I have seen many a person who love logistics pick up this game...

I have seen few escape its clutches...

Even now, I am not free. Only waiting for the version update hand to grasp my life and pull me down into the midnight oil depths, not to resurface again until another rocket is built, until the planet is but a mere shine in this vicious cycle.

A great mechanical and thought provoking game. This game is the eptiome of what builder games should be. It knows what it wants and it serves it to you in a way that is digestable. However complex this game may seem, there is always going to be something that will lead you in the right direction. It does tike quite a lot of time, but it's not the type of game that requires a jobless grind in order to have fun. You can always go at your own pace in the freeroam, and other modes. Or take a relaxing crack at building a full system in the cheat mode. Overall a great game, not my favorite but definetly the best builder game I've ever played.

Actual addiction.
+ A problem is presented. A solution is made - by you. The solution is deployed. You unlock the next problem. You realize your previous solution needs polishing. Repeat.
+ Excellent sound. Atmospheric noises to study/sleep to.
+ Huge QOL improvements since launch, and it just keeps getting better.
+ The huge amount of community content ensures that even when you finish the game and assorted challenge runs, you will Never be done.

I'm about 25 hours in and already this is one of my favorite games ever. If you want a game where strategy is the most important part of the game, look no further.

In order to do things efficiently, there is an optimal solution, but doing what is optimal is not necessary to enjoy yourself. The solution you create can be unique to you and your base.

I love how the positioning of your assemblers, trains, turrets, inserters, conveyor belts etc. are so important. How much clarity there is visually, making it very easy to understand what is going wrong. How the pollution you create pisses off the wildlife. The creator(s) made it really easy not to sympathize with the environment, so don't take the lessons of this game to heart lol. Trees are always in your way, the creatures are ugly as fuck, and polluting the world is extremely fun.

Despite the theme of the game, the artstyle I think is phenomenal. Rimworld, Dwarf Fortress, and many other 2D Strategy games like Planescape Torment, Roller Coaster Tycoon, or Starcraft have nothing on this. Especially when you factor in mods like Space Exploration and Alien Biomes. Obviously there are better 2D artstyles but for games that focus on 2D isometric worlds with sort of level builder assets, this one takes the cake for me.

The 50 hour minimum playtime may seem daunting, but every second I play this game I feel like I'm making giant progress. When I compare that to other resource dependent games like Minecraft and Terraria, you can get shit done so fucking fast in this game.

The only hiccup of factorio is also a strength. It is complicated, there is a learning curve for each and every mechanic. It's a lot like Terraria but with less of an emphasis on combat and more of an emphasis on automation. Yeah you can automate things in Terraria like enemy farms for example, but it's not really necessary unless you are looking for a rare item. It is 100% necessary to automate and think about scalability in Factorio.

I hate Terraria rare items. RNG is gross, ewe yucky no. As far as I can tell, this game is largely about your skill. Yes there are luck elements like getting a good world seed and apparently there is a quality feature for things being produced, but those are minor luck factors. You don't need luck if you know what you're doing. Luck in my mind is bullshit to prolong the playtime of a game.

If you know what you're doing, you can also play with other people and teach them how to play which is amazing because there's a lot to teach.

The other thing that really sets this game over the edge is in comparison to Terraria, each mechanic is distinct from one another and I can't really say Terraria is like that. Terraria kind of sticks to a formula that makes it monotonous or tiring. That is not the case here.

Every challenge I have faced is completely do-able and fair vanilla, no mods. There has very clearly been a lot of effort put into Quality of Life features. And then turns out mods are built into the game even though you don't need them, based and red pilled.

It is no wonder this is a game loved by engineers. Engineering is oftentimes convoluted and confusing, and once you get a grasp on one part of the picture, 10 more confusing logistics arise. In real life there is always more work to be done and always something you should understand when you don't. Unlike real engineering, this game ends and it is possible for you to have a complete grasp on every facet of this game. To me, that is what makes it appealing. It feels just as complicated as real engineering without being an infinite chasm.

EDIT:
I do NOT endorse playing this game with overhaul mods before you complete the base game. Terrible idea, don't do it. I have 225 hours in the game now, and I haven't completed the base game after starting a space exploration and then krastorio 2 play through on my own. This game already has enough complexity in the base game to make you satisfied. All the overhaul mods do is add unnecessary playtime, all I really learned from doing the overhaul mods is how to make sushi belts. https://youtu.be/dCqpkF3xx0U?si=uFTK29OaU21tfIpm

The problem with making this game too complicated is your builds need to be bulletproof. No bad building practices can exist when you start the overhaul mods. Otherwise you'll be doing some dumb shit that takes forever.

The worst thing you can do playing this game is make too much of a resource just to play it safe for the future, or ponder over the smallest efficiency at low volume, then realize that you didn't need to do any of that for the late game and regretting how you spent your time.