Robot Factory - Devlog 001

Yo!

First post since uploading the prototype — and my first ever devlog on Itch, yay!

A bit of background on the project: it all started as an exercise in implementing design patterns in Unity, the first being the Factory pattern. That probably sheds some light on the name of the project (which is still kinda temporary) as well as on the core concept. To keep things interesting for myself, I decided to apply those patterns to real gameplay mechanics rather than just test them in the abstract. I ended up liking the result, so I figured — why not put some more work into it and maybe turn it into a full game?

The first version was all about establishing the core mechanic: managing resources and building resource-collecting robots. The HQ takes in resources and allows the player to build robots — simple and functional.

For this second update, I started working on buildings. At first, they just popped into existence once created, but since this game is all about robots, I thought it’d be more accurate to have them start as small robotic cubes that run into position before "settling in." It turned out to be much more satisfying visually.

I also added a kind of "power network" system: buildings need to be connected to the main HQ via connectors in order to be powered. These connectors and buildings also influence the terrain, since robots can't move directly on them — something that might add an interesting new layer to the strategy.

That’s it for this update! I’ve already got a bunch of ideas for where to take things next, but I’d really love to hear what players think of the current mechanics— if anyone wants to share their thoughts. There’s not much of a clear objective in the game yet, but it’s definitely on the roadmap.

– Zach, 16/7/25