So, guys, here’s the thing.
As you probably know, sometime ago I asked you to send me questions that you think should be addressed in the upcoming Submachine 10. Your response was swift, precise and… uhm… avalanche-like? Not sure if that’s the right expression. Anyway. I’ve collected 112 questions, and as you can imagine, I will not be able to answer them all in the upcoming game. Not even close. Maybe I should just write a book about Submachine. Like a dictionary, or digest.

I’m pretty sure I will cover some of those questions in Submachine 10, however I believe rest of them will have to wait for standalone Submachine games that will come later on. Those, while being stripped from the main storyline, will have plenty of room to discuss all those subjects in question. So, more Submachines, yay.

Here’s the full list of Submachine questions I’m supposed to tackle:

1. In Submachine 9, the Player see the graves of Mur and Liz. Are they actually dead?
2. Is the Player dead and the Submachine is some sort of purgatory?
3. What really is the submachine
4. who Mur and Liz really are
5. who are all the others that explored the maze of the network of places we have been
6. Was it all just a dream, an amazing place existing in the mind of the character we play as, or is this a story of someone traveling to a place we all want to visit, where travel is done by a machine, a portal and such?
7. What’s so important in the fifth layer
8. why don’t we ever see the main character
9. elaborate a bit more on the plan
10. How humans discovered the Subnet, the layers
11. why Murtaugh (and Liz?) were chosen
12. What was Shiva’s intention
13. why the structure prevailed after the deaths of Mur and Liz
14. Did the Player’s journey have some purpose?
15. How did the Player begin all this
16. where did he come from
17. Who is the player?
18. what time period is he living in compared to when Mur and Liz were alive?
19. I would like if it gets cleared up if there is time travel involved in the series and in what way.
20. why the karmic portals are destroying the subnet,
21. what implications this has for the submachines and the player
22. further explanantion to the time layer
23. how Thoth and Shiva are both involved
24. And where is Einstein?
25. Clearly even if the player can’t interact with Mur, Liz, or Einstein directly, they’ve interacted with each other directly at some point – how can they have done so but none of the other people in the subnet have encountered each other?
26. Where is sunshine_bunnygirl_17
27. how much more connection there was with Covert Front.
28. if there will be answers about the nature of the Submachine (location.. infinite? growing?…).
29. Where are the corpses of people lived in the submahine?
30. Is it possible the player was everyone of them in his/her past?
31. Who buried the lighthouse and why?
32. Did the events that the game discusses happen centuries ago or did the player participate in them?
33. Will we ever see an actual human character?
34. what happened to all the other, unnamed people who left notes throughout the Submachine?
35. Where did they all go?
36. Or were they ever really there?
37. Why did Mur and Liz die?
38. How could we talked with Mur, not so long time before his death?
39. Why we didn’t meet anyone in Submachine?
40. explain the links between different parts, so that we know if we are travelling in time and/or space/dimensions
41. if everything is happening in chronological order.
42. how Mur and Elizabeth came from that hostile situation between each other to that marvelous plot twist on sub9.
43. In sub6 , where we have to hack the system, did human create/build that place ??
44. I’d to know who and why created Wisdom gems  and what they really are
45. Are we alone?
46. Why are we
47. Kim był Mur i Elizabeth jak to się stalo, że się poznali, a może razem pracowali nad czymś?
48. czy tą grę da się ukończyc?
49. czy postać w którą się wcielamy kiedykolwiek wyjdzie z submachine?
50. Kto tym wszystkim steruje po smierci Mur?
51. Can we just see M’s face?
52. Or atleast is arm?
53. Einstein, how he is able to transport himself through portals and such, but where did he end off?
54. everything what has happened in the subnet is the reality, or the machine was done in order that the persons were living in a virtual reality because in the earth or the reality happened a collapse, for this way saying, the apocalypse?
55. How important the light is?
56. more about what happens when you create a portal inside a portal
57. things about the history of the submachine, at least the history that’s connected to humans somehow, knowing more about how the humans found the subnet (did someone create it and other people found it later on?
58. did humans just stumble upon it somehow and decided to add their own creations to it? how did that happen?
59. is there something outside the Submachine?
60. How Sub_1 fits in with the overall plot since it’s brief story
61. I finally want to know what those bells are exactly for!
62. Where is Kent? a submachine location or a place on Earth?
63. What’s the connection between submachine and Earth/The computer that surpassed human inteligence?
64. What’s the connection between the Kent waterfall and karma?
65. What is the rough timeline of the events in the series?
66. ow do the places we visit in the series fit within the structure of the Submachine, and how are they connected? For example: which layer(s) were we during Sub1-Sub6? Did we travel from the Outer Rim to the Core at the end of Sub1?
67. Who is Shiva/the Computer? Are they one and the same?
68. Where’s the Loop in respect to the 8 Layers?
69. Do Defense Systems and Subbots operate in all the Layers of Reality?
70. Does the Plan have anything to do with the cubic shape of each room?
71. Are the persons who wrote the notes in latest Submachines the former Basement Exploration Team?
72. How did he get to Subverse and Basement from Sub1?
73. Did he has some special purpose in Sub1-Sub4 except escape from the trap?
74. If Subbots do exist in subverse…Show them and tell about them at least in one note, please?
75. What connection do Sub0, SubFLF, SubFLF HD, Sub32 have with main series?
76. Who are protagonists of these side games? Their purposes?
77. What does “MAP” symbol mean? (Symbol we can see in all submachine games’ main menu)
78. Why does ikentt have karma flow/water?
79. Where is it located?
80. Why there were excursions in Winter Palace, South Garden and Lighthouse?
81. Does “our real world” exist at all in Submachine game universe?
82. Did we really make time travel in Sub2, or in some other game?
83. How is important the time in Submachine universe?
84. How many people organizations are there?
85. What is the company? (Sub4 Ship note)
86. What organization ordered to scientist who called this place as “Submerged Machine” to work with submachine?
87. What is Fourth Dynasty?
88. What happened with “Temple/Murtaugh/Shiva Cult” (Sub9)?
89. What happened with Lab workers? How did they ended there at all?
90. From what organization are guys from Sub8?
91. Who are guys from Sub9 secret notes?
92. Is there God? aka Shiva Or all is just technology? aka Computer (or something like this…)
93. explanation what happened in Sub2 intro and Sub2 outro…
94. If we/Payer have one-dimensional mind (Sub9 secret note), then why do we can’t meet any people in Submachines? What is the problem?
95. Way in the past you talked about the creator of the first Submachine, and how his creation went haywire. I would very much like to get to know how he reacted to it and felt about it all. He seems like such an important, yet underrepresented character.
96. What happened to Henry O’Toole when “Murtaugh’s” religion began gaining traction. Was he forgotten or did his works become widely acknowledged.
97. How do the people of the Subnet see their history, which eras do they revere and which do they condemn. Related to this, maybe we could finally get the sub-eras if not explained, at least listed.
98. Murtaugh is a surname, you’ve admitted as much. What was Murtaugh’s first name?
99. Are we alone in Submachine? Is there something there, lurking in the shadows, or are we just the only explorer traversing the subnet?
100. Will the Third Layer ever be repaired and brought whole again?
101. In Sub_9’s super secret bonus area, it was mentioned that Murtaugh was shown the future by Shiva that left him quite happy before he died. Perhaps this is what he saw? Perhaps we, the Players, will have our hands / cursors on this kind of conclusion?
102. Who happened to commission the Submachine network (if it can be called that)?
103. Why is there no life, inside the Submachine?
104. What was the need for the limited appearance of firearms in Submachine? (Think I remember seeing something akin to a machine gun, in one of the games? Not sure.)
105. What is the purpose of the cultural deities in Submachine?
106. What happened to the notes we have collected along the way, with the exception of Sub5 notes?
107. Who put the golden seals in Murtaugh and Elizabeth’s tombs?
108. What is the purpose of the four symbols we see in Sub2? We never used them in the game.
109. Where did Murtaugh obtain plans to draw the teleporter in the lighthouse
110. Who was the man that left mentioned in Sub7, and why did he leave, did he also have power like Murtaugh’s?
111. Why did Murtaugh teleport to the loop? What happened that caused him to enter the loop and not some random location in the outer rim, or is the loop the outer rim?
112. sub4 – What on earth is behind the metal plate? (beginning on the roof)

„10 Gnomes in Montaigut-le-Blanc” jest bodaj pierwszą grą, którą Mateusz Skutnik zrealizował w wyniku osiągnięcia przyzwoitego (jak dotąd) wyniku swej akcji w serwisie Patreon.com. W dodatku dostępna jest za darmo (zip), w full HD (1920×1080), ukończona dwa miesiące przed początkowym planem.

Montaigut-le-Blanc to niewielka miejscowość w centralnej Francji, w regionie Owernia. Autor gry bawił tam i zdjęcia robił w lipcu zeszłego roku. Dla tych, którzy zachwycą się widokami na zdjęciach, podał również współrzędne geograficzne: 45.58619 / 3.08952.

Gra jest bardzo prosta, bazująca na pięknych, czarno-białych fotografiach ukazujących widok ogólny i coraz bliższe szczegóły pewnej kamienicy. Przejeżdżając kursorem po obrazku, znajdujemy miejsca aktywne (kursor zmienia kształt), w które kliknięcie pozwala na zbliżenie, podejrzenie szczegółów detalu – czasami jest to ujrzenie pod innym kątem, czasem obrót w miejscu, do tego dochodzi oczywiście także powrót do poprzedniej lokacji / poprzedniego kadru. Gdzieś tam, w szczelinach, dziurach, zakamarkach, schowało się tytułowe 10 gnomów… i nie tylko! Białe, brodate postaci nie zawsze są zadowolone z zakłócania ich spokoju – choć zwykle machają radośnie na nasz widok, czasem pogrożą pięścią.

Kliknięcie w krasnala zapala kolejną lampkę u dołu ekranu, przypominając, ile jeszcze przed nami… A czas upływa! Choć tym razem na przejście całości i wykrycie wszystkich brodaczy nie wyznaczono limitu minut, można wstrzymać upływający czas, by mimo potrzeby oderwania się od ekranu uzyskać lepszy wynik. Można także przełączyć się z domyślnego trybu fullscreen na tryb okienkowy i grę pomniejszyć (choć w ten sposób gracz sam sobie utrudnia zadanie), można włączać i wyłączać ambientową muzykę i dźwięki towarzyszące klikaniu. Czy wycieczka po Montaigut-le-Blanc składa się z mniejszej niż zazwyczaj ilości lokacji (z pewnością nie zerknąłem do wszystkich…), czy też zacząłem dochodzić do wprawy w łowach na małe białe stworki – dość powiedzieć, że „10 Gnomes in Montaigut-le-Blanc” jest pierwszą w swym cyklu, którą ukończyłem w przyzwoitym czasie za pierwszym podejściem.

Trzymamy kciuki za dalsze powodzenie akcji w serwisie Patreon.com i czekamy na kolejne obiecane gry.

Autor: Wojciech Gołąbowski

play | location video | recenzja na Esensji | Liberation review

Today I want to show you the power of what’s going on. That whole Patreon situation. How it liberates me to basically do my creations just for you, and not entire internet (as I don’t have to scratch and claw for ads anymore). Remember the predicted release date for new 10 Gnomes game? September? Scratch that, I made it already and you can play it right now. Not only I’m giving you this game two months before schedule, it’s in full HD, 1920×1080 and, naturally, free. All thanks to people supporting my art on Patreon.

Thank you again.

Some of the most ingenious inventions ever were devised by prisoners from around the world, partly because they have so much time on their hands, and partly because they have no other choice than to improvise. Hence, whether it’s alcohol made out of the most unlikely stuff or ingenious tools to help them escape, those who have nowhere else to go can really put their imagination to work.

Try to escape from a strange environment.

Escape from Jay is Games works along the same lines, only it features a fewer shanks and no soothing voice overs from iconic actors. In essence, however, your main goal is to get out of a weird room filled with old arcade machines, strange computers, and what appears to be some kind of alien hooked to a virtual reality headset. To do that, you must gather useful objects and use them in ingenious ways.
The story is quite simple and straightforward, although that may just be due to the fact that you don’t really find out too much about it along the way. A few notes give you a hint about what’s going on, but you are kept in the dark for the majority of the time. To make matters worse, there are so many questions that need answers, especially when you consider the fact that there is an arcade machine playing Pong by itself for the entire duration of the game.

Combine items to unlock the way further.

In order to continue the story, you have to find certain items that can be used in combination with others to achieve something. Hence, whether it’s a key that opens a certain door or a transistor that can restore a computer’s functionality, everything that can be picked up has a purpose. Not only that, but you can also combine other items with each other, or even use some of them multiple times, such as the knife.
Another great thing about the game is the visual aspect, because although the graphics may look simple and in 2D, the artwork is great and you can tell that the artist took his time coming up with it. The strange machinery and the nice choice of colors create a unique atmosphere, although the soundtrack contributes a lot to the feeling as well.

A beautiful adventure game with plenty to offer.

Although the experience is a bit too short, Escape from Jay is Games is certainly a nice concept, and you can have a lot of fun with it. In addition, the puzzles are ingenious enough to keep you guessing for a while.

Author: Alexandru Dulcianu

So I’ve been thinking.

Since the browser-based game market is dying, (at least for me), why shouldn’t I ditch it entirely. This process in my head actually started two years ago when I begun creating HD versions of Daymare Town and Submachine, which became games playable on PC and MAC desktops, with all it’s perks, like being able to create better immersion through full screen gameplay, addition of original soundtracks in separate mp3 files etc. I expect the process to let me also switch platforms, so I will no longer be constricted only to flash games. But more on that some other time.

This year the sentiment grows stronger, with the advent of my Patreon campaign and diminishing returns from ad-based browser-gaming. I don’t have to cater to countless online masses of anonymous players anymore. I just need to deliver to few thousands of you who genuinely like what I do to the extent of following me on social media. That’s all. That’s you guys – reading these words right now. And don’t worry. If you’ve been able to play my games in the past – you will be able to play them in their new form. Flash wasn’t compatible with handheld market anyway. And those games which were free will remain free. There will be an online, free version of Submachine 10: the Exit, alongside paid, fullscreen desktop version (free for all my patrons).

The first symptom of the inevitable switch from browser to desktop gaming will be newest episode of 10 Gnomes, as it’s the first game on my release list. On my Patreon page, one of the rewards is getting all games I create this year in HD for free. That will probably include Submachine 10, 10 Gnomes and Where is 2016? at the very least. And I noted that 10 Gnomes will not be scalable to full screen since it’s not vector graphics and will look bad when rescaled (pixelated). But then I thought to myself – wait, why am I thinking in terms of browser restrictions. Why not create just larger 10 Gnomes game. Like, already in HD and just let people download it for free instead of releasing it as a browser game. And that’s exactly what I’ll do, come August.

Take a look at the screen below. Click on it to see it in it’s full, 1920 x 1080 glory. Doesn’t it look nice?

Text by — Federico Scarfo’

Translation by — Julia Perry and Federica Vecchio

You know how in a dream your brain has the power to mix pieces of places, houses, streets, statues, visited in the past and create a new and unique image as well as the ability to evoke familiar sentiments which for some reason, you have never actually experienced before? This is a major theme that unites two incredibly different things: the metaphysical painting of DeChirico and, in my opinion, an unfortunate series of “aim and click” flash games. I define it unfortunate because, being more than sure that an introduction to the Greek artist is not needed at all, the same cannot be said for Submachine: belonging to the unlucky class of flash games, that is to say games which you can play for free on the original site and which usually last for a limited period of time, the series has not gained the popularity I think it so long deserves. Although Submachine has never been an “innovator” of these games, initiated by legendary games like “The Secret of Monkey Island” and “Clock Tower”, I think it is more than suitable for flash games, especially because it has a minimalistic yet very interesting story, inspired by the Matrix, that incentivizes the player to pay great attention to the few clues given. The plot is trivial, the main character is trapped in the submachine, a specific machine that replicates an infinite number of closed environments, among which it is possible to travel through portals. Nevertheless, the most relevant points of strength of the game are its setting, graphics and sound effects: elements that are, as we say, abstract. In fact they are deeply linked to De Chirico’s thematic guidelines, those that were selected for the art show “De Chirico and the mysterious object”. The show, held at Villa Reale, that is the principal reason behind this article. As the title itself suggests, referring mostly to the paintings where the mysterious object is represented, the art exposure concentrates almost entirely on De Chirico’s relationship with objects, inanimate figures, opposed to living beings.

As I have already stated, the first point of similarity is the looming scenario on its single components, generating an oppressive, scary and dreamlike environment. In the painting “Mercurio’s meditation”, the feeling of claustrophobia is alimented by the prospective and narrow space, at the end of which lies a classic bust, the closest thing to a person that ever appears both in the metaphysic way of painting as well as in certain sections of Submachine. Similarly, painting by De Chirico set in an outdoor environment are just as disturbing, as they form a dreamlike composition whose limits are incumbent upon the flat sky and largely geometric shadows and solid walls.

Submachine is set in a series of places, mainly closed, artificial and mostly ruined. For example, in the same episode, taking advantage of the portals in the game play, the character visits a ship, a canteen, a ruined coffin, the ruins of a temple, and various other places, in which it is easy to see Skutnik’s peculiar style. Each of these locations is abandoned, ruined, no longer functioning, and the themes of deterioration and dissipation melt with the feeling of claustrophobia, of falling out of place, of being undesired guests.

The second common feature derives from a second sense, that of loneliness. In most metaphysical painting, and in each section of Submachine, no human presence can be found. In Submachine, however, even recent traces can be found, which is surprising given the decrepitude of its surrounding environments. Most of the story is told through notes left behind by people less fortunate either long dead or who were forced to flee. The only human contact of the series takes place via computer and not coincidentally, happens to be one-sided since our hero does not have a keyboard to use. Isolation is the greatest power of Submachine, the “enemy” machine, due to its immensity and ability to forever grow and expand, pulverizing humans and objects in its way. The feeling of loneliness in De Chirico, however, come from a surreal feeling of familiarity. De Chirico represented environments as seen from a train window, wanting to reproduce the feeling you get when passing a nearby city and feeling a bigger sense of homeliness than its people. This maps an intimate representation of a place in each of us. The feeling of familiarity that Submachine’s location communicates is instead one linked to despair of the hunted, the ones who lost in the woods, recognize the real horror of aimlessly traveling in circles.

Lastly, the last common feature is the prominent role given to the objects. Like in “silent lives” or in the series of the “mysterious object” by De Chirico, in which objects are placed on a stage and in spite of the human figures portrayed faceless in the background., Submachine makes the objects the fundamental element. In fact, what else makes us realize how importance objects are if not a game in which taking advantage of the environment at its fullest? Everything that is useful exists in Submachine, an object, a note or a pattern, there are virtually no secondary characters, and if there are, they remain invisible throughout the entire series and bring interaction only through notes. In contrast, the statues, representations of steam-punk style potted machines are ubiquitous, mimicking what you would expect, the “real” world beyond the Submachine (although throughout history, the “true” world is not an external reality to Submachine). For their use and even for a sense of “company” that can be drawn from it – after all, they’re the only allies of a player playing against fate – objects are humanized in Submachine and from this it is humanization that becomes a sort of invincible enemy of the Submachine itself, that is far from being a simple virtual help, it becomes an opponent capable of smarts and immense resources, that reigns over an infinite space in which the relationship between object and humans is broken, and the only audible sound is one of squeaking machinery, moving, non-human symphonies that accompany the metaphysical framework that is the game.