Video Game Harmony

Machinarium
Released: October 16, 2009
Developer: Amanita Design
Composer: Tomáš Dvořák

The Soundtrack

It’s now 2023! I played this game at the end of last year, but haven’t had time to write about it until now. This has given me a lot of time to ponder the soundtrack, and yet I still don’t have all the words to describe the experience. It’s one of the oddest mixes of relaxing and mechanical. I remember the good old days of playing point-and-click games in the library as a kid. These days it isn’t often that I play these types of games, nor that I play games from the Czech Republic, but this all made for a totally different experience.

The plot is rather simple. You play as the robot Josef (named after Josef Capek, who invented the term robot), and you must save his girlfriend from the evil Black Brotherhood Gang. The game is played totally free of dialog, with only the pictures from brief thought bubble clips to give you the story, as well as music to set the mood.

#1: The Bottom

Early on you hit rock bottom, quite literally. You end up right at the lowest part of this city. This music doesn’t sound too depressing though. It’s a nice kind of exploration music that gets me in a robotic adventurous mood.

#2: The Sea

In a way this city is like a sea. It’s a massive place with depths as well as a surface, and there are several strange and fascinating creatures all throughout. I can swim through the city to this music.

#3: Clockwise Operetta

It’s got robotic-sounding voices, so what more can be said?

#4: Nanorobot Tune

Nice robotic groove.

#5: The Mezzanine

Almost more background noise than music, but is a nice ambient, especially to dose off to.

#6: By the Wall

I feel like I’m off to new horizons.

#7: Mr. Handagote

Honestly not sure who Mr. Handagot is, but I love this music. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s something I can listen to over and over again.

#8: Gameboy Tune

If you ever start banging your head against the wall because of how confusing the game is getting, you can look at the in-game walkthrough, but not without some effort. You get to complete this short minigame first to earn the hints. (I believe that’s where this music plays at least)

#9: The Furnace

It kind of sounds like a burning furnace, also with some robotic sounds mixed in.

#10: The Black Cap Brotherhood Theme

I can really bop to this. The evil Black Cap Brotherhood sure does have a catchy theme song!

#11: The Prison

It sounds cold… and isolated… just like the prison you find yourself in.

#12: The Glasshouse With Butterfly

It has a slight bit of static, almost like Everywhere at the End of Time. It’s hard to know what to make of this. It’s like an old greenhouse with plants that have now died, but you can now revive them!

#13: The Castle

I remember hearing this in the trailer. It has an intriguing and ominous feel of being in an old robot castle. The music even gets more and more intense! (you have to play the game to know why it’s intense)

#14: The Elevator

Finally there’s this really relaxing elevator music that leads into some more background noise. Kind of like The Mezzanine, it’s an odd assortment of sounds, but it’s nice and soothing…

Also as bonuses, I don’t think these songs are on the official soundtrack, but here’s the fun music that the street band plays,

as well as some pipe wrench dubstep to get down on the dance floor to.

It was hard to know what to expect from this. With a game that takes place in a steampunk robot world, it works by being a mix of robotic-electronic sounds, classical, and dance music to say the least. However you describe the soundtrack, it’s one that I have enjoyed hearing in game and while listening to afterwards. I give it a 5 out of 5.

★★★★★

Sources:

https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a182192/machinarium-pc/