![]() We want it to be believable that this world could exist ‘somewhere’, you can trust in that, and that there is a much deeper story than is revealed in the game. Machinarium, photo: Amanita Design“Yes and that is what we are going for as well. I’m not sure which film director said it but there’s this quote something like ‘Life continues beyond or outside of the frame’… When my son and I were playing we’d look at the big bloated building in the background with little lights on and I found myself wishing I could look through the windows to see what was going on there. “We not only draw the games in great detail but we also take photos of a lot of textures in the real world and put them into the illustrations.”Īnd of course, sound and musical effects complete the impression. If an old human-made machine has become busted that is when things get very interesting for me.” We love these kinds of details, not only in the design of the architecture but also the state of decay. The houses as well: we live here in Prague and other cities and often the houses need renovation or are old and moldy and a bit broken we like that kind of stuff. Even the robots are rusty and less than polished. I’ll say this: we wanted to create a world which felt warm and pleasant and not cold or boring like you might image a world inhabited only by robots to be. How deep do you have to go when designing a world? Machinarium, photo: Amanita Design In Machinarium, you created a very specific Sci Fi setting: it is very detailed and it seems to me there are also a number of historic influences: parts of the robot town are evocative of Prague’s Old Town Astronomical Clock or the Jewish Quarter… they are different but similar. It depends a bit on the topic, whether they belong there or not.” At the same time, not all our designs make use of them to the extent Machinarium does. You often have to do different steps in sequence… I take it you are a fan of logical puzzles? Some moments in the game – scenes really – are harder than others. It is not hard anyway, so I don’t want to teach anyone, they figure out what is required fairly quickly.” I want players to be able to experience the game right from the beginning. I hate tutorials, actually, and there is no dialogue in the game. Is it your aim to keep it simple as well as to leave discovery up to player? One of the nice things about Machinarium is, is that at the beginning there is one line of instructions and that’s it. I am still trying to develop the genre in different directions which I like.” I don’t think our designs are typical point-and-click adventure games but they do fall within that genre. “I was always into adventure games, a genre I wanted to interpret freely. What design or gaming principals carried over from that first game into Machinarium and the most recent Botanicula? So I continued with designing small games and I am still doing it.” I was a graphic designer doing animation but in 2003 I created a game called Samorost as part of my thesis work at the Czech Academy of Arts, Design and Architecture in Prague (UMPRUM) and it proved very successful and popular around the world. Stylized soundtrack and sound effects, created by Czech alternative band DVA, are beautifully synchronized with what is happening on the screen.Jakub Dvorský, photo: Jeriaska, CC BY 2.0“I originally founded Amanita Design only as a graphic design studio for myself.Highly interactive environment that encourages experimentation and exploration.Visually stunning and emotionally touching game that is as unique and bizarre as it is fun.The synergy of those elements create a beautiful and memorable adventure that is enthralling beyond measure. The exploration elements are made with incredible polish and attention to detail, and the same applies to the musical score, sound effects, and, most importantly, the visuals. It's just not possible to be bored in this game, as every new location brings something new and intriguing. Everything about it is curiously unique and very surreal, and that alone makes it worth checking out. ![]() The whole game takes place on one huge and strange tree that is inhabited by bizarre and freaky creatures. ![]() ![]() The gameplay is about exploration, solving little funny puzzles, meeting strange tree creatures, and paying attention to the music as it provides you with useful clues and hints. It’s about a group of five friends - little tree creatures who set out on a journey to save the last seed from their home tree, which is infested by evil parasites. Botanicula is a point'n'click exploration game created by Jaromír Plachý and Amanita Design. ![]()
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