Scrap Mechanic: Our Minecraft Replacement

My first brush with Scrap Mechanic was when I wanted to play with my then-six-years-old a game that was like Minecraft but with better graphics. . We sank many long hours into it before it fell by the wayside, languishing in Steam Greenlight. We played a lot of Minecraft after that.

Recently, I discovered the game had finally been released. We returned to it five years later, this time bringing the younger sibling along. Now, the three of us are having endless adventures, building, raiding, and decorating together and separately.

There is something interesting for each of us to do. I enjoy building complex machinery out of the dozen or so basic parts the game provides—automated farms, mining equipment, and automated defenses are my jam. The older one prefers raiding and exploring the surrounding area, while the younger one focuses on decorating our base and checking out new clothes. When we encounter a grow lab or a warehouse (essentially raids), we gather around our mobile base to tackle the mission together.

While it isn’t obvious to the kids, I also appreciate the dig the game takes at agricultural giants like Monsanto. Set in a future where farming relies on patented seeds and robots, the scenario depicts farmers renting equipment from the Wonk Corporation, sitting back while the crops grow. However, the robots became overzealous in their license enforcement. On this planet, growing anything without permission leads to painful consequences—and we aren’t talking about court battles.

In sum, Scrap Mechanic is a fun game that brings my family together. Everyone is having a great time with it.