Submachine 3: The Loop is a point-and-click game of exploration and puzzle solving created by Mateusz Skutnik. As the intro so cleverly notes, there are no items to collect, no diary to keep, no trash bin to check, and no spoon to, er, bend. It's just you, the machine, and an infinite metallic world to explore one screen at a time.
Each level is structured in similar fashion with puzzles to solve that unlock the main exit button. You'll usually find a map in the room to your right as the level begins, and it marks the location of clues you'll need to help you figure out how to unlock the exit. A coordinate system helps to navigate the massive world, and without it you could literally move from room to room until you passed out from exhaustion. The coordinates actually play a big part in solving the game's riddles, so if you're stuck, just look at the room number.
Puzzles range from simple to moderately complex, but none of them are utterly impossible. That wouldn't make for much of a game, would it? Nothing is ever spelled out for you, so you'll need to rely on your own powers of observation to progress. The vast, empty world free from hand-holding and lengthy tutorials reminds me somewhat of Myst, as do the machinery-related puzzles and slide show presentation. Although the visuals are extremely simple, they certainly are effective and let you focus on solving the puzzles and progressing further into the game.
The game uses passwords to save your progress, so check the top of the screen as you begin each level for the code. Also, keep a piece of paper handy to jot down notes or draw maps. Submachine 3 almost requires note taking.
Cheers to Stephen, Tom, and Robert, all who suggested this game while we were writing up the review. =)
We've been here covering the entire Submachine series since the very beginning with reviews and walkthroughs for all of them...Outside the main storyline, and yet still another great Submachine, is a game created for the band Future Loop Foundation:
- The original Submachine
- Submachine Remix (extended version)
- Submachine Zero: Ancient Adventure
- Submachine 2: The Lighthouse
- Submachine 3: The Loop
- Submachine 4: The Lab
- Submachine 5: The Root
- Submachine 6: The Edge
- Submachine 7: The Core
- Submachine Network Exploration Experience
- Submachine: 32 Chambers
- Submachine 8: The Plan
- Submachine 9: The Temple
- Submachine: Future Loop Foundation
Walkthrough Guide
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Walkthrough
1st Level
Just click all of the levers
2nd Level
Start at room 1,1 clich the devise then go to that room. Then click that devise, then go to the room that comes up, comtinue untill you have done it six times
3rd Level
There are four rooms where you can change numbers on a panel, but on each panel one number can not be changed, and they are in a different spot on each panel. Change the other panels so they all have the same numbers.
4th Level
In each of the rooms that has a device you will see little dots above the big circle, just find the one that has one dot and click it, then two dots, then three dots and so on.
5th Level
Assign each letter of the alphabet a number. So A=1 B=2 C=3 and so on. Then find each room with a devise and change the letter to coraspond with the room number. So room 1,2 will be A,B
6th Level
The room -1,0 has the main device in it. Find the other rooms that have a device in them and they have a number and a symbol. Make a note and go back to the main device. Number the spots left to right and change the shapes until it matches the one that was in the room. Do this for all six shapes you find. Then click the little button on the floor on the left hand side of the room that has the main device.
7th Level
Go to room 0,-1 click the lever in the lower right. This turns on the projector in room 0,1. THis is the solution to the puzzle. Write down which way the slashes go. Then start in room 1,-1 and click the bars so that the green lights will make the slash you need. Now go to the next room to the right and do the same thing. After you have done the six rooms and they all match the slashes, go to room 1,1 and click the device.
8th Level
the main device is in room 0,-1 find the devices in the other rooms and make note of what room they are in. Then go back to the main device, put in the room number of one of the devices. Click the lever on the pedistol of the main device and it will open the device in the room that you put in. Go to that room and click the levers, do this for all the devices.
9th Level
There is a room right above the start room and one right below the start room. One had letters one has colors. If the far left letter is orange and the button below it is black that means you cant change that letter, but you can change the color in the other room to orange. If a color has a black button under it that means you cant change the color but you can change the letter. So if the color is yelloe, you need to change the letter to Y. Once you have matched all these up click the big button below the color device.
10th Level
There are two maps, one is clickable. Make the clickable map just like the real map. Then click the lever at room 0,-1. Thats it.
11th Level
There are two ways to go here so make sure to remember the level name, syntagma. The first is to click the letter hanging on the wall. It tells you to find a leaf and take it to a romm, do this to get the first ending. The second ending is to solve the puzzle. There are two rooms with color bars and teo rooms with letters and numbers. The letters equal the colors, so R=Red, the number equal the level of color in the bars. So if you go to the bars and click the buttons the amount of color will change, no color = 0, 1 click = 1 and 2 clicks = 2 , and so on. Match the colors to the numbers. So RGW = 152 is Red=1 Green=5 and White =2. Thats it your done.
Posted by: sgtsuperman
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August 4, 2006 12:00 PM