Irradiate 235
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About Irradiate 235
Irradiate 235 is a 2026 indie simulator from Team Boulder Games that blends resource management with Metroidvania-style exploration. You build and automate factories to process alien materials, crafting tools and explosives while navigating hazardous tunnels. The game emphasizes efficiency and risk, missteps with radioactive substances can wreck progress. Set on a hostile alien world, it’s a single-player puzzle game where you balance engineering and exploration. The core loop mixes base-building mechanics with backtracking to unlock new areas. Think Factorio meets Asegra, but with tighter verticality and permadeath elements.
Gameplay
You start with basic tools, gathering resources to upgrade machinery and safety gear. Each session involves placing conveyor belts, reactors, and drills in confined spaces while avoiding radiation leaks. Later, you craft bombs to break through walls and power generators to light dark tunnels. Controls are precise but unintuitive at first, right-clicking swaps tools, while dragging sets automation paths. The real challenge is optimizing factory layouts without contaminating yourself. Exploration requires careful planning: revisit old areas with better gear to access previously blocked routes. Combat is minimal; most threats come from environmental hazards and your own mismanagement.
What Players Think
PlayPile users rate it 4.1/5, with 82% completion among finishers. Critics average 8.7/10, praising its "smart but punishing design." Average playthroughs last 7 hours, though 35% of players abandon after 3 hours due to steep difficulty spikes. Community moods lean curious (68%) and focused (42%), but 18% label it "frustrating." Review snippets: "The automation system is clever but fussy," "Loved the risk-reward of radiation management," and "Too punishing for casual players." Achievement completion sits at 92% for core milestones, with 12 hidden challenges tied to secret tunnels.
PlayPile's Take
Irradiate 235 is niche but rewarding for fans of deep simulators and Metroidvania logic puzzles. At $29.99, it offers solid value if you enjoy optimizing systems and tolerate its harsh difficulty. The 50+ achievements cater to completionists, though 30% of players quit before earning half. Skip if you dislike permadeath or micromanagement. For those who relish designing efficient factories while dodging lethal spills, it’s a standout 2026 release. Not a must-play, but worth a shot if its risks align with your playstyle.
Game Modes
Single player
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