I have a love/hate relationship with resource management games. While on one hand I do appreciate having a chance to put my organizational and problem solving skills to the test now and then, sometimes things get too busy, forcing me to put them down and focus on more pressing things. ITER-8, the new game from FluckyMachine, a developer I haven’t had the pleasure of knowing until now, sits at the end of absolute enjoyment for me.
Playing as a tiny robot tasked with doing things far beyond his size, if you ask me, you’re put in charge of defending a base in space from incoming threats. Differently from 90% of games with a similar premise, however, you do that by digging a path forward with your handy laser, finding the necessary materials, and with them building defenses in order to keep your electronic brain above water.
You do that by slowly making your way up from your initial pod, unlocking beacons along the way that allow you to get back home at a much faster pace when needed. I’ve read that ITER-8 plays a lot like Dome Keeper, which I unfortunately did not get a chance to play but was told by Andy that it is a fantastic time, so if that one is anything like what I’ve seen here, I’ll have to get back to it for sure.
What makes it so special is how simple it starts off and slowly but surely builds up while still maintaining the core principles intact. That gives players who master those basics an especially rewarding experience as it adds value to maintaining a steady build up of skills and muscle memory that’s common in arcade games. At one point, I found myself not thinking about what to do next in ITER-8, instead giving way to feeling out the move ahead and naturally doing it.
That’s an important facet that very few games manage to achieve, even more so considering the style of play we’re talking about here, the frantic nature of keeping tabs on resources and knowing when and where to invest your valuables in order to get ahead. In that, FluckyMachine has done a tremendous job in putting just the right amount of pressure on the player to come up with solutions in a quick but surprisingly natural manner, teaching them to think on their feet as they go.
None of that would work quite so well if it weren’t for the general vibe of ITER-8 as well. It’s a game with a good amount of text to sift through, and it’s all written with a charming tone that doles out some sharp humor that works in stinging you to do better next time when you fail and laugh ahead when you find success. There’s no voice acting here, but honestly I didn’t miss it – in fact, the game is all the better for it as it’s able to move much faster without it.
ITER-8 is the type of thing that you could easily keep installed in order to put in a match of three to steam off a bit during a busy day. It’s surprisingly apt at keeping you alert and providing a worthwhile time in the form of some of the best gaming distractions, one that keeps you coming back for more and more.
