What is Heavy Friction?

A minimalist factory idle game where the main interaction is a heavy lever fighting you with constant friction. Haul it to the end seven times to make one good. Ship goods by boat for money, then buy workers, admins, warehouse space, and labor stability.

One haul adds 15% to the production bar, and the seventh haul fills it and puts a good in the warehouse. The boat waits 30 seconds at the dock, then takes up to 5 goods on a 30-second trip out and a 30-second trip home. It pays $3 for each good, and the money lands when it comes home. Early in a run you make goods faster than the boat can ship them, so the warehouse fills while you wait.

Each worker pulls the lever automatically at 8% per second, against the constant 4% friction. One worker alone keeps the bar at a net gain of 4% per second. The second worker triples that speed, and each worker after it adds 8% more. Every hire costs double the one before it.

What is Admin coverage and why is the factory "rebuilding" when I come back?

Heavy Friction lives up to its name: your factory only progresses while you are actively here OR while a hired Admin is on shift. You start with 5 minutes of coverage, each Admin grants 30 more, and a labor dispute that ends well grants another minute. The first 30 seconds after a tab-switch are always free. If you leave for longer than your remaining coverage, you return to a "Rebuilding" cinematic · pieces tumble back onto the screen and a footnote spells out that nothing actually progressed while you were away. One return catches up at most 24 hours, and coverage is only spent on time the factory really ran. Hire more Admins, or stay here, to keep the line at work.

What are labor disputes?

After your factory makes 50 goods in total, the workforce starts a dispute about every minute · a riot or a strike. You do not settle a dispute and you never pay one: it settles itself against your labor stability. If stability is at or above the demand shown, the dispute ends well, pays you a sum and grants a minute of Admin coverage. If it is below, you lose 30% of the goods in the warehouse and your streak goes to zero. The line does not stop either way. A stability upgrade changes the outcome, not how often a dispute comes.

Is my progress saved?

Yes, automatically. Your money, goods, workers, and upgrade levels save to your browser’s localStorage every couple of seconds and survive reloads. The Reset button starts over from zero.

Yes. PlayMemorize is a Progressive Web App; the page is cached on first visit. Install it to your home screen and Heavy Friction works on your next flight, in a tunnel, anywhere.

Can MemPi help me study and practice this game?

Yes! Click MemPi in the header or on the game board to summon him. He observes the board, thinks out loud, and can demonstrate moves or guide you through tricky steps.

Heavy Friction

Run a factory line · slide to produce, hire workers and admins to automate, ship to the warehouse and sell, then expand. A tactile idle game

Haul the lever all the way across. Each haul moves the bar 15%, and a full bar makes one good.

About Heavy Friction

Heavy Friction is the tactile factory idle game on PlayMemorize. The screen starts with a single heavy production lever. Haul it to the end of its track and the production bar goes up 15%, so seven hauls make one good. Constant friction pulls that bar back at 4% per second, so a pause costs you. The work feels heavy · that is the whole point.

The boat. Goods do not sell themselves. The boat waits 30 seconds at the dock, then sails 30 seconds out and 30 seconds home with up to 5 goods at $3 each. The money lands when it comes home, so early on you make goods faster than you can ship them. Money funds everything else.

Workers. Hire workers to pull the lever for you · each adds 8% per second against the 4% friction, so one worker nets slow steady progress and each extra worker compounds it. Every hire doubles in price, so the order you automate in is the strategy.

Admin coverage · the heavy-friction core loop. Most idle games tick silently while the tab is closed. This one does not. Your factory only progresses while you are actively here OR while a hired Admin is on shift. You start with 5 minutes of coverage; each Admin you hire grants 30 more, and a labor dispute that ends well grants another minute. The first 30 seconds after a tab-switch are always free. Leave beyond your coverage and you return to a comedic rebuild cinematic · nothing progressed for that gap.

Warehouse and labor disputes. The warehouse holds 20 goods to start and each upgrade triples the cap. After your factory makes 50 goods in total, the workforce starts a dispute about every minute · a riot or a strike. A dispute settles itself against your labor stability, and you never pay it. If stability is at or above its demand, it ends well and pays you; if not, you lose 30% of the goods in the warehouse. An upgrade to stability changes that result, but not how often a dispute comes. The line runs either way.

Deterministic and offline-friendly. Like every PlayMemorize game, Heavy Friction runs entirely in your browser. Saves to localStorage · no account required. Works offline as part of the PlayMemorize Progressive Web App while you are actively playing.

How to master

New game videos on YouTube

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FAQ

What is Heavy Friction?

A minimalist factory idle game where the main interaction is a heavy lever fighting you with constant friction. Haul it to the end seven times to make one good. Ship goods by boat for money, then buy workers, admins, warehouse space, and labor stability.
How do I earn money?

One haul adds 15% to the production bar, and the seventh haul fills it and puts a good in the warehouse. The boat waits 30 seconds at the dock, then takes up to 5 goods on a 30-second trip out and a 30-second trip home. It pays $3 for each good, and the money lands when it comes home. Early in a run you make goods faster than the boat can ship them, so the warehouse fills while you wait.
What do workers do?

Each worker pulls the lever automatically at 8% per second, against the constant 4% friction. One worker alone keeps the bar at a net gain of 4% per second. The second worker triples that speed, and each worker after it adds 8% more. Every hire costs double the one before it.
What is Admin coverage and why is the factory "rebuilding" when I come back?

Heavy Friction lives up to its name: your factory only progresses while you are actively here OR while a hired Admin is on shift. You start with 5 minutes of coverage, each Admin grants 30 more, and a labor dispute that ends well grants another minute. The first 30 seconds after a tab-switch are always free. If you leave for longer than your remaining coverage, you return to a "Rebuilding" cinematic · pieces tumble back onto the screen and a footnote spells out that nothing actually progressed while you were away. One return catches up at most 24 hours, and coverage is only spent on time the factory really ran. Hire more Admins, or stay here, to keep the line at work.
What are labor disputes?

After your factory makes 50 goods in total, the workforce starts a dispute about every minute · a riot or a strike. You do not settle a dispute and you never pay one: it settles itself against your labor stability. If stability is at or above the demand shown, the dispute ends well, pays you a sum and grants a minute of Admin coverage. If it is below, you lose 30% of the goods in the warehouse and your streak goes to zero. The line does not stop either way. A stability upgrade changes the outcome, not how often a dispute comes.
Is my progress saved?

Yes, automatically. Your money, goods, workers, and upgrade levels save to your browser’s localStorage every couple of seconds and survive reloads. The Reset button starts over from zero.
Can I play offline?

Yes. PlayMemorize is a Progressive Web App; the page is cached on first visit. Install it to your home screen and Heavy Friction works on your next flight, in a tunnel, anywhere.
Can MemPi help me study and practice this game?

Yes! Click MemPi in the header or on the game board to summon him. He observes the board, thinks out loud, and can demonstrate moves or guide you through tricky steps.