Unmechanical

From the start, you get the idea that Unmechanical is going to be another pretentious indie game. You play as a robot who is dragged underground. As you explore, you find all sorts of mechanical contraptions and even some organic (unmechanical) looking creatures. There's no text or dialog, so the plot is very vague and by the end of the game, you are still non-the-wiser to what the story actually was.

The thing is, it's a puzzle game at heart, and puzzle games don't really need a story - just puzzles that are clever or fun without being frustrating.

You play as a little robot with a propeller attached to its head, which allows you to fly around the cavernous landscapes. Using a short range tractor beam, you can pick up a few objects, mainly rocks, girders, and other types of blocks and spherical objects. The puzzles involve placing these objects in various places, pressing buttons, or flipping levers.

Although the game is fairly linear, sometimes it isn't obvious where to go, like an obscured tunnel, or you are expected to backtrack to access a previously inaccessible area without much hint to do so.

Since there is no combat or dialog, between each puzzle you simply travel down tunnels with nothing to do other than admire the scenery. The graphics are really impressive though, and there is plenty of detail in the backdrops.


The puzzles in the game are mostly great and varied without being too frustrating. There are a few that are a bit vague, and although there is a hint system when you press F1, it is just a vague thought bubble with a simple picture.

Unmechanical is simple to pick up, with easy controls and logical puzzles. It is fun and clever, but the overblown presentation can often make it hard to find the next puzzle and makes the game longer than it actually is. It is a short game, only lasting a few hours and offers no replay value. It's pleasing while it lasts, but there's probably not enough content for most people to appreciate it.