Machinarium

Machinarium is about a little robot, Josef, who is thrown into a landfill outside the city. He has to return to the city, deal with the local brotherhood terrorizing the area, and save his girlfriend. The story is told without a single word: everything that happens is clear from pictures and gestures. It's a side-scrolling platformer, but it's all about the puzzles. The robot collects objects, combines them and understands mechanisms, the structure of which must be understood by eye. Sometimes you need to pick a lock, sometimes you need to assemble a working mechanism from scraps. Clues are hidden in the scene itself, and this is respectful to the player. The steampunk world is hand-drawn and changes from level to level: rusty pipes, humming cars, streets populated by robots with characters. Music complements the mood, and rare sounds make the city come alive. It is also worth noting that the music for the game was written by a famous Czech electronic musician, and it became recognizable in its own right. It's not scary to get stuck here: the developers have provided a built-in hint that shows the solution to the current puzzle. Some tasks require dexterity - for example, sneaking past security or operating a mechanism before it closes. There are also short insert episodes where the hero’s past is explained and why the city found itself in the hands of the brotherhood. The puzzles are tricky in places, but the game generously gives you time to think. Machinarium is a rare case where the adventure is based on atmosphere and ingenuity, and not on text and special effects.