Machinarium: Walkthrough & Tips

A spoiler-conscious companion to Amanita Design's robot adventure: how Machinarium's puzzles think, how to use the built-in hint and walkthrough book without ruining the game, the story beats in order, all 12 Steam achievements, and fixes for modern PCs and Steam Deck.

Researched September 2026 — current as of Windows build 5706-A (December 2025 technical update). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

1. You play Josef, a small robot thrown onto the scrapyard. The goal is to get back into the city of Machinarium, stop the Black Cap Brotherhood and rescue your girlfriend Berta.
2. There is no dialogue text. Characters "talk" in animated thought bubbles. Watch them — they are the quest log.
3. Josef can only interact with things within his reach. If clicking something does nothing, walk closer or change his height.
4. Josef can stretch tall and squash short. Many puzzles are solved just by changing his height to reach a ledge, a switch or a hiding spot.
5. Inventory is at the top of the screen. Hover the mouse at the top edge to open it. Items can be combined by dragging one onto another.
6. Every screen has one free hint (the lightbulb icon). Use it before reaching for the full walkthrough.
7. The walkthrough book is locked behind a minigame. You have to play a short side-scrolling challenge to open it — a deliberate speed bump so you try a little harder first.
8. Screens are self-contained. Almost every puzzle is solved with what is on the current screen or the ones right next to it. If you are stuck, you are usually missing an item from an adjacent area.
9. Expect 4–6 hours for a first run; faster with the book.
10. Listen to the soundtrack. Composer Tomas Dvorak (Floex) scored the game; it is worth the vinyl reputation.

Controls and Interface

Gamepads: since the March 2025 technical update the game works with PlayStation, Xbox and generic controllers. If a pad misbehaves, Amanita recommends disabling Steam Input for Machinarium.

How Machinarium Puzzles Think

The design is consistent, so learning its logic makes the whole game easier:

• Reach first. When an object glows or reacts but Josef will not use it, the problem is distance or height.
• Watch the loop. Many robots and machines run on a timed cycle. Watch one full loop before acting; the solution is often "do X while the guard is looking away".
• Thought bubbles are shopping lists. When a robot shows you a thought bubble with an object, it wants that object — and usually gives something in return.
• Items are used literally. A magnet picks up metal, a bucket carries liquid, a stick extends reach. Machinarium rarely uses abstract item logic.
• Mini-games are logic puzzles. Several screens hide self-contained puzzle boxes (sliding pieces, circuits, pattern matching). The hint rarely helps with those — take them slowly and look for symmetry.

Story Outline (Light Spoilers)

1. The Scrapyard — Josef rebuilds himself from parts and escapes the dump outside the city walls.
2. Getting into the city — getting past the city gate and its guards.
3. The city and prison — Josef is imprisoned and has to escape with his cellmates.
4. The streets — helping residents (a lady looking for her pet, a band of musicians) in exchange for items and access.
5. The Brotherhood's plot — the Black Caps plan to blow up the city's tower and have disabled the huge-headed robot who is the "head" of the city.
6. The tower — disarming the bomb, repairing a damaged brain, freeing Berta.
7. The escape — Josef and Berta leave Machinarium together.

Josef is named after Josef Capek, the man credited with coining the word "robot".

Walkthrough Outline (Area by Area)

Spoiler level: goals and key items, not full step-by-step solutions. Area names follow a standard community walkthrough (see Sources); in-game there are no titles on screen. Use this to know what you are working toward, then solve the how yourself.

Part 1 — Getting into the city

Part 2 — Prison

Part 3 — The city

This is the largest, most open section and the one where achievements get missed. Explore every screen.

Part 4 — The tower

Missable check before the tower: to be safe, beat both arcade consoles (VIDEOGAMER) and the board game (BOARD GAME MASTER) before you enter the tower. If you do miss them, the Steam achievements are easiest to pick up on a replay, which takes a fraction of the first-run time.

Achievements (12)

Machinarium's Steam achievements mostly follow the story, which makes them a good progress tracker:

Achievement tips:

• VIDEOGAMER is the one people miss: it asks you to win both optional arcade console games in the city (they need power from the bicycle machine first), not just try one.
• BOARD GAME MASTER is against a robot in the Back Alley and can be frustrating. It is a five-in-a-row game despite the "tic-tac-toe" name. Play defensively: block every open line of three or four before building your own.
• PET CATCHER and MUSIC LOVER are part of the main path in practice, but pay attention to what the lady and musicians show in their thought bubbles.
• Everything is obtainable in one playthrough if you do not rush the city section.

Using Hints Without Spoiling Yourself

• Step 1 — look around the screen. Hover everything within Josef's reach at both heights.
• Step 2 — lightbulb hint. One per screen, a small nudge — and the hints get vaguer as the game goes on, so lean on them less later.
• Step 3 — check adjacent screens. The missing item is usually one room away.
• Step 4 — the walkthrough book. It shows the full solution for the current screen in sketches, so open it only when you are genuinely stuck. You must win its minigame each time you want to read it.

Stuck Checklist

Run through this before opening the book:

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Clicking from across the room. Josef has to be close; walking up to things is half of every puzzle.
• Forgetting the height controls. If something is out of reach or a robot will not notice you, try stretching or shrinking.
• Opening the book for every screen. The game is short; the satisfaction is in the solutions.
• Missing the inventory. New players often do not realise items are hidden at the top edge.
• Rushing mini-games. They are logic puzzles, not reflex tests; slow down.
• Leaving Steam Input on if your controller behaves oddly.

Advanced Tips

• Speed/replay run: once you know the solutions, the game takes a fraction of the first-run time. Try it without hints for a clean achievement sweep.
• Watch for sound cues. Many machines tell you they have changed state with a sound effect.
• Renderer choice: the December 2025 update (build 5706-A) made OpenGL the default renderer on Windows because it runs better on PC and Steam Deck. You can still choose DirectX 12 or the older DirectX 9 build at launch if you prefer.
• Definitive Version: the 2017 Definitive Version replaced the original Adobe Flash engine, which is why the Steam release runs full-screen and does not need Flash.

Technical Notes

If You Enjoyed Machinarium

Amanita Design's other games include Samorost, Botanicula and CHUCHEL. Their newest release, Phonopolis, is available on its own or in a Machinarium & Phonopolis bundle (May 2026). Amanita also announced it will be at the Triple-i Initiative showcase on 8 October 2026 with a new announcement.

FAQ

How long is Machinarium? Around 4–6 hours for a first playthrough, much less once you know the solutions.

Is there a hint system? Yes: one hint per screen (lightbulb) plus a full walkthrough book unlocked by a minigame.

Why can't I click on an object? Josef has to be within reach. Walk closer and try stretching or shrinking.

Does Machinarium work on Steam Deck? Yes; the 2025 updates improved performance there, with OpenGL as the default renderer.

Which renderer should I pick? OpenGL, unless it gives you trouble; then try DirectX 12 or DirectX 9.

Is there any text or voice acting? No. The story is told through animation and thought bubbles, so it works in any language.

What is the rarest achievement? ESCAPER (finish the game), unlocked by roughly a quarter of players.

Sources

• Steam store page — Machinarium
• Steam news — Machinarium technical updates (March and December 2025)
• Steam global achievements — Machinarium
• Wikipedia — Machinarium
• WalkthroughKing — Machinarium text walkthrough (area names and puzzle order)