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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesCould a video game like Factorio work as a technical interview? Erik McClure proposed using collaborative play to observe how candidates plan, debug, and coordinate—but he did not present it as a validated hiring test. The idea is intriguing; its time burden and uncertain connection to job performance make it impractical as a stand-alone assessment.
What is the Factorio interview idea?
In his March 12, 2021 proposal, Erik McClure suggests having an interviewer and candidate build together in Factorio, an automation game that starts with gathering resources and expands into production lines, logistics, and eventually a rocket launch. Rather than asking a candidate to solve a whiteboard puzzle, the interviewer would watch how the shared factory develops.
McClure’s point is not that playing well proves someone can do a particular job. It is that a complex, evolving system might prompt more natural examples of work-related behavior than a short, abstract puzzle. He writes, “At the very least, we can do better than whiteboard interviews.”
What skills might playing Factorio reveal?
These are McClure’s proposed interpretations of what an interviewer might observe, not established measures of hiring potential.
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Planning and self-direction
A participant must choose goals and decide how to reach them as new production needs emerge. An interviewer could discuss whether the candidate sets priorities and develops a plan, with expectations adjusted for the role’s seniority.
Coordination and teamwork
Because the factory is shared, participants can see whether they communicate, accommodate each other’s designs, and integrate their work. A candidate who builds independently without coordinating may create friction—or simply be responding to unclear expectations—so the interviewer would need to consider the context.
Debugging and systems thinking
When a production line fails, the visible problem may be downstream from its cause. McClure suggests observing whether someone traces dependencies rather than making isolated fixes, and how they adapt a design as throughput and complexity grow.
Response to feedback
Working together creates opportunities to discuss a design choice and revise it. An interviewer might notice how a candidate considers critique and incorporates useful suggestions in later decisions.
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How long would a Factorio interview take?
McClure estimates about eight hours with an experienced group and more than twenty hours for an initial multiplayer playthrough. Hackaday summarized the proposal as an eight-to-twenty-hour exercise in its April 12, 2021 article. These are the author’s estimates for the activity, not study results or evidence that the method works. McClure himself calls the approach wildly impractical and says it cannot simply replace conventional interviews.
Why the proposal is not proof of job ability
The cited proposal offers an argument for trying the exercise, not data showing that Factorio performance predicts workplace performance. A candidate might be skilled at the game without demonstrating the abilities a role requires, or might lack game familiarity while being highly capable at the job. Observed behavior in a simulated factory cannot be treated as a direct measure of performance in a real engineering team.
Readers commenting on Hackaday raised concerns about the long candidate time commitment, familiarity advantage for experienced players, relevance to real work, and the possibility that a game-based process could introduce or obscure bias. These are concerns from the discussion, not measured findings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What would make a game-based assessment fairer?
Before using a game in hiring, an employer would need to define what it is trying to learn and why the activity is relevant to the specific role. Useful questions include:
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match- Job relevance: Do the observed behaviors map to actual responsibilities, or mainly to success in Factorio?
- Comparable starting conditions: Do candidates have similar access, instructions, and familiarity, or does prior play provide an unearned advantage?
- Candidate time: Could a shorter, job-relevant work sample reveal the same reasoning or collaboration without requiring many hours?
- Consistent assessment: Can interviewers use clear criteria and evaluate candidates consistently rather than relying on subjective impressions?
The cited sources do not answer these questions with comparative evidence or establish that Factorio is better than a conventional interview or shorter work sample. Without a clear link to job tasks and a consistent way to assess performance, the exercise risks measuring game experience and interview conditions as much as technical ability.
Is playing Factorio a practical technical interview?
As a conversation starter about richer, collaborative assessments, McClure’s proposal is compelling: it focuses attention on planning, debugging, feedback, and teamwork in a changing system. As a hiring method, however, its estimated hours and unvalidated connection to job performance are substantial limitations. The sources establish a proposal, not evidence of adoption or predictive effectiveness.
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