Hot take: engine building is just spreadsheet cosplay

I say this with love because I own too many euros to pretend I’m above it: a lot of engine games are just optimizing a little factory while four people politely ignore each other until someone says ‘final round’ and everyone adds silently.

The ‘engine’ is often a grid of incremental bonuses that could be a Google Sheet with flavor text.

Convince me I’m wrong without using the word ‘elegant.’ I’m immune to that word now — it’s been marketing-washed.

If you think specific titles avoid spreadsheet brain — where interaction actually matters in real time — name them. I’m willing to be converted.

Yes I’m grumpy because I got wrecked in a space game by a guy muttering ‘plus two, plus one, double production.’