I’m sure there are at least a few adventure game connoisseurs that will read this. Those of us who grew up playing Day of the Tentacle, Monkey Island, Space Quest and the like are always interested to know about new additions to the genre, especially now that it’s finally seeing a well-deserved resurgence. Well, I can tell you all that if you have any fond memories of insult sword fighting, redesigning the American flag or having a giant robot battle with the biggest geek in the galaxy, then you’ve got something to be very excited about.

You see, Machinarium is quite possibly the greatest point-and-click adventure game in the history of video games. If you like adventure games, even a little, you’re doing yourself (and the team over at Amanita Design) a horrific disservice if you do not buy this game. Like right now. I’m not kidding. Either buy it now, and read the rest of this as it’s downloading or buy it immediately after you finish reading. No fancy intro, no keeping you in suspense until after the jump. Just very specific (and important) instructions.

It’s most immediately noticeable quality is, of course, the visuals. The style and designs on display in this game are nothing short of phenomenal. Beautiful and haunting. Whimsical and clever. Each and every moment spent playing Machinarium is an absolute treat for your eyes. Every single character (main, supporting or otherwise) is completely unique. Their designs are nothing short of brilliant, and their personalities are all perfectly captured in the way they move and interact with their world. And it’s not just the overall visual style that’s impressive. At one point, fairly early in the game, I found myself in a small room which only took up roughly a quarter of the screen. The rest was just blackness. I was immediately in awe of how perfectly it all came together; the tiny room, which was cramped already, seemed even more claustrophobic tucked away to the side of the screen. It more or less blew my mind.

Once you adjust to the brilliance of the visuals, you’ll start to hear the music. Just like its unique look, Machinarium has a sound all its own. The audio throughout the game is every bit as clever, whimsical and haunting as the visuals. Each note and every sound effect convey the tone of the scene and the overall world perfectly. It just fits. If you’re familiar with The Neverhood, you probably have a vague idea of just how memorable this music will be. These melodies will stay with you long after you stop playing. Even longer if you opt to purchase the game from Amanita Design’s website, as you get the soundtrack for free with your purchase.

Even once Machinarium‘s eye and ear candy effects wear off (which they never really do), there’s very little to find fault with. Virtually all of the puzzles have nailed that perfect balance between “tough” and “I’m proud of myself for figuring that out.” They can range from character interactions (replacing a drummer’s drum, for instance) to full-blown Myst-like affairs (the “sliding dots” puzzle will become infamous, I’m sure). Many of them may seem impossible or obtuse when you first lay eyes on them, but each and every one will make sense to you. Even more impressive, Amanita Design has managed to avoid the classic adventure game pitfall; forcing players to carry around a large amount of random objects around to dozens of locations until they figure out exactly where to use them. Instead, players only gather a small amount of items at any given time, and most of them will be used in the very area they’re found in. You will find yourself returning to certain areas later, once a particular item has been obtained, but there are so few of these kinds of puzzles that they’re easy to remember.

Of course, sometimes you may get stuck, but even in those instances you’ll be covered. Every room has one “tip” you can view, conveyed in the form of an illustrated speech bubble. Not only can these help you figure out what you’re missing, but they’re pretty darned cute. In fact, every piece of Machinarium‘s story is told through either illustrations or character interactions. There is no real dialogue in the game, and no text to read (aside from the menu bar and the “Play” and “Load” buttons on the title screen), which serves to further immerse the player into this fantastical robotic world.

Really, if I were to fault Machinarium for anything it would be for ending. It’s not that I didn’t like the way everything came to a close, or that I felt the game was too short. In fact, it’s about on-par with “Old School” adventure games (which is to say several hours to complete the first time, then maybe one or two hours at most once you have the puzzles memorized). I just loved it all so much I didn’t want it to be over. Sure I can play through it again (and I will, I promise you), but the newness has worn off. The visuals will still be glorious and the audibles will still tweak my emotions, but I’ll know all the answers and there won’t be any more surprises. Above all, I’ll miss not knowing what other amazing locations and characters are waiting behind that next door.

Machinarium is a game I’d consider very near perfect. It manages to hold on to the feel of classic adventure games, while at the same time completely shunning the (arguably) outdated mechanics and methods that have been a staple for generations. It looks amazing, sounds incredible, will leave you feeling suitably challenged and, most importantly, wanting more. I can only hope that sometime in the future we’ll all be given the privilege of playing Machinarium 2.

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Things We Liked: Everything. It’s one of those few games that really is a total package. Unless you hate point-and-click games, you owe it to yourself to own this one.

Things We Disliked: There’s really nothing legitimate to dislike here. It ends eventually, but that’s sort of inevitable.

Target Audience: Adventure gamers. Anyone who associates LucasArts with Guybrush Threepwood over Luke Skywalker. Folks who own any kind of computer.

(Machinarium – Developer/Publisher: Amanita Design. Available on Linux, Mac and PC – Mac version reviewed. New to CFD!’s reviews? Read our explanation here.)