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[kash&germ]

MACHINES HAVE LUCID DREAMS

A metaphysical game about finding meaning through 10 objects








UPDATE:
The full game is available now for free on
https://ivankashdan.itch.io/mhld


STORY

Upon arriving in the dream-state of the machines, you're
given a strange task to retrieve 10 miscellaneous objects -
only to discover from a cast of curious inhabitants that
certain combinations unlock secrets hidden in their memories.

The machines have endured a great calamity in this place
they call home. While some remained steadfast and persevered,
many who once thrived now struggle to remember their purpose.
Others are presumed lost.






GAMEPLAY

Master our unique stacking mechanic to find the missing machines.

Stack, combine, and arrange the found objects into over 120 combinations
to rediscover the history of this world and help those old souls find release at last.






FEATURES

✓ 10 objects to find
✓ 120+ object combinations to discover
✓ 8 talking machines, fully scripted to respond to these combinations,
  resulting in thousands of lines of possible dialogue
✓ A supporting cast of colourful machine-like friends
✓ Consequences for your actions
✓ Feature-length story (2+ hours of gameplay)

DEVELOPMENT

Machines Have Lucid Dreams is our first game.
We are a two-person studio who just started in March 2020.
MHLD is about finding meaning in the small things...
And the abundant options that can exist with only
a handful of miscellaneous objects

[kash&germ]

Footage of our stacking mechanic in action!

As long as it makes physical sense, you can stack and balance as high as you like in MHLD

This is our forge-master, based on a planter we saw once on a London roadside...
who teaches you how to combine objects at the beginning of the game



P.S. Would love to know what some of you guys think out there 

[Kashdan Music]

NOICE.

[kash&germ]

BREAKING NEWS: Machines Have Lucid Dreams has just been released this morning for free on itch.io (!!!)

Play it now! Follow the link to download: https://ivankashdan.itch.io/mhld

[nathy after dark]

This is super weird and I like that about it.

One thing that happened to me is I got to the forge and managed to get the extra items from it, then I tried a bunch of combinations and didn't get any feedback so I was confused. It was only later (and I was kind of stuck) when I realized I could put the ingredients out individually to get told what they are, and it told me I needed a combination of 3. Maybe somehow you need to indicate this more clearly when you give all the ingredients--because I actually had already found a combo of 3 but not gotten credit for it because I hadn't triggered the explanation.

EDIT: Now I'm really confused. After trying so many combinations with the new items it gave me, the forge told me to make the same shape that brought me to the forge in the first place--which didn't work before. That's frustrating.

[kash&germ]

Hi nathy,

Thank you for the feedback! This is really useful for us.

I see what you mean with the forge - the idea was to get introduced to the ingredients before you start stacking with them. However, since we don't disable stacking when you are being introduced to them that doesn't quite work!

Totally understand what you mean about the solution being to make a combo that didn't work before. Should probably set it up so that combo works from the get go.

Goes to show, even when we think we are finished with development there are so many more improvements that can be made. Something to consider for future updates! Thank you, would love to hear what you make of the rest of the game too.

Very best,
Ivan

[Kashdan Music]

Hey boik,

How different is this from the last version I played?

Sincerely,
Bok