Chocolate Factory Review (PC)

Oh boy, I’m just going to come out and say it: I’ve got a golden ticket, and, if you can believe it, I’ve also got a golden twinkle in my eye. That’s right, Chocolate Factory has just this moment launched its gumdrop-coated automation sandbox sim on PC — and it’s a real sickly treat I’ll say that much. For the record, it doesn’t reference Oompa Loompa’s in any way, shape, or form, nor does it depict a German boy’s abduction through a pipe and into a chocolatey oblivion over yonder. Even still, I can see what developer Tbjbu2 had in mind when it came to laying the sugar-laden foundations for this one, and so, whilst I am incredibly likely to take any excuse to sneak a Willy Wonka reference in over the course of this review, I will say this: there is indeed originality in this quirky little confection.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what Chocolate Factory is all about; it isn’t a clever play on words, nor is it a carrier for an entirely unrelated product, but rather, an exact digital illustration of its title. In a similar fashion as the vast majority of other business management-type simulation games, Chocolate Factory sees you taking to the reins of a fledgling tycoon—a chocolatier who, like the beloved creator of the everlasting gobstopper, has high hopes of building a candy-quilted complex that bears all of the hallmark qualities of a bustling business. This is where you, the curator of candy wrappers of sorts, begin your journey — amongst the edible meadows and rainbow belts, shackled to a sweet tooth for succeeding in the ongoing battle for formulating the next “big” thing. Sound like your idea of a good time? Then let’s press on.

*Insert Wonka Reference Here*

If you’ve ever seen Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, then you’ll no doubt already be able to recall the inner sanctum of the factory floor; specifically, the edible flora of the central chamber—a world in which inanimate objects could be chewed on, and natural disasters didn’t stem from faulty machinery, but rather, glutinous children who felt that they could reap the benefits of a chocolatier’s labor without having to pay a toll of some sort. Well, as it turns out, Chocolate Factory isn’t all that different; in fact, it illustrates a concept that’s highly reminiscent of the cult classic movie, only you don’t scare children senseless by echoing morbid lullabies aboard a seahorse-shaped boat, but instead shift your focus onto another agenda: to innovate and develop the world’s best chocolate factory for the masses.

It all begins with a single grain of sugar, or in some cases, a conveyor belt—an essential component that just so happens to serve as your bread and butter for the journey ahead. As an entrepreneur, you launch your career in the field of business development by designing various candy-themed locks and chambers, and utilizing these conveyor belts to transfer tasty confections across the factory and into the palms of your loyal consumers. It sounds all rather simple on paper, and in some ways, it is — but did I mention that there’s also a sliver of combat involved in this process? Eh, now that’s another sticky situation that we’ll have to break down into bite-sized pieces momentarily.

A Chocolatier’s Vision

The purpose of the game is all rather straightforward: build your factory from the grassy roots up, and establish an array of links to the art of confectionery in order to create vast quantities of edible treats. But, as with any sandbox sim, there’s a little more to it than that. Scratch that — there’s a lot more to it than that. Aside from having to lay the foundations for an economically sustainable business environment, there’s also the case of having to build drones to aid in the general transportation of the product, as well as explore a tech tree, which can offer even more ideas for how the company can evolve and prosper in your absence. And we thought Willy Wonka was just a pretty face. Go figure.

Thankfully, Chocolate Factory does have an open world for you to scoot around in. Well, I wouldn’t go quite as far as to say that it’s a “world” as such, but rather, a relatively cozy workspace that stretches across a multitude of different biomes. In a typical day, you’ll operate between these rooms, and utilize the technology in your ever-evolving tech tree to craft conveyor belts, product lines, and other colorful contraptions to help boost the productivity of your business model. In addition to all of this, you’ll also have the task of deciding which colors to use, and which areas you should prioritize to prevent the risk of any unwanted sentient creatures from impeding your progress. And when I say creatures, I’m referring to the Shrek-like gingerbread men who roam the far corners of your gumdrop-drizzled world. Yeah, that’s also a thing here, apparently.

A Child at Heart

Thankfully, the art of making sweets isn’t all that overbearing; in fact, the position does come with its own benefits, too. For example, if you’re able to summon enough funds from your ongoing efforts to revolutionize the market, then you’ll ultimately wind up with a treasure trove of tasty perks—bouncy pads, springboards, and other playground-like pieces, to list just a few of the items in the catalog. As a result of this, the gameplay doesn’t just center itself around conveyor belts and their general alignment within the network. Well, it does — but it also makes a genuine effort to add a little extra joy to what would otherwise come across as a rather mundane and uninspired process. Sure enough, it isn’t exactly a parkour game, but I can see how bouncing around a chocolate factory can be all the more exciting as opposed to walking from A to B.

I’m not going to say that Chocolate Factory is a tough business simulation game, because I’ve certainly seen a lot worse. Having said that, the game does feature a lot of curveballs, several of which require a little extra special attention and an ability to keep track of multiple cogs turning at once, for example. Aside from the fact that you do have an entire network of conveyor belts to maintain and connect, there’s also the added headache of having to whittle down half-baked snacks and develop a skill tree that, from a newcomer’s perspective, can come across as somewhat perplexing. Like I said, though, it isn’t a majorly complex game; on the contrary, it’s borderline beginner-friendly, and so, if you do have a bit of experience in the genre, then you shouldn’t have too much of an issue with this automation system, in particular.

Verdict

Given the fact that there are little to zero sandbox sims that revolve around the concept of generating lollipops and chocolate molds and what have you, Chocolate Factory does actually manage to serve its purpose as an ideal filler for the gap in the market. Aside from it being an irrefutably unique product, it’s also drizzled in a whole lot of colorful biomes and creative elements, too, most of which have the potential to create some genuinely enjoyable experiences both in and around the factory floor. And honestly, that’s what’s great about Chocolate Factory: the fact that it infuses a layer of creative complexity into just about everything that you do.

Chocolate Factory can be a whole lot of fun to play, especially if you’re one for the idea of prancing around on a plateau of springboards and harmonizing with the sounds of Gene Wilder’s oddly sinister voice. And even then, it’s still a weirdly satisfying game in its own right, and it’s thanks to its quality selection of custom features, color palettes, and dynamic gameplay elements that makes it the guilty pleasure that it is. Sure, it’s a little kooky, and it isn’t without its one or two technical flaws, but when all’s said and done, it’s a simulation game that lets you make and distribute chocolate — what more could you want, eh?

It seems that we’ve only really nibbled on the top of the icing here, but we’ve also done it for a good reason, too, as it feels only right that the hidden layers that nest below the product are only worth consuming by the connoisseur in question. Simply put, if you adore conveyor belts and diabetic pills all the same, then you’re going to love taking a huge bite out of this ol’ slice of cake.