Management sims come in all shapes and sizes, whether it’s trying to funnel patients through a healthcare system as efficiently as possible, maximising money making through entertainment at a theme park, or building up entire cities and their infrastructure. But there’s one corner of the genre that’s a bit different: factory simulation and automation, which includes such games as Factorio and Satisfactory. Little Rocket Lab seems as though it asks the question, “What if those games, but more like a cute life sim?” But is that where this all started?
We caught up with Kyle Schmitz, the solo developer at Teenage Astronauts, to talk about his game.
We caught up with Kyle Schmitz, the solo developer at Teenage Astronauts, to talk about his game.
TSA: What were some of the inspirations for you when coming up with Little Rocket Lab? Before everyone jumps to conclusions that it’s just Factorio…
Kyle Schmitz: In the design phase the game actually started off more as a traditional life sim, along the lines of Harvest Moon 64 and Stardew Valley. A lot of the inspiration honestly comes from old Harvest Moon games. There’s just something so wholesome and feel-good about them that I keep looking for in games today. Along the way I was looking for a new take on farming, such as adding automation. After a while I realized that removing the farming entirely and instead having factory building being the goal of the game was a really good fit.
I also took a lot of inspiration from Spiritfarer, as well as Kiki’s Delivery Service. Both have such amazing soundtracks and colorful worlds and characters that I really wanted to capture in the game. Opposed to being purely a sandbox factory builder, the game really is meant to be a heartfelt story about a girl building a factory.
TSA: Do you think that production line and management sims are cosy games in the first place? The more I think about it, the more I think that (outside of art style, maybe) they probably are!
Kyle: I think a lot of them definitely are! There’s something very zen-like about connecting together different production lines and machines creating something new out of it. It has that same effect as working on a puzzle or a craft. It feels good to make progress in these kinds of games, especially without the typical pressure or stress of enemies or time constraints.
TSA: How do you keep things feeling manageable and not overwhelming when there’s an increasingly complicated web of automation and production lines going?
Kyle: A lot of effort went into trying to keep the machines and layout very readable and recognizable for the player. The map is also made up of several very distinct areas, with lots of unique terrain, alcoves, and plenty of resources everywhere, so there’s lots of visual references for the player to navigate and remember things by, not to mention countless ways you can set up and organize your factory. Though to be honest, some of the fun is in balancing that exact situation, where you look at a bunch of machinery and marvel at the mess of it all.
TSA: What kind of challenges are going to stand in Morgan’s way to the stars? In the real world, she’d have to get regulatory approval from dozens of government agencies, local planning permission, ground surveys and relocation plans for animals living there, and I’m sure the villagers would have something to say about the noise of a rocket launch…
Kyle: We shouldn’t let silly things like government regulations, or the glaring safety concerns of launching a rocket 100 paces from the nearest town get in the way of a girl like Morgan’s hopes and dreams.
In truth, Morgan’s journey to complete the rocket is anything but straight forward. Without spoiling anything, her story takes quite a few twists and turns, as well as some setbacks, on her journey to complete the rocket. I think that this is one of the unique aspects of the game, that since it centers around a defined character, it can give her a bit of a hero’s journey on the way to the destination.
We’ve also broken the story and development of the rocket into several chapters. In each chapter the player will be faced with having to learn new mechanics, explore new areas, research new blueprints, and layout increasingly complicated production lines, so there’s always something new for the player to experience.
TSA: It looks like there’s smaller tasks alongside the overarching goal, thanks to the life sim side of things and the characters in the village.
Kyle: The player has quite a few different tasks that compete for their time and attention. The town itself is in disrepair, with lots of different projects the player can take on at their own pace to fix it back up to its former glory. There’s also side quests with all the different characters, jobs to complete, cutscenes to unlock, improvements to your home, unique equipment to find, blueprints to research, photos, and lots of other things for the player to experience.
TSA: You’ve got some playtests coming up, what are you hoping to learn from these?
Kyle: Given that the game is a mashup of two very different genres, there’s going to be different groups of players that may have very different expectations for the game. One of the things we’re hoping to learn is what the experience is like for players coming from automation games like Factorio and Satisfactory, versus those coming from life sim games like Stardew Valley.
There’s also a constant balance I’m trying to hit between teaching the player how to play the game, and opening it up for them to explore and learn at their own pace. A factory game has quite a few different mechanics that the player needs to understand before they can get going, but ultimately I want the experience to still be very open ended. More playtests are always helpful for finding that right balance.
TSA: Finally, can you pet the dog? And… can you automate petting the dog?
Kyle: You can pet the dog! You can even play fetch with him too! You can’t automate petting the dog…yet, but I’ve got some fun plans in the works.
Thanks to Kyle for having a chat with us about Little Rocket Lab. His game is set to launch on PC, Switch and Game Pass in 2025.
