Polygon.com / 27.07.25

Steam's mechanical new puzzle game has taken over my brain

The other day I was on my way to get drinks with some friends after work, but in my head, I was still at work. I had just spent a 45-minute subway ride with my nose buried in my Steam Deck playing Kaizen: A Factory Story. Set in 1980s Japan, the inventive new project from Coincidence (a studio formed by members of expert puzzle developer Zachtronics) is an open-ended puzzle automation game in which players optimize product assembly lines to mass produce things like watches and coffee makers. I was wracking my brain to create an efficient camcorder assembly. Even after I threw my Steam Deck into my bag and started walking towards the bar, I couldnt stop thinking about that camcorder. Kaizen delivers puzzles that fully occupy your brain until you crack a solution. Outside of some interstitial story bits that meditate on the changing nature of production circa 1986, most of the action takes place on green grids. Im shown a picture of the item I need to make and given the individual parts ...
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