Simple Rules and Complex Choices in Fantastic Factories
Step into the realm of efficiency and production with the endearing combinations provided with Fantastic Factories.
Onto the fun and joy of creating goods! With Fantastic Factories, the process of constructing buildings and watching production chains work together is always fun. Perhaps my favorite aspect is how few resources there are: Goods are simply goods, and could be anything! This simplicity allows the game mechanics to shine through without confusion.
Game Overview
Game Name: Fantastic Factories
Publication Year: 2019
Designer: Joseph Z Chen and Justin Faulkner
Artist: Joseph Z Chen
Publisher: Metafactory Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
As I settled in to play, I was a little daunted by the size of the rulebook. Then I remembered… Excellent reference sections are there to help, while the simple rules are all laid out on a couple of reference cards! Build and work to produce goods. It’s a simple formula filled with decisions!
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
The Solo Machine
My assessment of the rules being simple is meant as a big positive. Although I took a look at the full rules again since I last played 6+ months ago, it all came back to me.
The solo opponent is another simple process to run, yet isn’t so easy to beat. With various difficulty levels, the right kind of challenge is ready to go during setup.
It didn’t take long for me to recall how this would go! My prior successes made me pretty confident about winning.
But the hard difficulty level? I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be as simple as tossing together some widgets!
A Fantastic Promotion
Is it necessary to have a proper factory manager? No… But only technically. I decided to promote a Calico Critter to this esteemed position. She was quite happy to oblige!
Too bad the makeshift manager pin wasn’t quite her size. No worries: She rolled it around proudly and declared she was going to head up the best factory around. FANTASTIC!
On a somewhat unrelated note, my Calico Critters really need to start making more appearances.
Each also has a full name… Which I went through the trouble of researching painstakingly. More to come!
Extremely Low Roller
As dawn broke and the game began, I had the option of hiring a contractor by discarding a blueprint. This high roller was just the ticket to get off to a great start!
Only I must have given him the wrong idea. Roll 1 was a success, so I wanted to push my luck. Note that my factory manager was protesting from the sidelines. For the record.
Second roll… And I lost it all. Nice job, high roller! Ha ha! This is a real possibility when taking chances, of course.
Maybe there was some annoyance at me using a green die for this, when there was a perfectly matched purple die.
Off to Headquarters
No matter! After that debacle of a hire, I was informed that I should just focus on the workers. 4 dice are used and I went for a colorful assortment simply because I could.
It worked! With the basic actions at my headquarters, I had enough to build a manufactory. Note that I also had to discard a blueprint with a matching green tool icon.
Nothing comes for free here! Which I should have learned before giving the high roller a whirl. Lesson learned. Ha!
I was pretty happy with this opening, even if I lost out on that first market phase. Onto greatness!
Goods Upon Goods
When it was time for the game to end, I was pretty happy with my assortment of buildings. Note that I always try to build a fulfillment center due to board games. Ha!
I was actually surprised by how well I did. Never did I have an ability to manipulate the dice, so I relied on exact values every time. The dice were quite nice, though.
The real question was whether this was going to be enough. My mind went back to the high roller…
Early mistakes can be costly, although it’s not impossible to make up for them with certain buildings.
The Better Machine
Alas, despite all of my efforts, the solo opponent won by just a few points! Maybe the high roller disaster really did make a big difference. Never again! At least for now.
My factory manager had a few recommendations for my next attempt. Mainly… Do not risk going after another high roller. We’ll make our own resources, thank you!
So I reset the game, which took all of a few minutes. Then, it was off to the races as I tried to build up the goods.
This was quite the challenge at the hard difficulty level! Just as it should be. I worked and worked right to the end.
Session Overview
Play Number: 7 and 8
Expansion: Fantastic Factories: Promo Pack 1
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Hard Difficulty Level
Outcome: 27-31 and 23-22 (1 Win and 1 Loss)
Success, and just barely! Like a beacon of hope, my little factory grew to defeat the solo machine. Once again, it was the fulfillment center that probably made the biggest difference. Doesn’t it always?! This was a great little matchup that delivered a solid experience. Not my top game, yet there’s a lot to enjoy with these factories!
%
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
+ Pros (Positives)
- Almost all of the rules and icons can fit on a few reference cards, while the rulebook includes extra appendices.
- Different building types provide unique ways to make the most of the dice and paths to victory.
- Various levels of difficulty for the solo opponent are achieved during setup with a simple set of blueprints.
- Every round is important in how to use the dice, which resources to collect, and what buildings to construct.
- Interesting synergies exist between buildings to create production chains not always obvious from the start.
- Using just 2 resources and the general idea of finished goods allows the game to progress without complexities.
– Cons (Negatives)
- The card quality is just a little underwhelming with noticeable warping so they never lay completely flat.
- Luck plays a role with both the dice and the cards so that it’s easy to lose without making any bad decisions.
- Although the process for managing the solo opponent is simple, it can feel very mechanical and repetitive.
- Overall, the solo mode is enjoyable but may not warrant the desire to play a lot since it’s somewhat bland.
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
What do you enjoy about Fantastic Factories? Have you had better luck with the high roller? I was rather surprised to see how rarely I’ve played since it’s such an enjoyable game. Perhaps it doesn’t grab me as much as some others in my collection, yet I’m finding that a lot of good games are excellent in their own ways! Now, to hire more Calico Critters…
It looks as though most things are dependent on dice luck to work. Does that match your experience of the game, or am I misreading the iconography?
You’re right about spot on! Dice luck is very important, although there are contractors and buildings that can help you manipulate the results. Some give you temporary extra dice to roll, and there are times when you can set the face to the value of your choice.
My strategy is heavily dependent on goods production, though, so I’ll often take my chances and ignore the opportunities to change the dice. Maybe not the best option each time, yet I still find myself winning pretty consistently.
If you’re not a big fan of dice, though, this one might not be the game for you. Just look at my luck with the high roller for an example of what can happen. Ha ha!
Good review! the solitaire mode is very very lucky, I have only played it in easy mode and I won one and lost another. I also usually build production buildings and monuments and may the luck of the dice be with me.
Thanks for the kind words and comment! Sounds like we have a similar strategy. I hope it works for you so that more wins come your way. The dice can be quite mean at times, but it’s always fun to keep trying. May good luck be with you, too!