The Nerdy Type

Have you ever had a fever dream that was so bizarre and strangely lovable that you kind of didn’t want it to end? If you have, then you’ll understand where I’m coming from when I describe Mashina as just that. If not… Then you should try Mashina so you understand where the rest of us are coming from. 

Mashina is a claymation mining masterpiece developed by Talha & Jack Co, and it’s so utterly bizarre that you can’t help but love it. From character design that somehow manages to conjure up fond memories of playing with Play-Doh with my daughter, to voice acting that reminds me of something I can’t quite put my finger on, everything about Mashina is eye-catching. 

Mixing all of the colors

As my daughter does when she’s playing with her Play-Doh, Mashina feels like a giant mix of different features pulled from a multitude of genres. There’s automation in the addition of conveyor belts to transport minerals, there’s a vague sense of 2D platforming down in the mines, 3D platforming in the overworld as you explore, and cozy touches like decorating the base with crafted items. 

All of these facets come together to form the beautiful claymation gem that is Mashina. The hand-crafted characters aren’t smooth; you can see fingerprints and things get a bit wonky from time to time, but therein lies the charm. For most developers, ironing out those details would be a priority, but Talha and Jack Co are proud of their work and so they should be, these characters have heaps of personality before they even open their mouths to speak. 

And when they do speak, oh boy. I can’t adequately explain the process my brain took, but I was instantly transported back to my childhood through the voice acting of characters like Proto, Plinky, and Teck. There’s something about those robotized voices that reeks of nostalgic cartoons, and no, I can’t tell you which cartoons they remind me of. 

Organization is key

While you’re down in the underground section and mining, you’ll discover chunks of minerals that float around until you collect them. Rather than going directly into your inventory, storing these minerals turns into a fun little mini-game in its own right, especially if you’ve got a soft spot for organization games or even Tetris. 

Each chunk of minerals is a certain shape, reminiscent of Tetris blocks, and you only have a finite amount of space into which those shapes fit. You’ll need to shuffle around your bombs, disco balls, and other useful tools to make space for them, and making frequent return trips to the Byte machine is necessary. 

You can buy more slots in your inventory using minerals, with each additional slot costing a certain amount. In the demo, the maximum inventory size is a six-by-six grid, with the fifth and sixth slots in each row or column needing to be unlocked from the initial four-by-four grid. 

Like I said, playing Mashina feels like a fever dream that I kind of don’t ever want to wake up from. It’s oddly cozy, visually bizarre, and absolutely lovable on just about every level. If you want to play Mashina, the full game is set to release on July 31, or there’s a demo available to try right now if you can’t wait that long.