Machinarium is free on Epic

Monday, Disney’s lawyers will be licking their lips as Bye Sweet Carole is that stunning Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, mid-20th-century Disney animation. Tuesday, Silksong has basically bullied everyone else out of next week, including Demonschool. Wednesday, Shinobi: Art of the Vengeance should be out now, and skate. (that’s how they’ve stylized it) is coming next month. Thursday, August’s Humble Choice bundle is ending soon, and Whisper of the House is out now.

Moving on to the Epic Games Store, and we’re going to be quick here for one reason or another, so we’ll start with Machinarium, which is available both on PC and mobile for Android and iOS. Released in 2009, Amanita Design’s depressing mechanical world is something that I said looked like 2005’s Robots if it were animated by Eastern Europeans. A point-and-click puzzle title from the time when that thing was rife in indies before Rogue-likes and survival took over, Machinarium might be good, but I’ll admit I’m not too excited by Amanita Design’s offerings.

The second offering is the multiplayer-focused Make Way, from Ice BEAM and Secret Mode back in 2023. I’m surprised this one passed me by, as it has that Micro Machines crossed with Trackmania thing that I’d typically like, but I can also see why not. You and a group of friends in couch co-op (or online, you cretins) are given a bunch of track pieces and have to rapidly build something to go racing on, but the pieces are random and you’re trying to make it as difficult for everyone as possible, as much as you’re trying to be the fastest driver. Hazards and all.

All this week, you can pick up Machinarium and Make Way on the Epic Games Store, with the former available on the Epic Games Store for Android worldwide and iOS in the EU until the 4th of September. Moving on to next week, it is another one of those strange pairings that I could make grossly offensive jokes about. Next week, until the 11th, is Monument Valley and The Battle of Polytopia, so go up towers and then go have a fight in a strange land, that’s not timely at all.