Machinarium
Platform: Mac, Windows, Linux
From Amanita Design, creator of the famously brilliant Samorost series, comes Machinarium, a game so well-conceived and implemented it can confidently launch as one of the best point-and-click adventures of all time. Machinarium is nothing short of a playable piece of art. Similar to Samorost in style and gameplay, 
you play a lone robot thrown out of the city working his way through desolate mechanical slums. Solve puzzles, find and combine items, and encounter loads of creative characters in your quest. Machinarium is one of those rare games you can't praise enough.
Get your cursor ready, you'll need it for this game! Everything is handled with the mouse in Machinarium, all you need to do is click on objects and the robot does the rest. You have to be next to the hotspots in order to use them, so when your cursor turns into a moving pair of feet, click and our hero will waddle in that direction. You also have the ability to change height, a skill you'll need to reach some out-of-the-way objects later on.
You can't die in Machinarium, so feel free to explore all you like. If the robot can't do something, he'll shake his head "no" when you click. And, yes, it's really cute when he does so. Sometimes he'll even give you a clue in the form of a thought bubble if you try and do something that isn't (yet) possible. Little bonus touches like this are what give Machinarium such personality, and they help push along the gameplay, too.
An hour or two into the game, Machinarium suddenly opens up and presents a less linear world for you to explore. The first handful of puzzles take place one after another, each leading organically to the next. At a certain point, however, you find yourself standing in a central hub with things to do in every direction. From here on, Machinarium is more like a traditional adventure game and less like a point-and-click puzzler.
Analysis: It's obvious everyone at Amanita Designs poured their heart and soul into this game. The proof is in the music, the artwork, the puzzles, the gameplay, the interface, the story, the pacing, the animations, the character desi— you get the picture. A fine example of how the studio went well above the norm is the in-game hint system. 
If you're heroically stuck on a puzzle and just can't figure out how to solve it, move the cursor to the top right corner of the screen. Click the TV icon and you'll be thrown into a mini-game. Using the controls on the right side of the monitor, you move a flying key up and down in a side-scrolling world. Fire your weapon to take out enemies, avoid the walls, and make it to the lock at the end of the stage. Key + lock = comic-style sketch of how to solve the level, step by step. The only reason I can think of why Amanita did that was because it's awesome.
Each area is packed with visual detail, from intricate backgrounds to fluidly animated characters. Machinarium's world is not a still piece of scenery, it's a living, moving environment loaded with personality. There's so much to look at it can be difficult to know where to start. Somehow, though, you always catch wind of a puzzle on the screen and can manage to discover what needs to be done.
Hotspots in Machinarium, as in any point-and-click game, can be a sore point of discussion. A fine balance has to be found between cleverly hiding the next move and turning the game into a pixel hunt. Machinarium finds that balance well, though there are a few moments when you narrow your eyes because you clicked near the right place, not on it. Proximity determines which objects you can interact with, leading to a fair amount of walking back and forth, moving the cursor around to see what's there. It's all about experimenting and trial-and-error, but because the game world is so full, your curiosity is always tickled, no matter what you end up doing.
As far as length and difficulty are concerned, Machinarium (unsurprisingly) gets them just right. You rarely need the "one hint per puzzle" thought balloon, and even if you resort to the lock and key mini-game you'll slap your forehead when you see the solution. Give each puzzle your best shot before resorting to a walkthrough, as it's especially rewarding to figure out the solutions on your own. Expect a good six hours from Machinarium, more or less depending on your skill.
Machinarium is a magnificent game, and that's all I really need to say. You'll be hooked the moment you see the robot store an item in his belly.
Windows:
Play the Flash demo
Get the full version
Mac OS X:
Play the Flash demo
Get the full version
Linux:
Play the Flash demo
Get the full version
Walkthrough Guide
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Walkthrough
Prologue: Some Assembly Required
Junkyard
Click the bathtub until it's gone, then click the torso until it vaults itself down
Click the robot's head
Drag the robot's head upwards to make it taller, then click the doll
Give the doll to the mole-bot when it's sniffing towards you (click the doll, then the bot)
Take the magnet, and grab some wire from the spool
Combine the magnet with the wire
Walk to the broken lamppost and push it so it's at an angle
Use the magnet-with-wire on the lamppost
Proceed to the right
City Gate
Pick up the broken traffic cone
Discard all the other traffic cones and pick up the blue paint
Dump the blue paint in the white paint
Dip the cone in the paint
Climb up the lamppost as far as you can
Remove the bottom rung and place it in the next slot up; repeat until you can reach the top
Stretch up and take the light bulb from the lamppost
Use the lightbulb and the cone on yourself
Stretch up and use the pull cord
Pit Bottom
Stand next to the water tower on the right
Squat down and use the control panel under the water tower; set it to A2 and press the red button
Go to the top of the stairs
Pull the lever and watch what happens
Pick up the hook and use it on the railing
Stretch up and grab the extendable pole above; climb right and pick up the gold thing
Place the gold thing on the rail NEAREST the foreground
Use the railing (this is now a shortcut for pulling the lever)
Remove the wheels from the overturned wagon
Get on them
Use the railing again
Chapter 1: Security Breach
Furnace
Press the red light next to you
Grab the key hanging next to the door on the right
Examine the control panel that opened up when you pressed the light
Set the first and third sliders to the lowest position, and the second to the highest position
Press the red button, QUICKLY return to normal height, jump into the cart, put your mouse cursor above the left platform, and click when the arrow appears
Use the key on the panel
Switch ONE of the pair of wires on the blue side; leave the yellow side alone
Do the press-the-red-button-jump-in-the-cart thing again, but this time have your mouse cursor over the air vent to the right
Hideout Entryway
Watch the cutscene
Prison
Speak to the other robot
Pick up the green moss on the faucet; spin the handle until it comes loose and pick that up as well
Take a sheet of toilet paper
Stretch up and cook the moss on the light
Combine the cooked moss with the toilet paper; give that to the other robot and take his arm
Squat and investigate the mouse hole on the left
Use the arm to reach in; choose the BACKGROUND mouse hole in the next room
Shake the cabinet until the broom falls, then take it
Combine the broom with the handle and use that on the manhole cover
Jump in and exit to the right
Security Room
Get below the manhole and open it with your new key
Tip the guard's footstool, then quickly grab his ammo
While the guard is at the dartboard, grab his key AND dump the ammo on the floor beneath the keyholes
Wait for him to come back, then tip him and steal his ammo again
This time, jump out of the manhole, sneak left, and use the key on BOTH keyholes
Watch the cutscene
Exit through the uppermost door
Hideout Entryway
Go to the top of the stairs and check out the telescope
Flip the light switch next to the door and note the time on the clock
It's 4:45
Go back the way you came
Security Room
Go through the doorway to the left
Prison
Enter the middle door
Grab the plunger and go back to the hallway
Check out the control panel attached to the left door
Enter the time from the clock
It's 4:45
Enter the left door, which is now open
Solve the circle puzzle and take the gun
Combine the plunger with the gun
Go back to the Hideout Entryway and go out the topmost door
East Reservoir
Push the two red boxes to the left into the next screen
West Reservoir
Speak to the pink robot
Solve the arrow puzzle on the control panel to turn on the electromagnet; the trick is to get a setup that alternates between up and down arrows
Now that the magnet's got one red box, push the other back to the right
East Reservoir
Get up on the box via the boat hook, then stretch up and climb the ladder
Set the arrow to 4:00 and press the red button, then press the oil drop button six or so times
Quickly climb down and use the plunger gun to retrieve the dog
Exit left
West Reservoir
Give the dog to the pink robot and take her umbrella
Use the umbrella on the watery passage
More to come...
Posted by: SonicLover
|
October 18, 2009 9:14 PM
Walkthrough (pt. 2)
Chapter 2: Noise Threshold
Performer's Square
Enter the bar (beneath the neon sign)
Bar
Check out the door to the right
Take the flypaper hanging under the shelf
Sit on the empty stool
Play five-in-a-row with the old robot until you win
Pick up the bolts that are now scattered around the room
Try to take the oil drum
Go back outside
Performer's Square
Give the bolts to the saxophone player
Go up the stairs in the background
Ominous Tower
Keep going up, nothing to do here yet
Town Plaza
Pick up the crank handle in the foreground
Speak to the robot in the wheelchair and take the oil can
Speak to the pink robot
Look at the slip of paper above the hole in the wall
Put the crank in the wall and turn it until the clock hands match any of the positions from the slip of paper
After the pink robot leaves, look at the slip of paper she was blocking
Use the crank to set the clock to that position
After the robot in the hat leaves, go to where he was and take the speaker
Go up the stairs next to the clock
Arcade Terrace
Open the panel at the bottom of the electricity pole
Slide the tiles around; one should fall out
Keep sliding the tiles around to form a path from bottom to top, or at least one that would be complete if that missing tile was there
There will be gaps in the upper left and lower right; the "(C" tile goes in the top middle, and the bottom middle tile's already in the correct position
Once you're done messing with that, walk close to the arcade entrance
Stretch up and squat down in a regular rhythm; keep doing that until the wire breaks
Tie the wire to the railing
Pick up the tile and put it in the upper left corner of the grid
Climb up the maintenance robot's back and unplug his drill
Quickly pull on the red wire to mess the wiring up
Climb the maintenance robot again and pull the cat's tail
Displace one of the slide puzzle tiles to break the electric connection
Pick up the fried cat
Backtrack to the Performer's Square
Performer's Square
Use the flypaper on the green vat to collect some flies
Use the cat on the big pipe instrument
Pick up the vine
Exit through the left doorway
City Gate
Use the oil can on the oil spill
Go back to the Bar
Bar
Use the flies on the bartender
Quickly drag the oil drum outside
Performer's Square
Watch the show, then grab the broken radio
Combine the broken radio with the speaker
Go back to the Town Plaza
Town Plaza
Give the oil can to the robot in the wheelchair, then take it back
Open the manhole and enter
Sewer
Examine the pipes and take the hook hanging on them
Open the drawer and flip to the last page of the book; take the wrench there
Look in the drain in the bottom of the pool; use the hook to fetch the wrench there
Look down the pipe
Examine the pipes again; use the three wrenches to stop the water flow to the fountain
Stop the first two valves in the top row, and the second valve in the bottom row
Once that's done, speak to the wrench-bot
Use the radio on the small table where the phonograph apparently was
Watch the justice
Return to the Town Plaza
Town Plaza
Jump down into the dry fountain
Posted by: SonicLover
|
October 19, 2009 3:51 PM
Walkthrough (pt. 3)
Chapter 3: Greasing the Wheels
Sewer
Open the hatch and exit down the right
Outside Wall
Jump down
Press the button on the wall to descend
Outside Window
Look in the window
Kitchen
Watch the cutscene
Pick up the pot and put it on the floor
Open the cabinet
Take the corn and put it on the stove
Outside Window
Give the long stick to your partner through the window
Kitchen
Stand on the pot
Use the long stick to snag the air conditioner and grab the hose inside
Put the pot back on the stove
Put the hose in the pot to soften it
Use the soft hose on the oil dispenser to the left
Outside Window
Pull the ripcord
Inspect the control console for the platform
Solve the puzzle by swapping the red pins with the gray ones; the trick is to keep moving them clockwise
Once the lever pops out, pull it upwards
Outside Greenhouse
Talk to the air conditioner
Give WRONG answers to its quiz questions until it spits out its propeller
Climb into it
Greenhouse
Stick the vine in the empty pot
Push the growth gun so it faces that pot
Take out the two desk drawers on the right
Put the "I" drawer in the projector
Check out the control panel to the right of the projector screen
Solve all six puzzles (the six buttons all in a row); the goal for each one is to light up all the gray squares while minding that every directional movement is as far as possible
The two buttons at the very bottom should be flashing now; push the left one to activate the growth gun
Shake some seeds from the newly grown sunflower
Push the growth gun so it faces the rightmost pot
Turn on the growth gun again, then use the other button to turn on the projector
Take the stick propping up that plant
Use the stick to prop open the mouth of the largest "flytrap"
Reach into it and grab the magnifier
Use the magnifier on the projector to improve the resolution
Flick through the slides (the up/down arrows on the projector remote) until you see one with a butterfly with ten spots
Check the door control panel
Duplicate those ten spots on the red lights on the panel, then pull the "tail"
Go out the newly opened door
Balconies
Deposit the sunflower seeds in the funnel of the machine to the right
Place the oil can under the machine's drainpipe
Pump the machine's handle up and down to fill the oil can with sunflower oil
Take the oil can back
Speak to the officer
Go down the drainpipe
Posted by: SonicLover
|
October 20, 2009 5:30 PM
Machinarium Walkthrough Part 4
Town Plaza
Give oil can to bot in the wheelchair.
You receive a ticket
Pick up bandage
Go up stairs to Arcade Plaza
Arcade
Walk up to Arcade door and put in ticket. Enter Arcade
Approach bicycle on left. Pedal in circles until light on first machine lights
Step off bicycle and move switch on left down to number 2. Repeat the bicycle.
Go to machine 1 and play Space Invaders until you score 1000 points to win a coin. Note: you can use your Space Bar to Fire and the Arrows on your keyboard.
Collect coin on left of machine
Go to machine 2. Play game. The goal is to put the small red box inside the large red box. The white boxes are used as "tranporters".
Collect second coin on left side of machine
Return to Town Plaza
Town Plaza, etc.
Walk up to battery vending machine on top right
Put in coin and collect battery. Repeat.
Combine the batteries and the bandage in your inventory
Go down the stairs on the left
At the doors, go up the pipe on the right
Give batteries to Guard. When he moves, walk up to door and push button to the right.
Elevator
Approach panel on left. Notice you will have to eventually find two bulbs.
Walk to base of plant and reach into the soil. Vacuum will come out.
While vacuum is cleaning, click on it. It will drop a bulb. Pick it up.
Walk next to panel. Extend up. Reach for leaf. As leaf is moved aside, remember pattern.
Return to panel. Place bulb in top right slot.
Hit lights in order to get to floor II.
Starting at the top, number the lights 1-8. The solution is 1,4,8,2,6,1
Exit elevator
Lobby and Bathroom
Walk to lever on left. Pull it down 4 times until vacuum is in the next room
Go into bathroom on right. Climb on top of vacuum and extend to pick up scissors
Climb off vacuum and look into toilet. You must disable the bomb.
Return to lobby. Push up on switch on the left twice, until vacuum is under the candelabra
Walk to electric box by bathroom door. Reach for it to turn off power.
Climb on top of vacuum. Use scissors to cut down candelabra. Climb down from vacuum
Put vacuum back in bathroom by returnin to power box and switch power back on, then pull the switch on left down twice.
Return to bathroom. Tie candelabra to vacuum. Grab candelabra and hook it to the toilet. Return to vacuum switch on wall of lobby. Push the switch up to tear out toilet..
Return to bathroom. Grab toilet paper to hang through hole.
Click on bomb. Sort the fuses according to the connections on the door.
fuses are to be in following order: D,B,E,A,C
Return to lobby. Walk up stairs
King Bot
Approach King in center of room. Watch his story. Walk to cabinet with red button on far left.
Press red button to open puzzles. You must solve both puzzles to unlock cabinet.
Pick up cord. Take it to King and plug it into his head. This opens game where you have to shoot 33 evil bots. Hint: take path to right. Keep going right past next screen, then follow path down. Continue to find key to gun.
Map. Thanks to William for the map!
After defeating evil bots, King will give you a bulb. Walk down stairs on right. Return to elevator.
Click on panel. Put in bulb. Match pattern for -1.
To complete pattern: Click on top light then click every third going clockwise.
Exit elevator
Basement
Walk over to hammer on right. Use it to smash round window to the right. Pick up key
Return to elevator. Use key on small door on right. Pick up can of cold spray. Return to hammer
Use cold spray on lock then pick up hammer and shatter the lock.
Helicopter
Walk out door to right. Walk to box on the left. Click on box. Remember the frequencies on the box.
Return to the King's chamber. Approach the orange screen on the left. Click the screen and dial in the frequencies from the box. Memorize the tune played.
Return to box. Play the tune heard on the orange screen.
The pattern (counting from the left 1-5):1,4,2,3,5,2,3.
As soon as you play the correct tune, the stairs come out but will go back in unless you use girl bot to turn the + shaped handle in front of her.
Walk to stairs. Climb up the stairs!
A big thanks to Walzar for all the help on the walkthrough!!
Posted by: eileen
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October 28, 2009 11:23 PM