When comparing Motherload vs Fantastic Contraption, the Slant community recommends Motherload for most people. In the question“What are the best online flash games?” Motherload is ranked 2nd while Fantastic Contraption is ranked 7th. The most important reason people chose Motherload is:
Due to the fact that the player can not mine upwards, there needs to always be an avenue of escape to get back above ground. Whether this is leaving enough fuel in order to fly up or leaving dirt laid out in a certain way that the player can climb up. Having this element of complexity through puzzle solving adds a deeper level of gameplay, which is great for the non-casual crowd.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Some puzzle solving elements
Due to the fact that the player can not mine upwards, there needs to always be an avenue of escape to get back above ground. Whether this is leaving enough fuel in order to fly up or leaving dirt laid out in a certain way that the player can climb up.
Having this element of complexity through puzzle solving adds a deeper level of gameplay, which is great for the non-casual crowd.
Pro Interesting story
The story is told through mysterious transmissions that the player will receive at random, making for an intriguing story that is slowly drip fed to the player, which is a good reason to keep playing as to find out what is happening.
Pro Random generation allows for lasting gameplay
Each time the game is started new, the dirt that one will be mining in is randomly generated. This allows for a new experience each time played but also a way to make each individuals experience different. This way the game has a longer shelf life thanks to each experience being different from the last.
Pro Great controls
There are two different control schemes for the game, the player can use the arrow keys or the mouse. This allows the player to choose what works bets for them while also providing good controls for both.
Pro Very fun to build and create machines
Thanks to the Vive, building a contraption is incredibly fun and actually feels like you're creating something "real". You can move around your machine to adjust it and add new components in a very natural way.
Pro Encourages creativity
By giving you a task and leaving how you will complete it up to your own devices the game allows for a sense of creativity as well as the feeling of accomplishment.
Pro Cute art style
The art style is cute and when you look at how you look only to see you're a cute animal, it can be quite funny and sweet. You also have a pet cat named Neko that you get your supplies from, and a dog that you press to go to the next level.
Pro Comes free with the vive bundle
Comes free with the Vive bundle, which is a bundle with no additional cost, but has limited stock, so may be difficult to obtain.
Cons
Con Short gameplay
Users have reported to being able to beat the game in around an hour. While the random generation allows for some replayability, the time that this game can be beaten means that a single play-though can be finished easily in one sitting. So for those looking for something to sink more time into, may want to look elsewhere.
Con Repetitive sound
The musical score along with the sound effects in the game can become annoying with time as there is little variation, meaning the sounds and music repeat over and over again, which can be frustrating.
Con Expensive
It's the most expensive game on the Vive costing $39.99. When comparing price to content, there may be better options out there at a lower price.
Con Building can be frustrating and causes a lot of trial and error
It is almost impossible to attach objects completely straight to one another, meaning if you are trying to use multiple wheels, each will be a bit crooked, causing a lot of adjusting and restarting, which can be very frustrating.