A decade ago, when I was just a student in university, I bought this game and - not going to lie - I was super inspired back then by it because I honestly have never seen a game that's fun yet feels like another of my CS assignments.
What can I say though. The game is one of the first games made by Zach-tonic games, which went on later to define the Zachlike-genre; basically a game of puzzle solving using systems. Basically, if you like any amount of puzzle solving, automation and engineering, Zachlike games are for you.
I graduated at 2013. It is now 2024 when I completed the game. It took so long to complete the game that the company ceased to exist because "it has already made all the games they wanted to make". Yes. I took so long to complete it that they made so many games until they ran out of games to make.
Every puzzle is constant unintuitive grind and banging my head against the wall. Perhaps a reason why I didn't play it much was because my day job already involves a good amount of problem solving for myself and others. Recently, I have finished the game I want to make, an engine I want to make, solved some issues with my work and was a little bored of programming, to the point where I finally found some bandwidth to complete Spacechem.
The satisfaction you get from completing a puzzle felt really good though.
I would highly recommend it. 8/10! But it's really not for everyone.