- 01Account for both outputs
- 02Provide a byproduct outlet
- 03Run and inspect accumulation
- 04Balance fresh and recycled input
Byproduct loops
A process makes a target product and a byproduct. Both need output space; recycling saves input but introduces feedback and possible blockage.
The player's decision
Recycle, consume elsewhere or buffer the byproduct—and when must fresh input be reduced?
Original scenario
Original setup: making two bricks returns one bucket of water. Feeding it into a tank already filled by fresh supply blocks production. Prioritize recycled water or add another outlet.
Start with this prototype
Build a brick machine with a water byproduct, two finite tanks and switchable valves. Keep it running for eight rounds. Display fresh input, return flow and stored water each round; omit fluid physics.
Change one variable
Vary fresh-to-recycled supply and test both an empty startup and a loaded steady state.
What to observe in a playtest
Can players identify the blocking output and explain why enlarging the main-product store may not help?
Take the full design card
Includes rules, scope, tuning questions and sources for further planning. It does not create a project automatically.
Original analysis · version 1
Common pitfall
A loop that starts successfully may still accumulate waste. Check long-run conservation, not startup alone.
Observations and sources
Cases refer to public documentation. Developers and community wikis are credited separately; document review is not a claim of hands-on testing.
- Factorio
Advanced oil processing has multiple fluid outputs; a full output can stop further production.
- Satisfactory
Aluminum-scrap recipes return water, providing a case for balancing recovered and fresh supply.
Brief for the studio
Opens the AI studio with the brief below in the input. You can edit it. Nothing starts automatically.
Build a brick machine with a water byproduct, two finite tanks and switchable valves. Keep it running for eight rounds. Display fresh input, return flow and stored water each round; omit fluid physics.
Covers are original AI-generated style illustrations. Game names reference publicly visible design choices and remain the property of their owners. This atlas does not supply screenshots or assets from those games. Prompts and combinations are original drafts for new games.