The Machine pick up a couple of them.
Giving a New Game a Fair Chance
As I mentioned above, I was a bit stressed out from work when I sat down to play. I immediately knew my opinion of the game was unusually low. There was a rather negative feeling to everything, and I thought it all felt pretty random and pointless for 30 minutes. But the vital element here was that I recognized how I was feeling. Not fair at all!
So I stepped away and completely forgot about the game for a little bit. My session was technically split up, rather than my usual pair of back-to-back plays. A break from the routine helped out, though! I put most of my initial opinion out of my mind and approached the next play feeling much fresher. It was the right decision.
This isn’t to say that a bad first impression has to be ignored, though. It’s more about knowing yourself. Take your favorite game, and imagine yourself in a negative mood. Will it be as enjoyable as usual? Probably not. A similar experience met me here, and I wasn’t about to give an unfair assessment tainted by my frustration with work.
Session Overview
Play Number: 1 and 2
Expansion: Fantastic Factories: Kickstarter Promo Cards
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Easy Difficulty Level
Required Play Space: 32″ x 22″
Setup Time: 5 Minutes
Play Time: 30 Minutes per Play
Outcome: 30-25 and 26-23 (2 Wins)
Success! Although I won both times, I didn’t run away with the points. My second play even saw me using some helpful contractors! Lots of fun here, with more to come!
%
10 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
7
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
8
Victory Conditions
Score the Most Points
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game as the Gilded Guild.
Win at least 1 game at the easy difficulty level.
Win at least 1 game at the medium difficulty level.
Win at least 1 game at the hard difficulty level.
Continue the Conversation
Do you enjoy playing Fantastic Factories? What is your favorite building? I feel like there is a lot more to explore here, particularly since my pair of plays went so differently! The first time around was all about relying on the dice to use my buildings, while the second play saw contractors help out. I’m excited to see what else is in store for my factories!
I’ve never tried this one, though it seems interesting. Even your report seems a bit high-level and abstract. Looking forward to seeing more.
It was a bit of a surprise addition! The theme itself isn’t one I enjoy all that much, yet there are ways to view the game in a more enjoyable way. Different combinations and synergies between cards are also much more diverse than I imagined.
There’s still a chance my rating might not increase that much, although I’m definitely glad to have given this one a chance! It’s something I don’t have in my collection… And oddly enough, I’ve been avoiding too many dice games for whatever reason.