It’s actually ‘Automation’: http://automationgame.com/
I ran across this via RockPaperShotgun today, and spent about two hours messing around with the demo. Apparently the plan is to make it into a tycoon game eventually; right now, it’s just an engine builder, which is still pretty neat. With the demo, you get access to naturally-aspirated inline 4 engines and all the scenarios relating thereto, including tutorials and some challenges. There’s also a sandbox, which I used to build a 2020-level-technology, hand-built-in-1800-man-hours, 5.4-liter, 770 horsepower I4. I’m tempted to spend the $25 on a preorder—I feel like I’d probably get at least that much fun out of it.
Thanks for the head’s up!
I did end up preordering so I could use turbochargers, and took a little video of the two I’m most tickled with.
The nutjob inline-4, with 20PSI of boost, makes just over 1000 horsepower, just in case Formula 1 ever jumps the shark. There’s also a twin-turbo four-liter V8 I’m a little more proud of, since it’s actually plausible: revs to 7800 RPM, makes about 600 horsepower.
The challenges, which I sampled last night, are interesting and difficult. One challenge was to design an engine with 1946-era technology for an armored personnel carrier; I ended up making a nine-liter engine which put out about 200 horsepower at 2500 RPM. Another was called ‘Man Van’, which involved making a loud and powerful but reliable and efficient engine for a minivan. Of course, I went with a good old naturally-aspirated American-style big-block V8. Still another was about detuning a little pre-existing inline-4 engine to run on low-quality unleaded fuel for selling in the Kazakh market.
Right now, it’s just an interesting sandbox and a few scenario challenges, but I have to say, playing with all of these design tradeoffs is great. I’m sure some of it is that my father used to run a test rig very much like the one in the video before making the jump to technology but I’m now officially itching for the planned versions with the car designer and the actual tycoon-style campaign.
Edit: Blast. Just noticed I got the name wrong in the thread title. Figures.
