If you're at all familiar with the automation game Shapez or its sequel, you know the territory we're working within here: laying out big networks of conveyor belts to move along pieces of objects which then pass through machines and get joined up, twisted around or otherwise modified until eventually the desired product is produced. But Block Shop, which released this week on Steam, seems to have more of a compact, puzzle-forward focus: the game contains over 100 levels and a level editor, and emphasizes the compression and combination of your blocks into intricate little mosaics.
The trailer shows off a few of the machines at your disposal (there's something like 10 total) and I appreciate how clear their functions are just from watching them in action: some of them compress your blocks in a given direction, turning a square into a skinny rectangle, or paste one input shape on top of another, creating a black-and-white multi-shape. It looks like the component size we're working with can get quite compact — potentially leading to very intricate designs you'll need to assemble within your contraptions.
I appreciate the smaller puzzle-level size being shown off here: they look manageable and make me feel at home in a puzzle-game sort of environment, as opposed to the advertised "infinite grid" that Shapez operates on. Maybe it's an unusual sentiment that I feel more likely to actually install and play a game that feels "smaller"? Or perhaps there are many of you out there who feel similarly.
Block Shop is available now on Steam, currently featuring a 10% launch discount. There's a free demo on the page too, in case you want to get a sample before committing to a new occupation as a "Block Shop Operator".
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