By Jatin Gundara

Step by step. If you’ve been drawn to the process of creating electronic objects, you’ll find that Kaizen: A Factory Story is a properly challenging puzzle game. It’s created by the former members of Zachtronics LLC, and that small but potent indie’s Infiniminer is said to have inspired Minecraft. 

Zach Barth’s Kaizen isn’t just about putting things together. It’s, to translate the Japanese, “change for the better.” It’s about an important time that has now passed, the Japanese electronics boom of the 1980s, and follows the story of David Sugimoto. He’s an American marketer hired by a Japanese company to revolutionize their manufacturing processes. But he ends up on the assembly line, and that’s where he makes his impact. All at once, he’s something of a maverick, a non-conformist and a stranger in a new land.

As one could assume given the thematic setting of the game, Kaizen’s gameplay is largely centered around the aforementioned manufacturing process. The player is provided with an array of tools and commands which they use to manufacture products in a way that optimizes money, time and space. From something as simple as a pair of binoculars and a toy robot (I struggled with this one), to color TV sets and rice cookers, the products grow with complexity as the game progresses. 

Naturally as a result of more complex products, the player’s toolbox also diversifies. Robotic Arms to push and pull objects, riveters and welders to combine parts, and blades to cut through materials (which were particularly useful in the plastic food arc of the story) are just some of the tools I had to become accustomed to in order to be able to solve the puzzles presented. The way the player commands these tools is through a timeline at the bottom of the screen which lights up red when something on it is invalid, alerting the player something has to be changed before the puzzle can be completed correctly. 

I spent enough time struggling with solving these manufacturing problems to confidently say that Kaizen certainly isn’t for everyone. I found that on the more difficult tasks, it became frustrating trying to find a solution as there were many times where I could assemble the first part of a product only then realizing that it was impossible to complete it with the way I had arranged things. There were many instances where I had to scrap all my progress due to the fact that it became incredibly difficult to simply tweak a part of the timeline (due to the physical aspect of the tools placed on the grid). This aspect of trial and error isn’t necessarily a flaw in the gameplay, but detracts from the flow of problem-solving. 

In addition, I also found certain gameplay mechanics to be somewhat unintuitive, best exemplified by how only one of each duplicate part could be placed at a time. It would’ve also been nice to be able to combine certain commands, particularly considering how arms had to be pushed and retracted separately, when an option for a joint or group command would’ve saved me a lot of time and effort within more complex puzzles. In addition, there was no command for combining objects (the welder and riveter instead fired automatically when something could be combined). I found that to be impractical as it sometimes resulted in actions which I didn’t want to take place, even if it decluttered my command timeline. Overall, it feels as though many of Kaizen’s gameplay mechanics make it feel more monotonous than it needs to be, and could easily be revamped to give the game greater appeal.

In regards to the aesthetic aspects, there is certainly more to enjoy. The setting of 1980s Japan, coupled with the changing setting as the player gets transferred around the country over the course of the game was certainly a highlight. And the top down 2D art style is light and fun, but doesn’t really get a chance to shine due to most of the game being spent on a green assembly grid. I found the story and setting of the game to be charming and heartwarming, but even so it felt intermittent and broken up in between the factory grind. 

Perhaps Kaizen would’ve felt less monotonous with the inclusion of a greater number of smaller mini-games (the player goes through a rhythm game sequence at the start of the game) or the ability to explore the different locales in which the story takes place. While Kaizen does provide the player with one significant piece of side-content (a fun, pachinko-themed solitaire game titled “Pachi Sol”), more side content utilizing the Japanese setting and unique aesthetics would’ve allowed the game to take on life as more than a puzzler.

Overall, it’s clear that the team behind Kaizen knew exactly what they wanted to accomplish. With challenging puzzles, competitive replayability, and a unique concept to tie it all together, Kaizen is certainly a solid offering as far as puzzle games are concerned. While I personally would’ve enjoyed a few extra mechanics that take advantage of the Japanese setting alongside more intuitive gameplay, it’s not to say that the game isn’t enjoyable. While certainly not for everyone, there still exists a subtle charm to the problem-solving perplexity awaiting players who dare to try Kaizen.

California-based intern Jatin Gundara serves as the Circle’s West Coast correspondent.

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