Game Friday: Botanicula

Yeah so it's normally about free games, but today it isn't. Because I'm chuffed silly that Botanicula has been released. It's the new game from Amanita Design, otherwise known as Jakub Dvorský, the author of Machinarium and the Samorost games. And not only has it just been released, but it's the core of a new Humble Bundle. So you can trot along and pick up the brand new Botanicula, the frigging excellent Machinarium and Samorost 2 by paying as much or as little as you like. And if you pay more than the average (currently $8.68), you'll get Kooky and Windosill thrown in too.

So what's Machinarium, Botanicula and uh, Jakub what? Well that just means we're not friends any more. Machinarium is a beautiful puzzle game in the style of a point and click adventure, but oh... the artwork is charming and unique and ooh, the puzzles are tricky, but not impossible. You'll never feel stupid trying to solve a puzzle in Machinarium. And yet, somewhat ironically, you will do by the time I've finished insulting you for not playing one of the best games ever. And if you've played the original Samorost games, then I'll give you special bonus points and induct you into my secret club for super-elite top humans. My mate Zane's played them and... well - you'd probably at least want to think of yourself as being as good as him in terms of homo sapiens - that's all I'm saying. He dresses like Adam Ant for goodness sakes.




Look! It's Machinarium. It's beautiful and maybe it's just a little too good for the likes of you, eh?

Isn't that nice? It's pretty, it's clever and it's age and language neutral. I played it with my wife. My wife! A computer game that wasn't Mario Bros with my wife! And we both had just as much fun. And she contributed almost as much as I did to the solution. Obviously she wasn't as good at it though. You can ask her if you don't believe me. But don't ask her because she tends to lie.

Just like Machinarium, Botanicula features lovely and unique graphics and features a range of point and click puzzles. There's no text in it at all, so you can play with foreigners or children. The developers are decent people and don't use any DRM and they even release versions for Mac and Linux too. And the music is bloody charming too. Gah, haven't I said enough to convince you yet?

Oh look, it's the moon. Hasn't that got a quirky hand-made sensibility to it as well a a hint of an Eastern European aesthetic? And check it out, there's a tiny dude in a space-ship. Go and buy this game. Pay whatever you like for it.

Wow, it's a... a... well, I'm not quite sure what it is actually. Looks like an ovum perhaps. Whatever it is, it's frigging charming. Buy this game now.

Hmm, they're brown and pendulous. Nope, no idea what they could be. Just enjoy it. It'll make you laugh, make you cry, it'll change your life. Buy it now.

Woo, some plants and a crab and everything. How delightful. Buy it!

There's a video below of actual gameplay. Don't watch it. The joy of discovery in Botanicula is just frigging awesome so don't go spoiling it by watching a video or reading a proper review. Buy!





Go here to visit the author's site and see his other cool stuff too.
http://amanita-design.net/

Go here to pay as little or as much as you'd like and get two other fab games too as well as the chance to pick up one other fab game and one that's well... all-right-ish. But some chairty or something gets some money, so that's probably a good thing.
http://www.humblebundle.com/

PS Zane is a very dear friend whom I respect greatly. It's only his chums who get to call him names.