SpaceChem
SpaceChem is a 2011 programming puzzle developed by Zachtronics, an early breakout from designer Zach Barth's studio known for engineering-themed challenges. Players build molecules by programming pairs of "waldos" that follow looping instruction paths.
Each level asks you to grab atoms, bond and split them, and output specific compounds, all by laying down colored tracks and commands that run in parallel, forcing you to synchronize two machines without collisions. The difficulty scales into genuinely brain-bending logistics, later chaining multiple reactors into full production lines and adding boss-style defense levels. It is famous for its optimization histograms, which compare your cycle counts, symbol usage, and reactor sizes against everyone else, fueling obsessive tinkering. It helped define the modern "programming game" subgenre and built Zachtronics' reputation for rigorous, satisfying automation puzzles.
It remains available on PC and has been ported to tablets, and its influence runs directly through the studio's later automation and logic titles as well as the wider open-ended puzzle scene.
Where can you play SpaceChem today?
Device by device, which of the 2 alternatives below you can play on it.
- PC
- Opus Magnum (€ 19,99) and Infinifactory (€ 24,99).
- Mac
- Opus Magnum (€ 19,99) and Infinifactory (€ 24,99).
- Linux
- Opus Magnum (€ 19,99) and Infinifactory (€ 24,99).
- iPhone
- Opus Magnum (€ 19,99).
- iPad
- Opus Magnum (€ 19,99).
- Android phone
- None of the alternatives to SpaceChem runs on Android phone.
- Android tablet
- None of the alternatives to SpaceChem runs on Android tablet.
- PlayStation
- None of the alternatives to SpaceChem runs on PlayStation.
- Xbox
- None of the alternatives to SpaceChem runs on Xbox.
- Switch
- None of the alternatives to SpaceChem runs on Switch.
- Steam Deck
- Opus Magnum (€ 19,99) and Infinifactory (€ 24,99).
Games like SpaceChem
Modern alternatives to SpaceChem, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
Opus Magnum Indie
€ 19,99A programming puzzle game about building elegant alchemy machines.
Opus Magnum is also an alternative to 1 other classic
Opus Magnum runs on PC, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad. Not available on Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Playable.
Infinifactory Indie
€ 24,99A 3D factory-building puzzle game from the same studio.
Infinifactory runs on PC, Mac, Linux. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Playable.
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