Do you like chemistry? Do you find yourself pondering molecular structures and daydreaming about chemical bonding mechanisms? Do you enjoy programming? Well then buddy, do I have a great game for you: **SpaceChem**. Where real-world chemistry principles meet puzzles and produce a very compelling offspring...that is, if you’re really into chemistry...which I’m really not.

https://i.imgur.com/CfjuT6y.jpg

Even with my remedial chemistry knowledge and almost complete lack of interest in the field - the most chemistry I know is that there are things called acids and bases and that they neutralize each other, much like fire and water spells, and surprisingly, sometimes with just as dynamic and interesting graphics in real-life - I can appreciate a goddamn good puzzle game, and this fits that latter bill.

That being said, because of the chemistry-focused approach I really couldn’t get into it very much. I tried, I went through the first few tutorials but much like actual chemistry, when you can’t be arsed to actually study the damn thing, it mostly boils down to trial and error, a LOT of trial and error.

So basically, the puzzle part of the game revolves around you having to create fictional chemical components - you’re given some raw components, by then using the visual programming part of the game. You have a sort of virtual workspace in which you must create a valid chain of events which will eventually result in your molecular goal.

http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/92800/ss_42f0bbecf8ec63fb5c649d567d7ff1b75f6fde6b.1920x1080.jpg?t=1494199431

It’s very much like **The Infernal Machine** but at a molecular level. Meaning that instead of pointing lasers and switches, you have to arrange the electrons of your raw materials so that when they meet - and you better make sure they meet at the right spot at the right time - they can interact and spawn the end result you need.

All of this takes place on something of a conveyor belt, which means that you also have to perfectly time events. You can obviously stop it, readjust and retest, and that where all that trial and error I mentioned earlier comes in.

The one interesting part of the conveyor belt mechanic is that, much like in actual science, your process has to function the same way for several cycles. This isn’t a game for one hit wonders, your chemical process - be it fictional - has to be repeatable within your puzzle solution. This is due in part to the fact that you will be able to create your goal compounds once, but the way in which you do it isn’t very efficient, namely it cannot be done on a constant loop.

http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/92800/ss_55448be442e88bd6e6ba6d0b00fbacb1cad8540a.1920x1080.jpg?t=1494199431

Fun fact, did you know that well before modern means of chemically analysing substances and before knowing how things tend to interact with one another based on their molecular makeup, when discovering a new compound/substance/material, scientists would just start mixing it with all the elements on the periodic table to see what happens? Well, that’s what my approach boiled down to whilst playing SpaceChem. 

Not because it was too complex - the game is fairly complex and it takes a while to get used to the lingo and the mechanics, but just because I really did not find the approach compelling...at all. But again, I have to repeat, that’s just me.

The game is a solid puzzle game, I just fucking HATE chemistry.

Tell me in the comments if you’ve played SpaceChem and what you thought of it, or if this sounds like the type of puzzle game that you would actually like to get into.

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SpaceChem on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/92800/SpaceChem/

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