When the servers are down and the power is out, finding a toy to tinker around with until your internet connection pops back up is nearly impossible these days. Back then, tabletop toys were all we really had, and in Automatoys, you'll get that rare chance to turn back time to the simpler days of tactile fun - clicking and clacking included.
Table of contents:Each machine or level features a single goal of getting your ball from Point A to Point B, but all the obstacles along the way are designed so meticulously that you'll really have to pay close attention to every single lever, screw, pinball flipper and rotating circle thingy. The variety of mechanisms to figure out and experiment with as you go along really does tap into your inner child, wide-eyed and curious and laser-focused on discovering what this shiny new thing does or doesn't do.
In that sense, the visuals are so darn effective that they'll make you feel like you're playing with a physical toy as opposed to just pixels on a screen.
Tapping on the screen helps you navigate through intricate pathways, whether you're tilting a ramp or practising the art of precision timing with mini-catapults. The puzzles come with frustrations, of course, as one wrong move might send you spiralling down into the abyss where you'll have to start all over again. These can either make you ragequit or set you back on track with a more determined outlook - either way, you can aim for three stars if you're a completionist or cruise on by just getting through from one level to the next.
Thankfully, you can easily check if it's your cup of tea with the first free levels. The casual physics-based puzzler also serenades you with a lo-fi soundtrack in the background (which you can listen to on Spotify), so if you're looking for a nostalgic time-waster, Automatoys might just be worth the extra penny.