Crazy Machines, a contraption-building fun fest from dtp entertainment AG, has quickly climbed the charts in the app store, maintaining its place in the Top 100 paid iPhone games for some time now. With its creative problem-solving methods, wacky objects, and open sandbox-style construction kit, it is easy to see why this game has been so popular as of late.
Did you ever have a science class project where you had to build a zany machine to solve a mundane problem or perform an everyday task? Well, dtp entertainment AG has taken all of that excitement and fun, shrunken it down, and given it back to us in mobile, digital glory. Crazy Machines features 50 levels of puzzle-solving action. Each level contains pre-built elements of what will become the final device. The professor assigns a task to complete and a limited number of objects which can be manipulated to function in the device. Once assembled, you press the go button see if you have successfully achieved your goal, watching balls bounce, balloons fly, scissors cut, and so on and so forth. If successful, you will receive a score based on speed of construction and success of the experiment. After completing the level, you can view the Professor’s Solution to see how the Professor would have solved the problem. We usually had the same idea as the Professor, though a couple of times we used different methods successfully, proving there is more than one way to achieve your goal.
While the puzzles are fun, the most enjoyable aspect of the game is the Construction Kit, which throws the doors of creation wide open, giving you access to tons of objects and a blank slate upon which you can create your own ridiculous contraptions. The successful use of certain objects within the puzzle levels will result in being awarded those objects for use in your construction kit, so you should play through the levels to receive the full spectrum of available items. There are 8 memory slots in which you can save your best designs.
Graphically, the game looks very polished and fun. There are tons of great items to allow your imagination to run wild. The sound presents a bit of a problem, as we experienced very choppy background music. The controls are all touch-based and simple to use. Action buttons adorn the right side of the play field screen, allowing access to menus, items, and the go button to make it all happen. Tapping an item brings up its action circle, allowing you to drag the item into place, invert its position, rotate it, etc. There is a very nice tutorial available to guide you through the initial stages and to familiarize yourself with the controls.
The open sandbox certainly gives this game its replay value, as, once the puzzles are solved, there isn’t much enjoyment in re-solving them. While there are similar contraption-building games in the app store, most notably Fantastic Contraption (regularly $4.99), Crazy Machines holds its own. Well-priced at $2.99, it’s worth your time and money to find out exactly why this 4-Dimple winner has been popular with iPhone gamers everywhere.
Crazy Machines gets our AppSmile 4-Dimple rating:
