We all live in a fast-paced technological age, filled with machines of all kinds, but what happens when the machines break down? Little Broken Robots wants to put that into perspective as you fix the everyday problems of some of the smallest machines.
Little Broken Robots is a puzzle game that casts the player as a factory worker in a robot assembly line. Each robot coming down the conveyor belt is deemed “broken” and has a problem that needs to be solved, be it the robot simply freezing up or just feeling sad. These problems are solved by opening the robot up and repairing them by adjusting the wiring inside of them.
Each puzzle consists of rewiring the robot based on a number given by the wire. For example, a wire with the No. 8 will need to move across eight spaces while making sure it does not block the movement of another wire. The game eases the player into this idea by keeping track of the robots repaired and adjusting the difficulty accordingly. A player’s first robot consists of simple movements designed to teach the player the way things move on the grid, while later robots may require crossing wires or longer, twisted movements.
Gameplay is simple, using a simple tap and drag control scheme to fix the machines. By simply dragging the wire around the grid, it becomes placed, and you must work around each wire to ensure every space is filled. If you make a mistake, simply tap the wire to reset it. Where the game shines is its sheer complexity of puzzles, which are randomized yet ramp up the difficulty at a steady pace. You never feel overwhelmed, and with an included hint system, you’ll be solving puzzles fast.
The game gets even more complex with the addition of Advanced and Timed modes. In Advanced, players are given harder puzzles to solve with new gameplay elements added to increase the challenge. Players will have to use spaces on the grid to their advantage as wires cross in junctions and have longer space requirements to fulfill.
Timed gives simpler puzzles with a strict time limit of just 60 seconds. Upon a successful repair, time is added, making it an endurance run as you race to fix as many robots as possible. The addition of a gameplay recording feature lets you share your progress with friends to ask for help on any puzzle or simply brag about your fastest repairs.
Little Broken Robots is free on iOS and Android devices, with a $1.99 charge available to remove the energy system required to start work on a new robot. While the cost removes the need to wait for energy to solve a puzzle, hints still operate on a separate energy meter. This keeps the game balanced, yet challenging and ensures the player doesn’t abuse the hint system.
If you’re looking for a game to test your problem solving skills, Little Broken Robots has you covered. From its cartoonish charm to its increasingly challenging puzzles, the game offers an enjoyable experience that lasts hours as you climb through the ranks of a robot repairman.
