one dataset · paper, tables, graph, wiki
simgrammar the grammar of simulation

parts

17 mechanics, as Mindustry does them

core · 4

logistics & networks

Conveyor transport

Conveyors, junctions, routers, sorters, overflow gates, and bridges move items from drills to the core, factories, and turret ammo inputs.

resources & production

Production chains

Smelters, presses, kilns, separators, and mixers turn copper, lead, sand, coal, titanium, and thorium into graphite, silicon, plastanium, and surge alloy.

conflict & defense

Raid defense

Enemy waves spawn on a schedule and path toward the core; about 18 Serpulo and 10 Erekir turret types consume ammo items, liquids, or power, backed by walls, menders, and shield projectors.

resources & production

Resource extraction

Mechanical, pneumatic, laser, and airblast drills mine ore tiles at speeds set by drill tier and ore hardness, with optional water boosting.

supporting · 13

risk & failure

Adaptive threat scaling

Survival maps send progressively stronger waves with tougher unit types and bosses as wave numbers rise; the cited sources do not tie wave strength to the player's own wealth.

control & automation

Blueprints

Schematics save layouts as shareable text and are traded on Steam Workshop.

space & construction

Building placement

time & pacing

Crisis countdown

A visible timer counts down to the next wave, and wave timing can be changed in custom game rules.

logistics & networks

Fluid pipe networks

Conduits carry water, slag, oil, and cryofluid; optional coolant and lubricant raise turret and factory rates.

resources & production

Machine boosting

Optional coolant and lubricant fed to turrets and factories raise their rates, and water boosts drill speed.

multiplayer & persistence

Modding API

The GPL-3.0 source allows unrestricted mods, and community servers run plugins for custom maps and game modes.

control & automation

Player programming

Micro, logic, and hyper processors run Mindustry Logic, an assembly-like language with one operation per instruction that reads sensors and memory cells, controls linked buildings and turrets, and binds units with ubind to command them.

resources & production

Power grid

Combustion, steam, solar, thorium, and impact generators feed node-linked grids with batteries; turrets, shields, and factories draw power.

progression & goals

Scenario objectives

Campaign sectors set win conditions such as surviving a number of waves or destroying enemy cores on attack maps.

progression & goals

Tech tree

Over 250 technology blocks are researched by spending core resources along a tree that also gates campaign sectors.

control & automation

Unit commands

Since version 7 units can be selected and commanded RTS-style, while others follow default AI or logic control.

core loop

drill ore -> belt items to the core and factories -> build and supply turrets -> survive scheduled enemy waves -> research new blocks with core resources -> capture sectors and launch resources between them

design notes

Mindustry began as a 2017 itch.io jam game and fuses Factorio-style belt logistics with tower defense: turrets consume belted ammunition, power, and coolant, so the factory's layout is the defense, and survival maps send progressively stronger waves at the core on a timer. Version 6 (2020) added RTS units built in factories and upgraded through reconstructors, and Mindustry Logic, an assembly-like language that runs on processor blocks, reads sensors and memory cells, and can bind and command units. The campaign spans Serpulo and Erekir with 35 hand-made maps and 250+ procedural sectors whose production continues while the player is elsewhere and is moved between sectors by launch pads. The game is GPL-3.0 and free from the author while also sold on Steam, so community servers, plugins, and mods are unrestricted.

appears in

the paper, 2 sections
paper

5. The structure of the design space

linked in this section of the paper

paper
paper

Appendix A. Game catalog

linked in this section of the paper

paper
catalog

The catalog

listed with its year, developer, subgenre, and number of mechanics

book

relations

1 stored edges
influenced by

claims

2 with sources
c01high

Mindustry was created for the April 2017 itch.io Metal Monstrosity game jam and came to Steam in 2019 (version 3, store date 2019-09-26).

src-wikipedia-mindustry, src-steam-2026-mindustry

c02medium

Coverage compares Mindustry to Factorio, and its README describes it as an automation tower defense RTS; the influenced_by edge reflects that widely noted lineage rather than a developer statement.

src-wikipedia-mindustry, src-anuke-2026-mindustry-repository

sources

4
Wikipedia contributors (2026). Mindustry. Wikipedia
(2026). Mindustry. Steam
Anuken (2026). Mindustry source repository. GitHub
(2026). Mindustry Logic: Introduction. Mindustry Wiki

provenance

runs in log/runs
2026-10-24
created2026-10-24-catalog-ghcatalog
2026-10-24
reviewed2026-10-24-review-fixesmaintenance
2026-10-25
reviewed2026-10-25-contributor-readinessmaintenance