Opus Magnum

A flexible puzzle game of automating machinery.

Overview

Since this was a well-reviewed game, it was a no-brainer for me to pick up. I typically like this sort of game where you build machines. This one has a story and crisp graphics and controls.

Unfortunately, while Opus Magnum seems to have potential, I didn't find it to be fun. 

Puzzles

Each puzzle consists of building a machine to turn raw materials into a finished product. You are given a wide sandbox to accomplish this. While this seems like a good thing, it means that all puzzles are pretty easy to solve in a brute-force kind of way. Once the puzzle is finished, you can see how well you did compared to the rest of the world. That's a great feature, but there are three metrics -- cost (how many pieces did you use), speed (how many turns does the machine require to finish), and efficiency (how many tiles did you cover). 

Having different metrics is great for the sandbox feel. You can choose to optimize for one metric or sort of balance efficiency among them all. However, the game never rises beyond the sandbox. It is possible to set arbitrary goals, but that's not how I want to play puzzle games.

Modes of Play

Three of my Steam friends had already played the game. When you complete a puzzle, it compares it to your Steam friends. That helped engage my competitive spirit.

Some puzzles weren't interesting and I would brute-force a solution. Others engaged my desire for elegance. I tried to "always optimize speed" but my designs were similar and repetitive.

Should You Buy It?

While Opus Magnum isn't for me, I think a lot of people can find value from it. I've done a lot of programming, and playing Opus Magnum is very much like refactoring code. Someone who find programming fun and isn't burned out by it might really love Opus Magnum. Also, someone who generally enjoys machine puzzles but isn't hardcore might find these puzzles challenging.