Mindustry is a free open-source tower-defense and factory-building game. See features, platforms, pricing and how it compares to Factorio and similar games.
Mindustry is a free, open-source game that combines factory automation with tower-defense combat. Players design conveyor-belt networks and processing plants to turn raw resources into ammunition and building materials, then use those materials to construct turrets and walls that fend off waves of enemies.
Created by a solo developer known as Anuke, Mindustry started life as a 2017 game jam entry and has since grown into a full-featured, actively updated title distributed on Steam, mobile app stores, itch.io, and GitHub. Its entire source code is released under the GPLv3 license, letting anyone inspect, modify, or redistribute the game.
The core loop centers on resource logic: mining ores, routing them through conveyors and pipes, and refining them into usable materials, similar in spirit to Factorio but layered with active tower-defense combat against waves of AI enemies.
Later versions added real-time-strategy elements, letting players command mobile unit squads directly, plus a second in-game planet (Erekir) with distinct mechanics. The game supports single-player campaigns, cooperative and competitive multiplayer servers, custom map editors, and an active mod ecosystem.
Mindustry is entirely free to download from the developer's official GitHub releases and itch.io page, with no ads or in-app purchases in any version.
Identical copies are also sold on Steam and mobile app stores as an optional way to support the developer; buying there provides automatic updates and store integration but no additional features over the free build.
Yes. Mindustry can be downloaded for free from the developer's GitHub and itch.io pages. Paid Steam and app-store versions are optional and offer no extra features.
Mindustry was created by a solo developer known by the pseudonym Anuke, starting as a 2017 game jam entry.
Mindustry's source code is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3 (GPLv3) and hosted publicly on GitHub.
Mindustry runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.
It shares automation and resource-processing mechanics with Factorio but adds tower-defense combat and RTS unit control as core gameplay pillars.
Yes, the game has full modding support and an active community that creates custom maps, mods, and total conversions.