Age of Automaton – Running a Robot Factory? Easier Said Than Done

Robotic technology is at its zenith, and the world can’t get enough automatons. As the proud owner of an automaton factory, your mission is to climb the ranks and become one of the top automaton tycoons. But beware, as this isn’t a stroll through the park. The competition is cutthroat, and only the smartest, most resourceful factory owner will claim the crown. Are you up for the challenge?

👥 2-4 players, ages 14+
⌛ Playing time: 60-120 minutes
📝 Designer: Vatcharis Thanomsub
🎨 Artwork: Sumetha Dongkhuntod & Tatariga Sikhantakabutr

🏢 Publisher: Four Comma Game (review copy provided)

Gameplay Overview

Age of Automaton is played over five rounds, each representing a year in the business. During this time, you’ll prove your worth as a factory owner by strategically taking actions to grow your enterprise. Every turn, you’ll use one of your action markers to select an action on your player board. Each of the four columns offers two possible actions, but only one can be taken per round. The top row of actions requires a worker die from the technology row on the main board. Once chosen, the die is placed in the corresponding action slot on the main board.

Three of these worker-dependent actions involve buying cards that are key to your success. equipment cards boost your player board actions, R&D cards upgrade your worker dice to improve their value, and sales cards enhance your reputation and relationships. When performing these actions, you’ll also earn bonuses based on the level of the worker die used. The fourth worker-dependent action, prospecting, lets you roll the prospect dice to advance on the prospect track. This earns you bonuses along the way and resources tied to the level of your worker die and the track you progressed on.

The bottom row of actions, on the other hand, doesn’t need worker dice. These actions let you secure funding for credits, create new worker dice, gather resources from the market, or strike sponsor deals to gain extra benefits.

Of course, it’s not always smooth sailing. Sometimes, you’ll find yourself short on dice or eyeing an action that’s already blocked. That’s where special actions come into play. They’re your lifeline, letting you create a new die, pick the other action in an occupied column, or even upgrade a worker’s level. But these moves come at a steep price: they hurt your reliability, which is something to manage carefully. After all, no one wants to partner with an unreliable factory! Free actions, like playing or activating specialist cards, discarding them for resources, or using a contract token on a public specialist, can also give you the extra edge you need to complete your main actions.

At the end of every round, you’ll have the chance to donate resources to progress along the donation track. This track not only gives you bonuses but can also earn you victory points at the game’s end. The amount you can donate depends on the number of prospect tracks you’ve advanced on.

Following donations, there’s an audit phase where you’ll need to meet specific goals to avoid penalty points. After that, it’s time for the clean-up phase, which resets the board and prepares everyone for the next round.

When the fifth and final round wraps up, it’s scoring time. Victory points are tallied from various sources: your positions on the prospect tracks, equipment, R&D and sales cards, reputation and donation tracks, and relationship multipliers. Don’t forget to subtract any penalties from failed audits! The player with the most points claims the title of the world’s best automaton factory owner.

Game Info

Age of Automaton is a medium-heavy worker placement game for 2-4 players, with a recommended age of 14 and up. It’s a brain-bending experience that plays out over 60 to 120 minutes, depending on how many players are at the table, and how much analysis paralysis they bring with them. The designer, Vatcharis Thanomsub, and publisher, Four Comma Game, both hail from Thailand. Their mission? To show the world that Thai designers can produce top-tier board games.

We had the pleasure of meeting Four Comma Game at Spiel in Essen earlier this year. They kindly gave us a review copy so we could dive into the gears and circuits of this game and share our thoughts with you.

Components, Production, and Artwork

When you open the Age of Automaton box, it feels like peeking into a miniature factory. The star of the show is the large game board where all the action unfolds. Alongside it, you’ll find a stack of sturdy cards, custom dice, and some very satisfying wooden resource and credit tokens. These aren’t your standard cardboard chits; they’re tactile and satisfying, like the game wants to remind you that you’re building something substantial.

Each player gets their own player board and a set of vibrant components in their player color, including worker dice and markers to track their progress. The player colors pop beautifully against the muted, industrial tones of the game board and cards.

The artwork, created by Sumetha Dongkhuntod and Tatariga Sikhantakabutr, perfectly captures the gritty, mechanical world of automaton factories. It’s not flashy or overly detailed, but it fits the game’s theme and complexity like a finely tuned cog in a machine. The iconography is clear and intuitive, which is a blessing for a game with this many moving parts.

Complexity and Gameplay

Let’s not sugarcoat it: Age of Automaton isn’t a game you just plop on the table and figure out as you go. The rulebook might feel like a manual for assembling an actual automaton, and the first teach will probably take around 20-30 minutes. But once you start playing, the systems click together surprisingly well.

The gameplay revolves around a mix of dice-based worker placement, resource management, engine-building, and advancing on various tracks. These systems are interconnected, so every decision has ripple effects. It’s a game where strategy is king, adaptability is queen, and luck is just a jester.

Strategic Depth

There’s a lot to juggle in Age of Automaton, but that’s part of the fun. First, you need the right workers at the right level to perform actions. Then, you’ll need resources to buy equipment, sell products, or fund research. Equipment and R&D cards are more than just short-term boosts; they’re also crucial for end-game scoring. Picking the right ones can be a tough choice: do you go for what you need now or what might win you the game later?

Progressing on the donation, reputation, and relations tracks requires careful planning. To move forward, you’ll need to advance on the prospect tracks, which isn’t as easy as it sounds. It often means gathering specific cards or spending credits to hit key thresholds.

Reliability is another aspect to manage. Using special actions can save you in a pinch, but they come at the cost of lowering your reliability, which has its own consequences. It’s a delicate balancing act, and the pressure keeps you on your toes.

The game has a sprinkle of luck, mostly with dice rolls for resources and prospect tracks, but it’s never overpowering. Clever players can mitigate bad rolls with specialists or special actions, so you never feel entirely at the mercy of chance.

Interplay and Competition

While Age of Automaton isn’t a directly confrontational game, there’s plenty of room to mess with your opponents’ plans. Worker dice spaces are limited and operate on a first-come, first-served basis. If someone claims the action you needed, you’ll have to rethink your strategy or scramble to create a higher-level worker to unlock the coveted level IV spaces.

Certain aspects of the game reward players who reach milestones first, whether it’s points on the reputation track, resources on the achievement track, or exclusive spots on the prospect tracks. This brings a subtle competition, as everyone races to claim the best benefits. And let’s be honest, there’s nothing that feels better than snagging a spot just before your friend gets there.

Final Thoughts

We saw hundreds of games at Spiel, and honestly, it was impossible to keep track of them all. But Age of Automaton stuck with us. Why? Because it’s a game that makes your brain sweat in the best way possible.

Games usually run about 90-120 minutes, not counting the teach. But honestly? It never feels that long. The gameplay has this way of pulling you in completely, where every turn feels like its own little puzzle, and there’s something so satisfying about watching your grand plans come together. And when they don’t? Well, that’s when the real fun begins as you scramble to adjust and outsmart your opponents.

Who is this game for? If you love complex eurogames that challenge you to think several moves ahead, you’ll feel right at home. But if your idea of fun is something light and breezy, you might want to sit this one out.

For those brave enough to dive in, Age of Automaton is a rewarding experience that will leave you wanting another round. Once your brain has cooled off, of course.

📝 We received a review copy of the game from the publisher, Four Comma Game.