Additional, more detailed hints and walkthroughs are locked behind a Gradius-like minigame. In thinking about what he needs to do, Josef communicates the objective to the player without revealing the solution. The initial hint manifests as a thought bubble emanating from Josef. Should the player succumb to the human emotion of frustration, Machinarium’s two-tiered hint system offers help without removing all challenge. This takes some of the guesswork out of puzzle solving and allows the player to focus on enjoying specific environments without worrying that they are missing something. Each of Machinarium’s puzzles takes place within a limited area and is solved using specific, contextual items and actions. Nels Anderson identifies several design and interface choices that “minimize points where other environmental puzzle games often get bogged down” ( “Machinarium - Falling Down Gently”, Above 49, 9 November 2009). Implementing a brute-force algorithm, such as examining every pixel on the screen for irregularities, is something that a robot would do.ĭespite this clever narrative conceit, Machinarium still takes steps to obviate common adventure game problems. In Machinarium, solving problems by acting like a computer aligns with the game’s fiction. Clicking everything on the screen, systematically testing item combinations, and repeatedly talking to other characters can hamper immersion in games involving unpredictable characters and zany worlds.
#MACHINARIUM PUZZLES SOLUTIONS TRIAL#
Thus employing the always effective, yet time consuming tactic of trial and error is more than a genre convention: it’s role-playing. Josef, the player’s avatar, actually is a robot. Machinarium employs its art and story to justify this behavior, thus turning a potential weakness into a strength. Although it is set in a world populated by robots, Machinarium’s gameplay and aesthetic work together to tell a story about humanity.īecause adventure games often favor methodical, repetitive problem solving, they have a tendency to make the player feel like a robot. But, by tweaking long standing conventions and combining them with novel artistic design and storytelling, it creates a unique identity for itself and the player. Machinarium clearly follows in some old adventure game traditions.
#MACHINARIUM PUZZLES SOLUTIONS SERIES#
The zany worlds of many popular adventure games, such as the Monkey Island and the Sam and Max series can make it seem like adventure games have a language all their own. The slow-paced, obscure, single-solution puzzles that comprise most adventure games take patience. In an industry dominated by fast-paced shooters, streamlined RPGs, and instant-access mobile games, it is easy to see adventure games as niche or even archaic.