Machinika Museum is a single-player adventure game with a mystery puzzle focus and an intriguing storyline. The game boasts wonderful mechanics and stellar visuals, but is unfortunately plagued by bugs. As described by the game itself, Machinika Museum is a captivating mystery puzzle game that will keep you engaged and intrigued.
Reviews
- Beautiful graphics and engaging puzzles that keep players intrigued.
- Challenging yet satisfying gameplay that encourages critical thinking.
- Great storyline that unfolds as players progress through the game.
- Only a short demo is available for free, with a paywall after the first chapter.
- Controls can be clunky and unresponsive at times, making gameplay frustrating.
- Some players experience bugs that prevent them from progressing in the game.
- graphics151 mentions
- 87 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many users praising their stunning visuals, beautiful colors, and intricate details that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the smooth gameplay and immersive atmosphere created by the graphics, although some have noted minor bugs and control issues. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal despite some concerns about content length and pricing.
“The graphics are stunning, the mechanics are really smooth and the story is engaging.”
“Stunning graphics, beautiful colors and lighting.”
“The graphics are beautiful, the physics are pretty smooth, and the story is intriguing and creative.”
“The graphics are decent, but play is buggy.”
“Hate this game. I love the graphics and all, but really, if you make the game free to install but require payment after, that's messed up. If that's the case, then make the whole game something you have to pay for. Don't get someone's hopes up; it's wrong. Be better, dude. This is coming from a good gamer who hates something like this, so make it free or don't make it free at all. I give one star for how you made this.”
“Loved the game and honestly don't get why people rate it so low. The only thing I can think of is that the game should have graphics settings or more optimization for lower-end devices.”
- story129 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players finding it intriguing and engaging, often drawing comparisons to the acclaimed "Room" series. While some reviews note that the storyline could be more developed or connected to the puzzles, the overall consensus is that the narrative adds depth to the gameplay, making it enjoyable and leaving players eager for future installments. However, a few critiques mention that the story feels minimal or lacks clarity at times, suggesting room for improvement.
“The sound effects are top notch, and the storytelling is amazing as well.”
“The puzzles kept me entertained, and the story kept me invested!”
“Amazing story, great puzzles, and mystery to each of the alien artifacts, tough but not tear-out-your-hair challenging, highly recommend 😀”
“The puzzles you solve are designed well, challenging but not impossible, yet they are oddly removed from the game's story. I kept wondering, why in the world was this ship designed like this?”
“Just not for me, it's constantly unboxing machines without an exact storyline to start off.”
“Weak storyline, and very little gameplay.”
- gameplay41 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by engaging and visually appealing puzzle mechanics, often compared to "The Room" series, though some players find it less polished. While the puzzles are well-designed and satisfying to manipulate, many reviews note issues with clunky controls and a lack of depth, particularly given the short playtime for the price. Overall, the game offers a solid experience for puzzle enthusiasts, but its brevity and mechanics may leave some players wanting more.
“The game has very good puzzle mechanics, and even if you know all the answers, the puzzles are still visually engaging.”
“Great gameplay and very intuitive without being intrusively so.”
“Solid puzzles, captivating gameplay.”
“But for a game that costs $5.00, I was expecting longer than two hours of gameplay.”
“I would love to give this game 5 stars, but the camera, controls, and manipulation mechanics are horrid!!!”
“Gameplay is not intuitive; double tap to zoom in and out is painful.”
- stability28 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay, particularly in later chapters. Common issues include freezing, unresponsive controls, and overlapping graphics, which can make certain actions nearly impossible. While some players found ways to work around these problems, the overall consensus is that significant improvements are needed for a smoother experience.
“An example would be when you try to grab the item to do a specific action; you will have a hard time getting the item as it's so buggy that it just doesn't grab the item, making you think that you are holding a ghost item.”
“So many glitches it is impossible to play.”
“Every time I get to the pay screen, it freezes.”
- monetization13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 54 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the absence of ads and the aesthetic consistency, while others express frustration over the game being a free demo that requires a single in-app purchase to unlock the full experience. Many users would prefer a model that includes ads for free access to more content, criticizing the misleading advertising that suggests the game is entirely free. Overall, the monetization strategy has led to disappointment among players who feel misled about the game's true cost.
“There's no ads, so that's great.”
“The puzzles are awesome, the graphics are amazing, the sound and atmosphere pull you into the game; there are no ads and everything is a 10/10.”
“The entire game is behind a single in-app purchase.”
“I would prefer this game to just be free with ads or pay from the start.”
“Listed as free with in-app purchases but really it's a free demo for a paid game, so why don't they list the price of the game in the store???”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's atmosphere is highly praised for its fantastic graphics and immersive sound design, effectively creating a captivating sci-fi environment. While most reviews highlight the enthralling and engaging atmosphere, a few note that it may feel somewhat lacking in depth. The combination of great visuals, music, and a gripping story contributes to a strong sense of immersion for players.
“Fantastic graphics and sound which create a sci-fi atmosphere, and the ending leaves you wanting more.”
“The graphics and music are great, which help players to immerse themselves in the game's atmosphere.”
“Great style and atmosphere; it is a super cool game, well made.”
“Somewhat lacking in atmosphere though.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall immersive experience alongside the vibrant graphics. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a key element that complements the game's puzzles and setting, contributing to its high value and engaging gameplay.
“An amazing puzzle box game with a great soundtrack.”
“The music is soothing and the color graphics are wonderful.”
“The graphics and music are great, which help players to immerse themselves in the game's atmosphere.”
“Music?”
“Very similar atmospheric feel with theatrical music and sound effects.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game runs smoothly for most users, but there are calls for better optimization options, particularly for lower-end devices and graphics settings. Some players noted that the game can be battery-draining on phones, suggesting a need for a balance between performance and quality to enhance longer play sessions.
“Loved the game and honestly don't get why people rate it so low. The only thing I can think of that the game should have is graphics settings or more optimization for lower-end devices. But apart from that, I see no issue and haven't encountered any bugs like some people say they did. Anyway, can't wait for part 2; hope it's just as fun as this one and maybe slightly more challenging.”
“The quality is surely battery draining on the phone; more performance, less quality for longer play, and less phone heat up.”
“Other than that, everything runs smoothly.”
“The game should have graphics settings or more optimization for lower-end devices.”
“The quality is surely battery draining on the phone; more performance, less quality for longer play and less phone heat up.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, as players can only access two basic levels before being prompted to pay for the full version, which diminishes the incentive to replay the free content.
“Only two very simple levels are playable (accessing the printer and opening the wooden crate) before the game prompts you to either pay $7 for the 'whole game' or opt out and end the free version.”
“But the replay value isn't there.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and overly complicated, often leading to frustration rather than enjoyment. Many express difficulty in making connections within the gameplay, suggesting that the challenges feel more arduous than rewarding.
“Tedious, arduous... usually if I have to watch two YouTube videos for a puzzle, I facepalm because hindsight is 20/20. Not in this game; after getting the answer, I still don't see how I was supposed to make the connection.”
“Judging by this tutorial, this game is tedious and unnecessarily complicated.”