Choose Human Resource Machine
Choose Human Resource Machine if you want an Indie and Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 25% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,452 Steam reviews back the pick.
Human Resource Machine vs Manufactoria 2022
Human Resource Machine and Manufactoria 2022 both land in Simulation on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Simulation games on Steam. Human Resource Machine (2015) is 7 years older than Manufactoria 2022 (2022). Manufactoria 2022 scores higher on Steam reviews (94.9% positive) than Human Resource Machine (93.2% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Manufactoria 2022
Choose Manufactoria 2022 if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2022) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Manufactoria 2022 launched in 2022.
Both Human Resource Machine and Manufactoria 2022 sit in Simulation on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (93.2% vs 94.9% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Human Resource Machine |  Manufactoria 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2022 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, Casual | Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 93.2% positive (1,452 reviews) | 94.9% positive (59 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Tomorrow Corporation | PleasingFungus Games |
Side by side
- Both are Simulation games on Steam.
- Human Resource Machine (2015) is 7 years older than Manufactoria 2022 (2022).
- Manufactoria 2022 scores higher on Steam reviews (94.9% positive) than Human Resource Machine (93.2% positive).
- Human Resource Machine is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Manufactoria 2022 (14.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Human Resource Machine is Deck Verified, Manufactoria 2022 is Deck Playable.
Human Resource Machine vs Manufactoria 2022 — FAQ
- Should I play Human Resource Machine or Manufactoria 2022 first?
- If you want chronology, Human Resource Machine (2015) came out before Manufactoria 2022 (2022). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Human Resource Machine and Manufactoria 2022 similar?
- They overlap on Simulation on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.