Machine Platforms

Machine Platforms provide terrain suitable for building the many machines needed to manipulate Shapez. Placing Machine Platforms consumes Platform Capacity; the capacity cost equals the number of space grid tiles (chunks) the platform occupies (the 1×1 costs 1, the 2×1 costs 2, etc.). Platform Capacity is obtained by completing Milestones or Jobs, or by purchasing it from the Shop. The first Machine Platforms (1×1 and 2×1) are unlocked for free when the player reaches the Space Platforms Milestone (Milestone 2 in the hexagonal Scenario, 3 otherwise). Additional platform varieties are purchased with Research Points from the Shop.

Machine Platform edges are set back from the chunk border by two tiles, plus a third tile-wide edge, and in the middle of each chunk edge there is a 4-tile wide Notch marked by arrows. Because three rows and columns per chunk are unavailable for construction, the smallest Machine Platform has an effective building area of 14×14 tiles (196 build tiles) even though it occupies one chunk. Each additional chunk boundary crossed by a larger platform adds 6 rows or columns to the effective building area. As a result, a 2×2 platform provides an effective building area of 34×34 tiles (1,156 build tiles), which is nearly 1.5 times the total build area of four separate 1×1 platforms.

Typical platform shapes and their capacity costs and effective building areas are:

• Linear platforms:

  • 1 tile (1×1): effective build area 14×14 = 196
  • 2 tiles (2×1): effective build area 34×14 = 476
  • 3 tiles (3×1): effective build area 54×14 = 756
  • 4 tiles (4×1): effective build area 74×14 = 1,036

• Blocky platforms:

  • 4 tiles (2×2): effective build area 34×34 = 1,156
  • 6 tiles (3×2): effective build area 54×34 = 1,836
  • 8 tiles (4×2): effective build area 74×34 = 2,516
  • 9 tiles (3×3): effective build area 54×54 = 2,916

• Irregular platforms:

  • Buildable areas for irregular shapes match those of linear platforms with the same tile count, because none of the irregular shapes cover an entire corner.
  • Examples shown include 3-tile irregular (effective area 756), several 4-tile irregulars (effective area 1,036), and a 5-tile irregular (effective area 1,316).

Practical notes:

• Choosing larger multi-tile platforms often yields disproportionately more usable build area per capacity cost than many separate small platforms because of the fixed setback and notch geometry.
• The platform cost in Platform Capacity always equals the tile count shown for each platform variant; plan capacity purchases accordingly.
• Unlock progression: start builds with the free 1×1 and 2×1 platforms acquired at the Space Platforms Milestone, then use Research Points to acquire additional shapes as needed.