Puz: Rocknor's Donut Factory [by Monolux]

Game: Rocknot's Donut Factory
Release: November 6, 2003
Genre: Puzzle
Developer: Monolux
System Requirements: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, Pentium 400mhz and 64MB Ram
Price: $19.95

There ought to be a warning when you start up Rocknor’s Donut Factory that states “this game will make you crave donuts!”. There’s something about this colorful, cartoony donut factory that I swear you can practically taste the doughy sugar treats while you’re playing. Thank God I don’t live near a donut shop or I would have put on 15 pounds just doing this review!

Rocknor is a robot who seems to have a knack for getting himself into strange situations. In Monolux’s previous release “Rocknor’s Bad Day” he was lost in a strange land and trying to find his way home. Now, with “Rocknor’s Donut Factory” it seems the little guy has inherited a massive automated donut factory from his uncle Rivitt and he has to get the plant up to 90% operational or lose it to the evil Evocore corporation.

In essence, Rocknor’s Donut Factory is a logic puzzle game in which you must arrange movement guides and machinery on the factory floor in order to produce a variety of different donut flavors,. The raw donuts travel about the factory on hover plates and it’s up to you to guide those hover plates through the stages required. First donuts must be shaped, then cooked, then completed with glaze, sprinkles, jelly, and a multitude of other finishing touches, depending on what’s required for that level’s shipment order.

What starts off as a simple matter of placing movement arrows on the floor quickly becomes a complex brain-melting exercise in planning and timing as each level presents you with new challenges. For example, you may have two or more incoming sources of raw donuts that must share a single cooker and you have to get the timing right or the donut hover plates will crash into each other. When that happens then the donuts go to waste and you must reset the level and find a new solution. Fortunately, there is no timer and not limit on how often you can reset and retry a level. Rocknor’s Donut Factory brings you right to the edge of logistical insanity but never pushes you over and in that sense it’s a great game for all levels of players.

Graphics: 10

The Donut Factory is a bright and colorful environment where all of the machines and objects can clearly be recognized. The graphics are top notch and some of the best I’ve ever seen from a shareware game, reminiscent of some of the better Theme Park / Tycoon titles. For such a potentially cold environment as an automated factory floor run by a robot, the graphics are very warm and full of personality.

Sound: 10

Someone got it right! Monolux has obviously invested time in the sound design for Rocknor’s Donut Factory because all of the audio blends together perfectly. The background music is upbeat and catchy but doesn’t overwhelm the unique sound effects of the factory floor when its in operation. Perfect job!

Gameplay : 9

Except for one room that seemed to have a glitch (the solutionizer showed a solution that isn’t possible) the rest of the game is a joyous bug free experience. The presentation is as slick and professional as any top “mainstream” game and certainly ahead of the pack when it comes to shareware.

Concept: 10

Part logic puzzle, part “Theme Donut Shop” - I found Rocknor’s to be refreshingly original in presentation yet comfortably familiar in game mechanics. While there are many games that involve solving logic puzzles to clear a “room”, few (if any) of them do it with the style and personality of Rocknor’s Donut Factory.

Options: 9

Rockor’s Donut Factory allows the player to run the game in either windowed or full screen mode as well as providing basic control over music and sound effects volumes; standard options for any game.

Once the opening tutorials have been completed you are free to play the remaining levels in any order you choose. If stuck at a particular level you can simply play one of the others instead. You aren’t forced to give up the game in frustration. This feature is a big bonus as it’s always been a pet peeve of mine when a game gets you stuck to the point where you can’t play any more.

As icing on the cake, Rocknor’s Donut Factory provides you with a “solutionizer” tool that will reveal the solution to a room, piece by piece. It doesn’t seem to have any bearing on your overall game, it’s just another option for the player to get the most from their play experience.

Fun: 10

If you’re the kind of person who likes to have your brain scrambled and fried by a puzzle, only to smack yourself in the head when you spot the solution that was in front of you the whole time then Rocknor’s Donut Factory is the game for you. The fact that there is no time limit, unlimited retries, no punishment for “wrong” attempts and ultimately a solutionizer if you need it makes this game an absolute joy to play!

Overall: 10

Rocknor’s Donut Factory is a great game with loads of play value no matter what your “puzzle” skill level. I found the gameplay to be easily accessible and seems to appeal across the board to everyone from long time gamers to the more casual players. The goal of any puzzle game should be to challenge, not frustrate, and Monolux has brilliantly given the player’s experience every consideration. Thank you, Monolux! This game is highly recommended!
 Added: February 13th 2004
Reviewer: Kyle Nau
Score:
Hits: 7568
Language: