Machinarium offers a unique and addicting puzzle adventure game across a number of platforms that utilises a point and click control scheme and a world without dialogue. Originally released for Windows in 2009 the game quickly expanded to mobile and console platforms allowing all gamers to explore the story adventure of Machinarium.
You’ll start off solving puzzles in Machinarium but quickly get engaged in the story and almost forget that you are playing a puzzle game with the unique setting that it offers. Players step into this world as a robot named Josef who discovers a villainous plot to destroy a tower in the city that he lives. This plot then expands with twists and turns that you won’t see coming which makes for a simple but enjoyable plot under the puzzle solving of Machinarium.
With a familiar point and click style adventure the Machinarium adventure is paired with a unique art style and no game dialogue from the NPC inhabitants of the strange world. This no dialogue policy extends to spoken and written language which results in a unique experience and challenge that Amanita Design have since used on other puzzle games in their portfolio. This does not mean players are without any instruction though with sketches of actions used to give players guidance instead.
The overall objective in Machinarium like most puzzle games is to solve a diverse range of puzzles which players can access through the game’s overworld. Mixing all sorts of brain teasers and mini games along the way you’ll slide tiles across a game board, enter codes, connect wires and play arcade like games. While these puzzles are your focus and progress the story Machinarium also provides an amazing list of hidden Easter eggs that will have you scrambling to find them with a number of them also revealing additional back story to this game world.
While gameplay in Machinarium will be difficult for players not usually accustomed to puzzle adventure games to ensure Machinarium is enjoyable for veterans and approachable for genre newcomers it provides a duel tier hint system. Always available to players this ensures players can define how much assistance they want during the Machinarium story and provides that extra helping hand in game without the need for external walkthrough resources.
Once for every puzzle you can receive this handy hint to push you in the right direction although they get pretty vague as you approach the end of the game. If you need further help the game also has a built in walkthrough system which you can use at any time provided you can beat a mini game which ensures you feel like you earned the game help.
Summary:
- A point and click puzzle game with a plot focused on destruction of a unique and strange machine city.
- An interesting mechanical game world that contains no spoken or written dialogue.
- Tiered hint system keeps the game accessible to new players in the puzzle genre as you choose the level of help you want to receive.
- Diverse puzzles and mini games that have you using logic and memory skills.
- Hidden Easter eggs for those that look for them to expand on the base information of the world.
Links:
- Buy Machinarium (GOG )
- Buy Machinarium (PlayStation Store)
- Buy Machinarium (Microsoft Store)
- Buy Machinarium (Nintendo Store)
- Buy Machinarium (iOS)
- Buy Machinarium (Android)
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Review Platform: PC