Crazy Machines: The Wacky Contraptions Game – PC – Review

Inventors welcome! Ingenuity, creativity and obsession combine in this great
puzzle-solving game.

Crazy Machines is a puzzle game in which you design and assemble your own
cause-and-effect contraptions to solve over 200 puzzles. It creates an
entertaining and enjoyable experience for beginners and hard-core gamers alike.
You can also work in your own lab and put together your own wacky machines using
over 70 elements from various physical areas, e.g. mechanics, optics,
electronics and thermodynamics. In Crazy Machines, you rotate gears, turn
cranks, pull levers, use catapults, and any objects available to you for that
puzzle to build the most innovative machines you can, and of course one that
matches the objectives of the game. There’s a great physics engine with
air-pressure, electricity, gravity and particle effects. The attention to
physics is nicely done and a big component of the game. With endless
possibilities for experimentation, Crazy Machines is an addictive and obsessive
game that would make a great addition to anyone’s game shelf.

Visually the game looks pretty darn good for a puzzle game, but you are not
going to see any stunning effects like those that are found in recent shooter
titles. The sound effects are realistic and the music that plays while you are
trying to solve the puzzle is quite soothing. I have to admit though it does get
irritating after awhile when you are stuck solving a particular puzzle. The
actual moving of pieces into place is nice with just a easy drag and drop. You
can adjust the function of a piece by just hovering over the object in place and
fiddling with the options given. The game does get increasing difficult the
further you advance. You will find yourself thinking later in the day or night
about how to solve that last frustrating puzzle. So, speaking of frustrating,
the actual objective(s) of each puzzle could be clearer. I mean you basically
get a bunch of arrows pointing to where something should be. What that something
is, ends up being an educated guess. Grrr. This can get quite irritating. There
also should have been a hint button or something for when you really get stuck
and need help. Maybe the little professor dude that is in the game could come
out and say "hey put this here" or a more subliminal hint. Just my opinion, I
could be wrong.

I have to admit I was a huge fan of the Incredible Machine that was put out
by Sierra in the 90’s and this title is similar in more ways than one. It
however, falls short when it comes to the little details. The definite advantage
was that you clearly knew what the objective was! Even still, Crazy Machines is
a fun and challenging game that everyone can enjoy.

Review Scoring Details for Crazy Machines

Gameplay: 9.0
All you have to do is drag different pieces, figure out how the piece best
serves your solution, press the start and see if you have solved the puzzle.

Graphics: 7.5
This game can run on just about any PC made within the last 6 years. Having
said that, the graphics are decent and fit the game perfectly. Crazy Machines is
a fantastic example of a game not needing fancy graphics to be good.

Sound: 7.0
About average for what you would expect for a puzzle type game. The music
was light and airy and not too annoying. Quite honestly after some time you
concentrate so hard on solving the challenging tasks that you really do not even
hear it.

Difficulty: Medium
Starts out easy, but as you progress so do the complexity of the puzzles.

Concept: 7.0
If you have ever played The Incredible Machine you will find many remarkable
similarities.

Overall: 8.0
If you want to enjoy a game that does not require a quick trigger finger,
and is a game for everyone, give this a go. You will be amazed at how much time
you will find yourself playing, even when your not at your computer!!