The Submachine (short for Submerged Machine) series is a series of point-and-click adventure Flash games[1] created by Polish comics author Mateusz Skutnik and released in ten instalments, from 2005 to 2015.[2][3][4]
Every game focuses on an unidentified character who explores new locations of the "Subnet", which is a broken and distorted reality that features decaying buildings and abandoned structures. The buildings and structures are categorized into groups called "submachines" based on architectural style. The player must solve different puzzles and examine the environment in order to escape. The series has been generally well received.
In addition to the ten instalments, there are four spin-offs. Two of the spin-offs were made for a Jayisgames contest and another for the website of the band Future Loop Foundation.
In 2023, Skutnik re-released the series as a single game, stringing the instalments together as chapters of a larger narrative. The graphics were updated.[5]
2005 | Submachine 1: The Basement |
---|---|
2006 | Submachine 2: The Lighthouse |
Submachine 3: The Loop | |
Submachine: Ancient Adventure | |
2007 | Submachine 4: The Lab |
Submachine: Future Loop Foundation | |
2008 | Submachine 5: The Root |
2009 | Submachine 6: The Edge (with HD release) |
2010 | Submachine Universe |
Submachine: 32 Chambers | |
Submachine 7: The Core (with HD release) | |
2011 | |
2012 | Submachine 8: The Plan (with HD release) |
2013 | |
2014 | Submachine 5: The Root (HD release) |
Submachine 9: The Temple (with HD release) | |
Submachine 4: The Lab (HD release) | |
Submachine 3: The Loop (HD release) | |
Submachine 2: The Lighthouse (HD release) | |
Submachine 1: The Basement (HD release) | |
Submachine: 32 Chambers (HD release) | |
Submachine: Ancient Adventure (HD release) | |
Submachine: FLF | |
2015 | Submachine 10: The Exit (with HD release) |
2016 | |
2017 | Submachine Universe (HD release) |
2018 | |
2019 | |
2020 | |
2021 | |
2022 | |
2023 | |
TBA | Submachine: The Engine |
Submachine: The Explorers |
The games were created by Mateusz Skutnik, Polish cartoonist and comics writer from Gdańsk and author of the Rewolucje comics series. He cites Oddworld, Rayman, The Neverhood, Half-life and Portal as video game influences.[6]
The games made are created in Flash. Each game has regularly been released online (minus Submachine: FLF) to play on Mateusz Skutnik's own website and other popular Flash game websites. Downloadable fullscreen versions can also be bought through the developer's store, and they are known as "HD versions".
The graphics are hand-drawn.[7]
In a 2009 interview with Igor Hardy, Mateusz Skutnik stated that "This series should go at least until Submachine 10. After that, I don't know."[8] The mentioned tenth game has since been released (in December 2015) and is currently the latest Submachine full game release.
In 2016 Mateusz Skutnik formally announced his decision to move away from Flash as a game-building platform and started to use GameMaker to develop his future games. Flash was later discontinued.
The Submachine series has drawn a multitude of fans to join Pastel Forum, created by the developer. On this forum the fans have developed many theories, which are the main backing of most people's ideas on the story behind the Subnet, due to the often vague storyline of the series.
Some of these theories are included in the Submachine Universe, which was described as a "lovely way to include the player community in [...] a series of solo adventures" by Andrew Plotkin of GamesShelf in his review of the game.[9]
The series has won numerous awards, including four from Jayisgames: