samorost

I just encountered another delightful, free flash game on the web this evening. It's called Samorost, and while ostensibly a miniature point-and-click adventure game, I'd almost consider it more a work of art. You play a gnome who is trying to prevent a tree-like asteroid from crashing into his home planet (apparently, Samorost means "driftwood" in Czech). There are mild brainteasers to solve in order to move the plot forward but the true joy comes from seeing the surreal beauty of the world unfold.


It should be noted that one's enjoyment of this brief (20 minutes, tops) game might be enhanced by pharmacological self-manipulation.

If you finish it and crave some more, there's a sequel (Samorost 2) in which the gnome goes on a longer quest to save his kidnapped dog. While the $7 entry-fee might dissuade you, Samorost 2 won Best Web Game at the 2007 Independent Games Festival. The designers of these gems are Jakub Dvorsky & Vaclav Blin. After a little digging, Aili and I discovered that their animation company (Amanita Design) also created a music video for the Danish triphop band, Under Byen. The song is called "Plantage" and you can watch the video - which has very similar visuals to Samorost - here.

The really good news is that they're currently hard at work on a full-scale adventure game called Machinarium. Here's a screenshot of what promises to be a unique gaming experience: