Played during the Backloggd’s Game of the Week (5th Aug. – 11th Sep., 2023).
The origins of The Incredible Machine are shrouded in a degree of uncertainty, as interviews with its creators, Jeff Tunnell and Kevin Ryan, are difficult to trust. An article by Jimmy Mayer led to a discussion that found an obvious aesthetic similarity between The Incredible Machine and an earlier game, Creative Contraptions (1985) [1]. Although the technical limitations of the latter make it rather rudimentary, The Incredible Machine is certainly inspired by it, both in its colour palette and in some of the mechanisms used. Shamefully, this inspiration was never mentioned by Tunnell or Ryan, who were perhaps too concerned with basking in the laurels of their creation or asserting their fame and legitimacy. Nevertheless, the title remains impressive, with its then-sophisticated physics engine providing a naturally creative experience.
While comedies of the 1980s and 1990s often featured Rube Goldberg's machines for their absurdly complex structure, The Incredible Machine uses the concept to test causal reasoning – as in Creative Contraptions – and to present some axioms of Newtonian physics. The various levels gradually introduce the different objects of the game, without ever forcing the player's hand, but rather letting them experiment. The player is free to experiment and understand, by running the simulation several times and adjusting the various components, how the different mechanisms can be triggered, the role of gravity, the parity of the gears and other ideas. This trial and error contributes to a childlike sense of wonder that works remarkably well. In one stage, the player has to undo a pattern of ropes: the exercise is not particularly difficult, but there is something hypnotic about watching the rope weave realistically through the air, following wide interlaced loops. While it is possible to modify gravity or ambient pressure, The Incredible Machine sometimes strays from real physics to facilitate certain puzzles: the trampolines strangely assume that an object gains energy after a bounce, and the seesaws hardly respect Newton's third law.
However, these discrepancies could be understood as a deliberate attempt to widen the range of possibilities. Some levels imply a natural solution using all the tools in your inventory, while others are much more open. The player can use or ignore the mechanisms already placed on the board: solving a puzzle in an extremely minimalist way, taking advantage of the physics engine and carefully thought-out bounces, is not uncommon, as the model is always deterministic. This plasticity is echoed in the Freeform mode, where imagination is the only boundary: impressive – if unrealistic – perpetual motion can be created among other complex contraptions. This philosophy of wonder, creativity and experimentation was later reflected in Zachtronics' productions, which are also concerned with this didactic aspect. Anecdotally, some of the tracks of Shenzhen I/O (2016) sound surprisingly like The Incredible Machine's 'Euro'. There is something empowering about a title that gives the player all the latitude they need to feel in control of their instruments and their environment. And despite some ergonomic shortcomings, The Incredible Machine still manages to capture that magical feeling.
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[1] On the influences of Mouse Trap (1963) and the discussion surrounding the origins of the game, see Jimmy Maher, 'The Incredible Machine', on The Digital Antiquarian, 8th June 2018, consulted on 11th September 2023.
The origins of The Incredible Machine are shrouded in a degree of uncertainty, as interviews with its creators, Jeff Tunnell and Kevin Ryan, are difficult to trust. An article by Jimmy Mayer led to a discussion that found an obvious aesthetic similarity between The Incredible Machine and an earlier game, Creative Contraptions (1985) [1]. Although the technical limitations of the latter make it rather rudimentary, The Incredible Machine is certainly inspired by it, both in its colour palette and in some of the mechanisms used. Shamefully, this inspiration was never mentioned by Tunnell or Ryan, who were perhaps too concerned with basking in the laurels of their creation or asserting their fame and legitimacy. Nevertheless, the title remains impressive, with its then-sophisticated physics engine providing a naturally creative experience.
While comedies of the 1980s and 1990s often featured Rube Goldberg's machines for their absurdly complex structure, The Incredible Machine uses the concept to test causal reasoning – as in Creative Contraptions – and to present some axioms of Newtonian physics. The various levels gradually introduce the different objects of the game, without ever forcing the player's hand, but rather letting them experiment. The player is free to experiment and understand, by running the simulation several times and adjusting the various components, how the different mechanisms can be triggered, the role of gravity, the parity of the gears and other ideas. This trial and error contributes to a childlike sense of wonder that works remarkably well. In one stage, the player has to undo a pattern of ropes: the exercise is not particularly difficult, but there is something hypnotic about watching the rope weave realistically through the air, following wide interlaced loops. While it is possible to modify gravity or ambient pressure, The Incredible Machine sometimes strays from real physics to facilitate certain puzzles: the trampolines strangely assume that an object gains energy after a bounce, and the seesaws hardly respect Newton's third law.
However, these discrepancies could be understood as a deliberate attempt to widen the range of possibilities. Some levels imply a natural solution using all the tools in your inventory, while others are much more open. The player can use or ignore the mechanisms already placed on the board: solving a puzzle in an extremely minimalist way, taking advantage of the physics engine and carefully thought-out bounces, is not uncommon, as the model is always deterministic. This plasticity is echoed in the Freeform mode, where imagination is the only boundary: impressive – if unrealistic – perpetual motion can be created among other complex contraptions. This philosophy of wonder, creativity and experimentation was later reflected in Zachtronics' productions, which are also concerned with this didactic aspect. Anecdotally, some of the tracks of Shenzhen I/O (2016) sound surprisingly like The Incredible Machine's 'Euro'. There is something empowering about a title that gives the player all the latitude they need to feel in control of their instruments and their environment. And despite some ergonomic shortcomings, The Incredible Machine still manages to capture that magical feeling.
__________
[1] On the influences of Mouse Trap (1963) and the discussion surrounding the origins of the game, see Jimmy Maher, 'The Incredible Machine', on The Digital Antiquarian, 8th June 2018, consulted on 11th September 2023.