Autonauts

by Mikhail Jul 1, 2022 | 1 Votes | 90 Played | 0 Reviews

10 rate

Genres:

Simulation , Educational

Graphics:

Labels:

Building , Educational , Robots

Platforms:

Publishers:

Curve Digital Autonauts is an educational coding visual game by Curve Digital where you command workerbots to build a thriving colony. Create bots of your own and set commands, and have them perform tasks as you do research and lead them to a prosperous new age. Play Now Similar Games

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Summary Plotline Gameplay Graphics/Sound Conclusion

Summary

In a way, our lives have become more automated than ever before, with us using robots and machines to help us complete tasks. Spreadsheets let us organize data with little involvement on our end, while in factory assembly lines, robots are efficiently streamlining production. Many digital mediums use programs that follow a set of instructions coded by humans to get this done.

Automation, and the nuances that come with it, are the entire premise of Autonauts. Though it’s a game for all ages, it’s more suited toward the younger population, particularly kids and teens who show an interest in coding and logic. Apart from its educational and coding elements, it is a solid simulation and management experience, letting you dive into the intricacies of managing a new interplanetary colony using robots and AI.

With all these in mind, should you give Autonauts a shot? Let’s check out what it has to offer:

Plotline

Autonauts’ plot is as straightforward as it gets. You’ll play the titular autonaut, and your role is to colonize different worlds or planets with robots. It works well, although the immersion because you’re not exactly equipped with high-tech tools or machines. Instead, you’ll need to build things from scratch and create robots using primitive, raw materials like wood, acorns, and various objects you can harvest. In a way, this breaks immersion, but once you get to the nooks and crannies of its gameplay, you’ll immediately forget about the story.

Gameplay

In a nutshell, Autonauts is a hybrid between a colony simulation and a visual coding/programming game. Like all games, it starts with a tutorial, but note it’s more comprehensive than usual, considering what it’s all about. You’ll be oriented about the game’s controls, and even if a mouse and keyboard are more suited for an optimum autonaut experience, the joycons hold up reasonably well. However, it will take some time to get used to navigating the user interface, and don’t be surprised if you end up stumbling across menus in the first few hours.

Autonauts has many game modes that you can sink your teeth into. These are Settlement, Free, and Creative, each providing a vastly varied experience. Settlement is where you build your first settlement, while the Free and Creative modes mostly let you do whatever you want. Along with the mode selection, you’ll also get to pick the spot on the map where you want to land. It doesn’t matter which location you choose, but it’s best to have one with lots of cover and abundant trees.

The gameplay loop centers around building, gathering resources and automating these processes. How? If we haven’t made it clear, it’s by inserting commands into your crafted robots. Once you create them, show what they’re supposed to do and, after which, encode the commands. Moving forward, you’ll rinse and repeat the entire process and, shortly after, have dozens of robots working for you. They will do tasks like chopping trees, gathering items in storage spaces, and even animal husbandry and fishing.

As soon as you collect more and more resources, you can construct various buildings, make the necessary upgrades, and research technologies to improve your colony. One of the ways to get this done is through “wuv,” which you can harvest via an absurd “colonist” gameplay element. By obtaining enough, you can use the currency to buy stuff ranging from new buildings and functions that can make your bots more efficient.

Although it is satisfying to see the bots performing their tasks without delay, you’ll encounter some issues. Some errant bots may drop their supplies elsewhere, and the charging mechanic feels tedious. Though you can set commands pretty quickly, you’ll need to do so for every individual bot. Things can get quite hectic, but if you’re into management sims, you’ll probably enjoy this aspect.

Graphics/Sound

In terms of presentation, Autonauts look fantastic on the Nintendo Switch. It’s kid-friendly, and the art is suitable for all ages. The user interface may look a tad crowded when you’re playing in handheld mode, but regardless, everything checks out. You can play with little to zero navigation and interface-related issues.

The animations are cute. There were instances wherein creating buildings showed this animation where your colonist stomps on objects to create them, which is cartoonish yet quite funny. The poly art style with bright colors pops, and the music isn’t too intrusive and creates an atmosphere conducive to colony creation. The game also runs quite well on the Nintendo Switch; even with countless robots on-screen, there’s zero to little in the way of framerate drops.

Conclusion

Overall, Autonauts is a fantastic, well-ported management sim game on the Nintendo Switch. It provides a fun and satisfying gameplay loop and is perfect for all ages. For kids, it’s an incredibly rich and educational experience, and it’s highly recommended for parents who want their children to be interested in coding. For simulation and management gamers, it’s a fresh pocket-sized game in the genre and undoubtedly one of those titles that deserve to be part of your gaming library.

Curve and Denki's Autonauts vs Piratebots to launch 28th July

by Aethyna Jul 1, 2022

Launch date confirmed and new trailer released!

Curve and Denki's Autonauts vs Piratebots to launch 28th July

by Mikhail Jul 1, 2022

Autonauts is an educational coding visual game by Curve Digital where you command workerbots to build a thriving colony. Create bots of your own and set commands, and have them perform tasks as you do research and lead them to a prosperous new age.