What I’m looking for can really be described as one of the following:
- Opus Magnum but the reason to optimize is so that I save resources and generate resources faster?
- Factorio but I can’t expand infinitely and have to instead make the factory more efficient rather than just growing exponentially?
- Compact Claustrophobia but without an infinite number of compact machines?
- Last Clockwinder but with a much greater focus on planning and less on execution?
I think I actually know exactly what you’re looking for. Factoryidle (.com) is a “idle” game but is very involved and nuanced. As you progress you get small expansions to your factory floor space but the real boost in productivity comes from upgrades that make things more efficient. Each upgrade impacts different resources, thus changing your optimal ratios and forcing you to redesign the factory several times to be be optimal. I will say that a downside of this “build better not bigger” game philosophy is that it’s basically been solved as there are community made factory layouts that can’t be beaten