Smithworks is an indie cooperative blacksmithing sim where up to four people are tasked with running a shop, fulfilling the orders of the customers by crafting weapon parts, and putting them together per their specifications, all while under a strict time limit.
The game plays out like a first-person 3D Overcooked, with players trying to juggle their tasks in a timely fashion to fulfill as many orders as accurately as they can. Smithworks has a barebones tutorial and most of the learning is done either through first-hand experience or by reading in-game manuals stashed around the workshop. Even then, the game doesn’t tell you all you need to know, so if you want a better smithing experience, here are some things you should know before starting Smithworks.
8 Check The Books
In every level, there are books you can pick up and peruse which tell you about mechanics in the game, with new books being added along with new mechanics. You might just get a blurb in the stage description or the loading screen, but they’re explained in the books pretty thoroughly.
The mechanics explained in the book don’t always show up in the stage the book shows up in, but they’ll be part of the game at the next stage, at the latest.
7 More People = More Fun
While going it alone is a viable option, running a blacksmith shop is not only extra stressful, but also super boring. Sure, they lower the point requirements to clear a stage, but what’s the point? Playing this alone is about as fun as playing Overcooked alone, probably less so, since Smithworks is admittedly not as polished as that game.
Even getting one more person to play with you makes this game so much more fun, but if you can get a full party, it’s a joy of trying to juggle not only all the tasks you have to work with but the personalities of the people you play with as well.
6 Make A Surplus, Then Do Something Else
With so much to do, even in a group, you’ll eventually have to multitask as the number of steps to complete an order increases. However, jumping from one task to the next willy-nilly is not only inefficient, but liable to put you underfoot of someone who’s got a groove going. Better to stockpile items– be it moving ore, smelting ingots or making leather parts and once you have a surplus, informing one of your teammates that you’re coming to help them.
Of course, there’s such a thing as too much of a good thing and going overboard with a surplus is almost as bad, since sometimes your teammates really do need help while you have way too many iron ingots stashed and ready to go. Best to play it by ear, but also listen to your teammates’ requests.
5 You Can Detach Components
So, it turns out that the Picasso-esque monstrosity of a weapon that you just crafted is not exactly what the customer ordered. What do you do? Start over and hope you can remake it in time? Hand it in as-is and hope that it’s close enough?
A third option is simply to detach any incorrectly-placed parts and reattach them to the correct areas. You can detach connected pieces by highlighting them and right-clicking on them. Afterwards, it’s as simple as attaching the piece to the correct place.
4 Trick Shots: Cool And Efficient
Not just the purview of the guys in Dude Perfect, mastering the art of the trick shot can sometimes be the difference between a passing grade and a perfect grade.
Though the tutorial may show a demonstration where you stand next to the furnace to put in ore, but you’re also free to throw it in at whatever distance, saving lots of time provided you can nail down the best angles and the least travel time to land your shots at.
This also works for the tanning station or even just tossing a needed component to a teammate, provided they can catch it and it’s not heavy enough to KO them.
3 Watch Out For Workplace Injuries
Alright, so while your shops aren’t exactly the most OSHA-compliant, and we’re doing sweet cross-map trick shots for maximum efficiency, safety is still an important factor in any workplace.
While accidents in Smithworks aren’t as permanent, debilitating, or lethal as in real life, getting knocked out and having to revive will certainly cost you precious time and labor. Just use common sense– don’t throw heavy or sharp objects at anyone not expecting them, don’t jump down from too high and don’t sacrifice yourself to the smelter. Then again, all these and other workplace tomfoolery is rewarded with an achievement unlock…
2 Items Can Be Sent Through Portals
The Academy, while super cool, is one of the most infuriating maps in the game, putting the various stations far away from each other while also adding another complicated factor: elemental enchantments.
A mitigating factor is the portals which allow you to zip between different areas like they were in the next room, color coded so you know which ones go to which rooms and one set is even movable. In addition to people, you can yeet materials through these magical gateways, allowing you to send objects without having to walk through yourself and if you’re feeling particularly creative, you can even do trick shots involving them.
1 50 Percent Is Good Enough
Unlike in school or other games, 50 percent is a passing grade in Smithworks, at least insofar as fulfilling orders. That’s right, it doesn’t even have to look like what the customer is asking for, as long as enough of the components are part of it.
It’s good to keep this in mind when time starts becoming an issue, especially since the only thing that seems to matter is whether you didn’t let any orders go unfulfilled at the end of the round for max stars. Seemingly, the only reason to have perfect orders every time is to unlock certain achievements.