When comparing Machinarium vs Out There: Ω Edition, the Slant community recommends Machinarium for most people. In the question“What are the best Android games without in-app purchases/paywalls?” Machinarium is ranked 17th while Out There: Ω Edition is ranked 29th. The most important reason people chose Machinarium is:
The player is forced to move their character across the map in order to find objects of interest. This, coupled with the great sound design and soundtrack which also do their part in giving cues as to where the objects are and if the player is close, really help you immerse into the atmosphere and art style of Machinarium.
Specs
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Pros
Pro The gameplay is perfectly interwoven with the overall aesthetic and atmosphere of the game
The player is forced to move their character across the map in order to find objects of interest. This, coupled with the great sound design and soundtrack which also do their part in giving cues as to where the objects are and if the player is close, really help you immerse into the atmosphere and art style of Machinarium.
Pro Beautiful art style
Machimariums hand drawn graphics exude a very steam punk style that definitely has a very unique look by being all hand drawn.
Pro Challenging puzzles
The puzzles are quite challenging to the point of frustration but in the end give a sense of immense reward when figured out.
Pro Interesting protagonist
The main character and the one controlled by the player is just a normal, average, everyday robot. He doesn't have any special powers or abilities other than being able to slightly extend his midriff in order to reach high ledges or making his body shorter. He's pretty much an ordinary robot thrust into an extraordinary situation.
Pro Built-in hint system
For those that do find some of the puzzles too challenging there is an inbuilt hint system shown through "thought bubbles" on top of the playable character.
Every level has its own hint when pressed and it's usually a hint on where to go or what kind of object you need. Although it's advised not to rely on the hint system too much since it takes away from the experience of actually enjoying the game.
Pro The well-designed gameplay mechanics avoid making the game boring to the player
Unlike most point-and-click games, objects of interest in Machinarium light up only when the main character is close to them; this completely changes the way the game is played. In point-and-click games where this is not the case, the gameplay is usually reduced to aimlessly flailing the cursor around waiting for something to light up.
Machinarium on the other hand completely avoids this, keeping levels interesting and the player interested to the game.
Pro Each playthrough is unique thanks to the procedurally generated levels
Out There procedurally generates the game by generating random modular elements on each playthrough, making for a unique experience on every play through.
Pro Fun turn-based resource management where you are always juggling items on the fly, which requires a lot of quick thinking
Out There features a great mix of turn based strategy with complex resource management. The resource management works by only allowing you so many slots to store needed materials. These materials are collected on and around planets, and vary depending on where you are. So it makes for a situation where you need to carefully manage your inventory in order to have the necessary materials on hand to survive, which is no an easy task.
Pro Beautiful art that shows off tons of polish, making for a gorgeous looking game
The game has beautiful hand drawn graphics as well as a great score with lonely overtones, which creates a fantastic and original feeling atmosphere. This sort of polish in a mobile game is not always the norm, which is why Out There tends to stand out above many other options.
Cons
Con Items may be difficult to find due to similar colors
At points in the game there are needed items that blend in too well with their surrounding making it quite difficult to actually see them.
Con Uninspiring gameplay
There is an extremely limited number of actions to undertake. Playing it sometimes feels like a grind.
Con The graphics are a power-hog
While the graphics are beautiful, the 3D graphics are a hog and if you're going to be playing this on the go you should probably grab a powerbank if you want to play it for any extended periods of time.
Con Each replay feels very similar
There is a multitude of ways to die in Out There, and being that the game is a roguelike, there will be a lot of restarts. Each and every death brings the player back to the beginning, to do everything over again. This can be frustrating, and a cause for lulls in play at each beginning.