Machinarium for PC and Mac

Software Reviews and Criticism

• By designbymichael

  My only complaint: it's too short.

  For starters, I absolutely loved the sketch art based presentation, a refreshing change from all the pseudo-realism 3D engine based games out there. The subtleties that go into the animation, scenery and brief cinematics are charming and add quite a bit to the overall game experience. Then there's the soundtrack — the music, the layered sound effects — they're on par and are remeniscent of playing Myst back in the day, but by today's standards. The story was also great, too — it was interesting how they could develop some level of attachment with the primary character, a little robot trying to right what has been wronged. It's a great balance of storytelling, puzzle solving and esthetics. My only complaint is that this game is too short — it lasted me about four days of playing on and off again, but was easy to walk away from if I had to go attend to something. I'd love to see either expansions onto the story or make the solutions to the puzzles randomized to increase longevity of the overall play time. But that said, it was a great game for the money.

  
  
• By LagosF

  Great characters, cute storyline and beautiful graphics

  This has to be my favorite game purchased from the App store. It's addicting, it's fun and it can get challenging. There are a lot of puzzles throughout the game, which require one to think carefully and to strategize. Throughout the game, one cannot help but admire the graphics – the artwork, and, of course, the music. It’s all very enchanting. The storyline is cute and I always wanted to continue playing to see what would happen next. The controls are easy and it’s a game to which one can easily adapt. Moreover, there are mini-games that make it much more fun! However, not everything is in rose. There’s a major glitch in the game that caused me to begin all over again, which I shan’t mention because it is also a spoiler. Just make sure to save often and in different slots. Furthermore, it took me a few hours to arrive at this spot in the game. When I restarted, it took me thirty minutes to get to the same spot. I was about 65% done with the game! Way too beautiful and addicting of a game to be this short. Once you get the puzzles down, which some can get repetitive, it’s can get easy. Bottom line, it’s definitely worth the money because one can replay it several times to enjoy the artwork and music. It’s also a challenge to oneself to test how well one has already learned the puzzles.

  
  
• By PeterLA81

  Beautiful, charming puzzle game!

  I didn't know what to expect of this game even though the reviews seemed mostly positive. I only purchased this game out of a whim because of the beautiful artwork shown in the sample screens. Well, it turns out to be one of the most beautiful and enchanting game I've ever played. The plot is very interesting and clever, and at times, touching. The puzzles are original and clever, but could be very very difficult at times. Fortunately the hint book and comprehensive walk through is there to rescue you if you ever get stuck. But what really draws me to this game is the simple, but beautiful and lively animation presented throughout the game. The scenes and characters look like simple pencil sketches, but they come alive with movements and dramatic facial expression. No two robots looks the same in this game, and every character is unique. The cons: the game is a bit short, though it took me quite a while because I got stuck a lot with the puzzles. The game control is rather weak. You can only interact with a person or an object by being next to them. Even then, sometimes you have to be "precise" with your clicking otherwise nothing happens. Overall, I'm very satisfied with my purchase. I bought it for $5. I'm generally not into puzzles, but this puzzle game definitely had me charmed!

  
  
• By Con-Diggity-Dawg

  Visually-Appealing Cognitive Adventure

  This is the first app I bought from Microsoft. I'm not one to spend money on undeserving applications, so I did plenty of research first. Machiniarium is an acclaimed point-and-click adventure game from indie developer Amanita Design. It's an excellently designed game. The story is not Oscar-worthy, but it keeps you entertained. The gems in this game are: the characters, visual design, and the puzzles. The robots, good as well as evil, appear detailed and life-like. If you can get through this entire game without cheating, congratulations! I had to check online once or twice for help. Machiniarium includes hints and suggestions that are easy to understand, yet invoke enough effort to avoid being used unless neccessary. I'm a college-student. A mature gamer. Point-and-click adventures really aren't my thing. But... this game blows me away. A great option for a younger adult (with occasisional help from a parent), a hard-core gamer, or someone new to the whole App scene who wants to keep their brain sharp. One suggestion to new users: Pay attention to the details!

  
  

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