The best setup-and-play games

Setup-and-play games are a subgenre of puzzle games in which each level requires players to first configure some kind of system according to a desired output, and then press a “play” command to watch the system run to completion. The level will be cleared if the system actually produces the desired output, but it usually takes a number of failed runs and iterative improvements before the success condition is met.

The setup-and-play design is a staple feature of automation games known as “Zachlikes”. The term acknowledges the pioneering role of the Zachtronics studio with regard to this gameplay loop. For instance, in their 2015 game Infinifactory, the objective of each level is to combine various blocks into a specific shape, which players achieve by creating a dedicated production line with conveyor belts and other tools. These puzzles are open-ended challenges, and setup-and-play provides visual feedback on successive attempts as much as it nudges players to improve their solutions.

Setup-and-play is also commonplace in programming games, with players writing code within the game (or using proxies for code) and running it afterwards. Setup-and-play is not entirely bound to engineering games though; several puzzle games leverage this design without the open-endedness characteristic of engineering games, such as Cosmic Express and Humanity.

The games listed below are the most favorited setup-and-play games in the Thinky Games database.