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| Image of the game Clockwork Cleanup with a modified Steam logo. |
In the ever-expanding universe of auto-battlers and roguelike strategy games, a new contender has quietly assembled a legion of fans. Clockwork Cleanup, a game where tactical tile placement meets tower defense, isn't just another entry in the genre—it’s a meticulously crafted puzzle-box of combat that has captivated players, earning a stunning 99% positive review score on Steam. But what’s behind the hype, and is it worth your time?
A Magical Last Stand
The premise is immediately engaging: you are the last line of defense for a besieged spell factory. Hordes of creatures are bearing down, and your only hope is MAC—the Magical Automatic Custodian. This isn't a game of direct control; instead, you strategize by connecting energy tiles on a grid. Each connection powers up MAC, turning it into an increasingly formidable engine of destruction against the encroaching waves.
The core loop is deeply satisfying. Before each wave, you'll place and rotate tiles—think conveyor belts of magic—to create the most efficient path from energy sources to MAC. The more tiles you connect in a chain, the more powerful the resulting blast. But space is a precious commodity. The grid is limited, forcing you to make every decision count. Do you go for a few long, powerful chains, or create a dense network of smaller ones? The risk-reward tension is palpable from the first minute.
Depth in the Details
Where Clockwork Cleanup truly shines is in its layered strategy. It’s not just about connecting A to B. You can merge tiles to unlock superior effects, fundamentally changing your arsenal mid-run. After surviving a battle, you’re presented with crucial choices: use your rewards to expand your grid for more complex setups, heal your defenses, purchase powerful new tile types, or re-route your existing connections to adapt to new threats.
This progression is vital because the challenge escalates dramatically. You’ll face down 35 battles, each composed of 5 intense waves, against 22 different enemy types. And just when you think you have a system mastered, a boss arrives to shatter it. These encounters are no joke, demanding that you leverage every tool and upgrade you've acquired.
The Verdict from the Steam Community
The near-perfect player score speaks volumes. Players are overwhelmingly praising the game's "satisfying" and "brain-tickling" gameplay, with many highlighting the joy of discovering powerful tile combinations. The fact that it’s a free-to-play title with no microtransactions is a huge point in its favor, fostering immense goodwill. It’s a complete, respectful package that offers pure strategic fun without asking for your wallet.
However, the 1% of criticism often points to a common desire: more. Some players feel the current run, while incredibly polished, is too short and crave additional content, biomes, or tile types to extend the replayability even further.
Ready to put your tactical mind to the test and defend the factory? You can find Clockwork Cleanup for free on Steam right here.
Whether you're a seasoned auto-battler veteran or a newcomer looking for a clever, digestible strategy fix, Clockwork Cleanup is an easy recommendation. It executes a simple concept with such polish and depth that it’s easy to lose hours to its clockwork gears. It’s a testament to how a great idea, perfected, can create a powerhouse of a game.
For the stat-hungry strategists, you can dive deeper into the game's player numbers and history on its SteamDB page.