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The original was posted on /r/stationeers by /u/bob152637485 on 2025-08-19 16:38:28+00:00.

This game is such an gem, and scratches a very particular itch I’ve had for a LONG time! Specifically, the ability to program devices I myself place in the game using actual code(not just basic logic kind of circuits/automation). Add the realistic thermodynamics and fluid physics, and very quickly this game had me hooked line and sinker.

This itch first came well over 10 years ago, possibly as many as 12. The same guy who created Minecraft started work on a game called 0x10c. I don’t remember a whole lot about the game, but I remember you would be in a spaceship that had several computer terminals programmed in a BASIC kind of programming language, which would allow you to manage and control all sorts of parts of your ship. That level of creativity and control really excited me! Sadly, this game never even left pre-alpha before being abandoned. I think I downloaded an ultra early build at one point, and none of the cool stuff I mentioned was ever implemented, it was just a big empty ship you could move through.

Jump forward a few years, and a game called Mechanica was released in early access on Steam. This reignited my desire for being able to program in a game! Being another survival game, this time with wave defense kind of mechanics, you can automate and program all sorts of various parts of your base. In this case, the programming is more of a visual, function block style, like Scratch, but the level of creativity and freedom to customize the way you base works is very much there! Sadly, this ended up being ANOTHER abandoned game! This one is particularly bad, because the game is still available for early access purchase, with the dev never having made a clear statement that the game will never be finished(he was pressed for an answer in a less visible forum, but you won’t know this unless you dig). All the while, the dev is not only continuing to collect revenue for a game advertised as one day being finished, but also refusing to sell the rights despite many inquiries of individuals wanting to finish the game.

Finally, a couple months ago, I came across this game on a compilation of super hard/challenging games out there. I really liked what I saw, decided to get it, and finally discovered I could program nearly EVERYTHING with ASM! I was on cloud 9, to say the least!

I have seen a handful of games out there that are programming themed as well, but it ends up feeling like it is the WHOLE game! It doesn’t feel immersive in the same way. “The Farmer Was Replaced” and “Craftomation101” are a couple of examples, and while I haven’t personally played them, some of the Zachtronics games and “Human Resource Machine” I would also put in this category, just looking at them.

The reason I love Stationeers is because I feel like I am programming not for the sake of programming, but to actively solve a problem or create something. In most cases, there’s nothing preventing me from doing things without chips, but I’m actively improving my QOL by using my brain to come up with elegant programs to run various parts of your base. The way I have the access to do this with nearly all devices is such a fantastic feeling, leaving me to always feel like I can do whatever I want in the game, as long as I am willing to put in the effort to design it myself!

So yeah! No questions or suggestions in this post, just a genuine appreciation for the game!