Paradox is on a roll right now. With Cities Skylines 2 just around the corner and the new strategy sim Millennia also on its way, the Stellaris, Crusader Kings, and Europa Universalis publisher is now taking on Factorio at its own game, with a new procedural builder that looks and feels a little like Minecraft. Revealed today, Foundry comes from the newly-created Channel 3, and challenges you to design, construct, and fully automate a production line on a charming, voxel alien planet. If you love Factorio, or want an alternative to Satisfactory and Infinifactory, this might be the one for you – and there’s a free Steam download on the way, too.
So here’s the deal. In Foundry, you arrive on an alien world that is procedurally generated, and which Paradox says is “infinite.” Similar to Minecraft, or any classic building game, you begin by mining and harvesting the basic resources required for rudimentary machines. Once the fundamentals are established, the job becomes more complex, as you design and develop conveyors to automate production, and gradually unlock more technologies and equipment to help maximize your output. You can see the first Foundry gameplay trailer below:
Every block in the endless procedurally generated world can be destroyed and used to build, and you can construct your factory anywhere you want. Find a nice clearing in the forest, dig deep into the darkest subterranean caverns, or set up shop on top of a jagged mountainside – it’s your call. You can play Foundry solo or with friends, with online or LAN multiplayer allowing for as many people as you want. Paradox says Foundry is best played by two to four people, but if you want many more, you can do that, too.
As it’s just been announced, there’s no release date for Foundry as of yet, but a free demo will be coming soon as part of Steam Next Fest, which runs from Monday, October 9 to Monday, October 16. You can also add Foundry to your wishlist as of today. It joins a slew of upcoming Paradox releases including Millennia, a new strategy game with a twist, and of course the sequel to Cities Skylines, which we’re expecting imminently thanks to the Cities Skylines 2 release date.
While we wait for Foundry, take a look at some of the other best management games. The logistically minded among you will also want to bag some of the best grand strategy games on PC.
