Having made a name for itself with the Curious Expedition series, German indie developer Maschinen-Mensch is now at work on an even bigger project called Mother Machine. Hey, that's what their company name means! Anyway, Mother Machine is a promising sci-fi platformer/roguelike in which a team of cutesy critters explores caverns for the sentient machine that created them. It will feature plenty of creative co-op mechanics when it arrives early next year.
Mother Machine takes on a remote planet that was formerly colonized by humans. The colony's abandoned computer slowly gains full sentience and begins to create new life, a population of creatures called chaos gremlins. This "mother" machine sends her children out to explore the subterranean depths of the planet and perform tasks for her. As they do so, they will learn much more about the history of the planet and their creator than they expected...
During a press preview event, we discussed Mother Machine with the developers and watched them play the game. Mother Machine is a roguelike, so players will start in a hub area before embarking on runs. In the hub world, the titular machine will give assign various missions to the gamers, such as entering a cave (there are multiple biomes), locating a device, and then activating it for her. Runs will take about 10-15 minutes to complete.
Players will also have the opportunity to group up with other players before embarking on a run; Mother Machine supports 4-player online co-op. Multiplayer is also drop in, drop out, so friends can join even if you've already started playing. Everyone will select from a variety of gremlins with their own unique mutations that will affect their roles on the team.
The team starts each run with a quick look at a map of the area. Maps are displayed on screens found throughout the environment, so you can't look at them all the time. The basic outline of the cave or other environment is already filled in, but players won't know what hazards they will encounter until they reach them. The focus is on efficiently and creatively moving through the hostile environment, using each creature's mutant powers to reach the destination.
Players can run, jump, climb, and throw things. Climbing costs stamina, but some creatures have a mutation that emits a sticky fluid when they climb. Other players can then climb the sticky wall without consuming stamina. Other mutations include the ability to fart a healing gas or belch a protective shield - gross, but helpful! Getting back to climbing, there are plenty of vines to climb and even floating, balloon-like plants that can be held onto in order to reach new heights as well. Light also plays a role in some areas, with parts of the environment emitting light, and some enemies being afraid of the light.
One important co-op mechanic is the use of portals. When a player dies, he or she can catch up to the team by creating a portal to any surviving teammate. Portals are bi-directional, so partners can go back through another player's portal as well. When someone joins mid-level, they'll use a portal to catch up with the group. These portals should reduce the need to wander around on one's own; the Mother Machine wants everyone working together towards the greater good.
One thing that players will do for the Mother Machine is launch satellites into the planet's orbit. This will progress the game's story. During some story-based missions, players will battle sizable bosses. We didn't get to watch a boss fight during our preview, but we did see the team encounter a gigantic, benevolent creature that looked like a long-legged turtle covered in mushrooms.
Another metagame element is Mother Machine Energy, a resource that is used to unlock emotes for co-op, new mutations, and other things. The team starts with a base amount of energy per run, with more starting energy for each additional player. When the group finishes the run, any energy they carry is then added to their inventory in the hub. Dying reduces how much energy the player gets because the Mother Machine uses the energy to print a new body for the deceased player. However, gamers will be able to buy back energy during the run using crystals they pick up along the way.
There is still much more to uncover about Mother Machine. The game's story deals with intriguing themes like family, loneliness, sanity, and more. I look forward to seeing where the story goes and diving into online co-op when the game launches next year!
Mother Machine will arrive on PC in the first quarter of 2025. The Steam version will be fully Steam Deck compatible. Console versions are planned, but specific platforms are TBA for now.