Verdict: delightful

In a Nutshell: This is a point-and-click adventure about a robot trying to save his girl and the leader of the city and was one of the 2009 PAX 10.

(from the game’s website)

“Machinarium is an independent puzzle / adventure game developed by the makers of popular web-games Samorost and Samorost2. A little robot who’s been thrown out to the scrap yard behind the city must return and confront the Black Cap Brotherhood and save his robot-girl friend. The game takes place in a strange rusty metallic city populated only by robots. The story is about a little robot who has been unjustly thrown out to the scrapyard behind the city. In the game he returns to the town where he meets the bad guys from Black Cap Brotherhood – they are just preparing a bomb attack on the central tower where the town ruler has residence in. Of course our hero must stop them and also rescue his friend robot-girl.”

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Verdict: soooo relaxing

In a Nutshell: Physics game about cell-like creatures and was one of the 2009 PAX 10.

(from the game’s website)

“Enter the ambient world of Osmos: elegant, physics-based gameplay, dreamlike visuals, and a minimalist, electronic soundtrack.

Your objective is to grow by absorbing other motes. Propel yourself by ejecting matter behind you. But be wise: ejecting matter also shrinks you. Relax… good things come to those who wait.

Progress from serenely ambient levels into varied and more challenging worlds. Confront attractors, repulsors and intelligent motes with similar abilities and goals as you.”

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PAX has come and gone again, leaving behind the bittersweet memories of the annual massive gaming “fix” that only serves to keep the appetite aroused.

Overall, it was fun.  The immense size this year from taking over the entire convention center had all activities under one roof.  The floor layout kept the bottlenecks to a bare minimum and the expo hall was filled with wondrous sights and sounds (for the most part).

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It’s almost time for PAX!  That magical weekend when the Washington State Convention and Trade Center becomes everything an arcade should be:  a friendly and inviting place to play games (from the brand new to the time-honored), meet friends and people from the gaming industry, learn about the gaming industry, and basically get your geek on.

“PAX is a three-day celebration of games and gamer culture. The festival includes an exhibition floor filled with playable builds of upcoming tabletop, console, and computer games; a conference program of game industry speakers; music concerts; freeplay areas; industry parties; game tournaments and more. Since its inception in 2004 the show has doubled in size year-over-year, growing from 4,500 attendees to 58,500 in 2008, making it the largest gaming festival in North America.”

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Verdict: gorgeous

In a Nutshell: Project Aftermath is a new approach to real-time strategy with a very slimmed down resource management system and a greater focus on combat strategy.

(from the game’s website)

“In the aftermath of a great war, when your enemy has wiped out everything you hold dear, the time has come to regroup and strike back. Enlist in the Morphid army and use all the weapons and genetic powers at your disposal to eradicate the New Order menace!

Project Aftermath is an Arcade RTS game where you command up to four squads of soldiers in exciting battles in a retro-futuristic world. Equip your squads to suit your playing style, researching new items using the spoils of war; choosing from over 100 different weapons, armour, power-up augmentations and spell-like special attacks. “

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And the winner is . . . . .The MAW!

• ESRB: E10
• Players/Mode: Single-player
• System: XBox360
• Developer: Twisted Pixel Games
  
• Website: http://www.mawgame.com/

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Verdict: wicked smart

In a Nutshell: This is a casual puzzle/platformer where the solutions require your current self to plan moves for your future self/selves, then to go back in time so that your past self/selves have cleared the path for your current self . . . ouch.

(from the game’s website)

“It’s about a robot that goes back in time for some reason. (His best friend is a talking pie!)
Use your time machine to interact with past versions of yourself in this puzzle/platformer!”

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