Organization and settlement management
Organization management allocates space, time, staff and services among competing needs. Each overview separates player actions, state changes and alternative rules. Examples are hypothetical design scenarios, not claims about a named game. A prototype check states an observable question for the next iteration. Existing detailed references remain separately linked from the direction map.
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Mechanics and variants
1City buildingOverview and example ↗City building connects homes, jobs and services through resident flows and settlement resilience.4
Mechanic variants
- Density increases demand on shared infrastructure.
- Roads change how residents reach a plot.
- Services cover a limited radius or travel route.
- Population growth introduces a new type of need.
Design example. A new district supplies workers but overloads the only bridge to the industrial area. Prototype check: Test a resident's actual service route so geometric proximity does not substitute for reachable access.
2Colonies and colonist managementOverview and example ↗A colony connects individual colonist needs and skills to shared work queues and limited supplies.4
Mechanic variants
- Priorities distribute workers between tasks.
- Skills change work speed and output quality.
- Personal conditions interrupt shared production plans.
- Access zones restrict dangerous assignments.
Design example. The best builder falls ill and expansion is postponed to insulate the infirmary. Prototype check: Test that job assignment explains missing skills, inaccessible materials and competing priorities.
3Businesses and tycoon gamesOverview and example ↗A business turns investment, capacity and customer service into revenue that funds further development.4
Mechanic variants
- Price changes customer flow and expectations.
- Capacity limits the number of completed orders.
- Reputation affects future customer demand.
- Expansion increases recurring operating costs.
Design example. A small bakery buys another oven and then faces a shortage of counter staff. Prototype check: Test profitability below full capacity, including idle equipment and staff costs.
4Theme parks, zoos and attractionsOverview and example ↗A park aligns attraction appeal with paths, queues, maintenance and visitor or animal needs.4
Mechanic variants
- Appeal redistributes the visitor flow.
- Queues occupy space and consume patience.
- Maintenance prevents attraction downtime.
- Habitats require compatible environmental conditions.
Design example. A popular ride crowds a nearby path and blocks access to a quiet animal area. Prototype check: Test visitor and service routes during peak hours and temporary closure of a main path.
5Hospitals, schools and public servicesOverview and example ↗A public service allocates limited capacity among requests with different urgency and processing duration.4
Mechanic variants
- Triage prioritizes cases by urgency.
- Specialization limits available procedures.
- Referrals move clients between services.
- District coverage changes access to assistance.
Design example. A game clinic refers a complex case to a laboratory already crowded with routine tests. Prototype check: Test whether average service time hides critical delays for one request category.
6Schedules, queues and serviceOverview and example ↗Queues connect task arrivals to worker availability; scheduling allocates limited time slots in advance.4
Mechanic variants
- Arrival queues preserve request order.
- Appointments reserve time before a client arrives.
- Priority lanes serve urgent requests.
- Switching tasks requires setup time.
Design example. A repair shop leaves a gap between planned bookings for an urgent breakdown. Prototype check: Test low-priority starvation and cancellation that correctly releases a reserved time slot.
7Staff, skills and delegationOverview and example ↗Staff perform delegated work according to skill, time and authority, reducing the need for manual orders.4
Mechanic variants
- Qualifications unlock particular task types.
- Shifts limit worker availability.
- Training spends time for future efficiency.
- Authority permits independent purchasing decisions.
Design example. An experienced mechanic orders parts independently while a trainee handles routine maintenance. Prototype check: Test explanations for automatic worker selection and the ability to override an unsuitable assignment.
8Resident needs, satisfaction and conflictOverview and example ↗Resident needs compete for services and space, while unmet needs change behavior and attitudes toward management.4
Mechanic variants
- Need thresholds trigger a service search.
- Groups value different sets of conditions.
- Conflicts connect one group's gain to another's loss.
- Feedback names specific dissatisfaction causes.
Design example. A night workshop improves employment while nearby residents ask for less noise. Prototype check: Test whether satisfaction scores lead back to a specific unmet need and an actionable response.
9Infrastructure, zoning and adjacencyOverview and example ↗Infrastructure connects plots through flows, while zoning and adjacency determine functional compatibility.4
Mechanic variants
- Networks serve only connected plots.
- Adjacency creates bonuses or negative effects.
- Zones constrain future building types.
- Trunk routes have limited throughput.
Design example. A school is walkable from housing, but a factory freight entrance crosses the main school route. Prototype check: Test network continuity after redeveloping a plot and clear explanations for negative adjacency.
10Crises, accidents and recoveryOverview and example ↗A crisis breaks normal system dependencies, requiring diagnosis, damage containment and prioritized restoration.4
Mechanic variants
- Isolation contains a damaged subsystem.
- Reserves temporarily replace a failed source.
- Cascades spread shortages through dependencies.
- Recovery chooses the order of service restart.
Design example. A power-station failure stops pumps, so backup power first restores the water intake. Prototype check: Test whether the system distinguishes the initial failure from subsequent dependent service outages.
Sources and examples
Sources support particular techniques or methodology, not every family variant. Design examples and mechanic combinations are illustrative.
- Factorio: Content
Developer overview of production, transport and circuit networks as connected gameplay systems.
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