CRAZY MACHINES 3 REVIEW: RUBE GOLDBERG PARADISE OR PUZZLE PURGATORY?
Crazy Machines 3 is all about building ridiculous Rube Goldberg contraptions to accomplish simple tasks in the most complicated way possible. It gives you that wonderful "AHA!" moment when your ridiculous machine actually works!
TL;DR:
Hey there, beautiful people! How's it going? Josh Bailey here from 2tonwaffle.com coming at you with another deep dive into a game that's been sitting in my Steam library for way too long. You know how it is – you grab those Humble Bundle deals thinking "what a steal!" and then BAM, two years later you've got like 120 games you've never even installed. Well, today I'm tackling one of those backlog beauties: Crazy Machines 3.
WHAT THE HECK IS THIS GAME ANYWAY?
So Crazy Machines 3 is essentially a physics-based puzzle game where you're building these elaborate Rube Goldberg contraptions to accomplish usually simple tasks in the most complicated way possible. If you've never heard of Rube Goldberg machines before (I initially called them "Rude Goldberg" on stream like an idiot – classic Josh moment), they're those ridiculous chain-reaction machines where like, a marble rolls down a track, hits a domino, which falls onto a lever, which launches a basketball, which lands on a pressure plate... you get the idea.
The whole premise is basically "how can we make turning on a light switch take 47 steps and involve a stuffed bunny?" And honestly? I'm here for it.
GETTING STARTED: TUTORIALS THAT DON'T MAKE YOU WANT TO DIE
First thing I do with any new game – check out the options menu. That's where you learn if a developer actually cares about PC gamers. Crazy Machines 3 has your standard graphics, audio, and control options, plus some Steam Workshop integration, which we'll get to later.
The game eases you in with a tutorial that's actually pretty decent. Look, I've played games where the tutorial feels like being thrown into the deep end with cement shoes, but Crazy Machines 3 takes a more gradual approach. You start with super simple tasks – "push this button to open a garage door" – but before you know it, you're sorting different colored balls into separate containers or figuring out how to get a basketball to launch into a hoop using an elaborate sequence of dominoes, levers, and what appears to be a UFO. No, I'm not kidding.
GAMEPLAY: USING YOUR NOGGIN (AND SOMETIMES BANGING IT AGAINST THE WALL)
The core gameplay loop is pretty straightforward. You're given a partially completed machine and a specific goal, like "get the green ball through the green ring." Then you're handed an inventory of parts – could be dominoes, ramps, conveyor belts, motors, gears, whatever – and you've gotta figure out how to place them to complete the contraption.
What makes this game both amazing and infuriating is that there's often more than one solution to a puzzle. Sometimes I'd spend 15 minutes trying to get a specific approach to work, only to realize there was a much simpler way of doing it. The game gives you this wonderful "AHA!" moment when everything finally clicks into place and your ridiculous contraption actually works.
But man, some of these puzzles will have you scratching your head for a good while. I found myself mumbling "okay, so if the ball goes here, and then that knocks over this, but then how do I get it over THERE?" more times than I'd like to admit. The physics are pretty reliable though, which means when you fail, it usually feels like it's on you, not the game being janky.
CONTROLS: PIXEL-PERFECT PLACEMENT PROBLEMS
If I had to pick one thing that occasionally drove me up the wall, it's the precision required for placing objects. Sometimes you'll have two gears that need to connect, but if they're like two pixels too far apart, they won't mesh together. And the game doesn't always make it clear when objects are properly connected or not.
There were a few times where I was 100% sure I had everything placed correctly, only to hit the "play" button and watch my machine fail spectacularly because some component wasn't quite where it needed to be. It can be a bit finicky, especially when you're dealing with the gear mechanics – those things drove me absolutely bonkers during the tutorial.
GRAPHICS AND SOUND: NOTHING MIND-BLOWING, BUT IT WORKS
Graphically, Crazy Machines 3 isn't going to make your GPU sweat, but it doesn't need to. The visuals are clean and functional, which is exactly what you want in a puzzle game. You can clearly see all the components, the physics interactions are visualized well, and there's enough variety in the environments to keep things interesting.
The sound design is similarly serviceable. Satisfying clicks and clacks when objects interact, appropriate whooshes when things fly through the air – it all works together to make your contraptions feel tangible. The background music is pretty forgettable, but honestly, you'll be so focused on your puzzle that you probably won't even notice it after a while.
DEPTH AND PROGRESSION: FROM SIMPLE CLICKS TO BRAIN-MELTING MADNESS
What impresses me most about Crazy Machines 3 is how it gradually introduces complexity. Like any good puzzle game, it starts you off with basic concepts before layering on additional mechanics. By the time you're a few hours in, you're juggling multiple physics interactions simultaneously and feeling like some kind of galaxy-brain engineer.
The difficulty curve is generally pretty fair, though there are occasionally puzzles that feel significantly harder than the ones that came before. One minute you're happily guiding balls through tubes, and the next minute you're trying to calculate trajectories like you're planning a Mars landing. But that's part of the fun – the challenge ramps up just when you think you've mastered everything.
WORKSHOP AND COMMUNITY: ENDLESS PUZZLE POSSIBILITIES
Remember when I mentioned Steam Workshop integration? This is where Crazy Machines 3 really extends its value. The built-in puzzle creator lets you design your own contraptions from scratch, and you can share them with the community or download other people's creations.
Some of the community-made puzzles are absolutely insane – I'm talking contraptions that make the developer-designed ones look like child's play. If you exhaust all the official content (which would take quite a while), there's basically an endless supply of new challenges waiting in the Workshop.
THE VERDICT: IS IT WORTH YOUR TIME AND MONEY?
So here's the deal – if you're someone who enjoys puzzles that make you think outside the box and don't mind occasional frustration in the name of that sweet, sweet dopamine hit when you finally solve something tricky, Crazy Machines 3 is absolutely worth picking up. Especially if you can snag it on sale or in a bundle (which is how I got it – thanks, Humble Bundle!).
The game shines brightest when you're staring at a seemingly impossible scenario, tinkering with different approaches, and finally finding that perfect solution that sets off your elaborate contraption without a hitch. There's something undeniably satisfying about watching a sequence of events unfold exactly as you planned – even if it took you twenty attempts to get there.
On the flip side, if you're someone who gets easily frustrated by trial-and-error gameplay or doesn't have the patience for precision placement, you might want to look elsewhere. This isn't a game you can mindlessly play while half-watching Netflix – it demands your attention and brainpower.
For me, I'm giving Crazy Machines 3 a solid 3.5/5 waffles. It knows exactly what it wants to be and executes on that vision nearly perfectly, with just a few control frustrations holding it back from true greatness.
FINAL THOUGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
If you're into Crazy Machines 3, you might also enjoy games like Bridge Constructor Portal, The Incredible Machine (the spiritual predecessor to this series), or even Besiege if you want something with a bit more destruction. They all scratch that same "build something complicated to do something simple" itch.
At the end of the day, there's something almost meditative about the process of building these machines. You focus so intently on this one specific problem that everything else fades away. It's like mechanical mindfulness – which sounds like the world's most boring self-help book, but I swear it's a real thing!
Alright, beautiful people, that's my take on Crazy Machines 3. If you've played it, drop a comment below with your thoughts or your most ridiculous creation. And if you haven't played it yet but decide to pick it up based on this review, let me know how it goes! Until next time, this is Josh from 2tonwaffle.com signing off. Later taters!
FAQ: CRAZY MACHINES 3
1. What type of game is Crazy Machines 3?
Crazy Machines 3 is a physics-based puzzle game where you build Rube Goldberg machines - elaborate contraptions designed to accomplish simple tasks through chain reactions. You'll use dominoes, levers, gears, balloons, and other objects to solve increasingly complex puzzles.
2. How difficult is the learning curve?
The game starts with simple tutorials that introduce basic mechanics before gradually ramping up complexity. Most players can grasp the fundamentals quickly, but later puzzles can become quite challenging, requiring creative thinking and precision.
3. What makes it different from other puzzle games?
The physics simulation and component variety set it apart. Unlike many puzzle games with fixed solutions, Crazy Machines 3 often allows multiple approaches to solving each puzzle, encouraging experimentation and creative problem-solving.
4. How many hours of gameplay does it offer?
The main campaign provides roughly 8-12 hours of gameplay, depending on your puzzle-solving skills. However, with the Steam Workshop integration providing user-created content, you essentially have unlimited gameplay potential.
5. Is the Steam Workshop content worth exploring?
Absolutely! The community has created thousands of additional puzzles ranging from simple to mind-bendingly complex. The Workshop extends the game's lifespan significantly and offers fresh challenges long after you've completed the official content.
6. What are the most frustrating aspects of the game?
The precision required for component placement can be frustrating, particularly with gear mechanisms. Sometimes objects need to be placed in exact positions to function properly, which can lead to trial-and-error gameplay that tests your patience.
7. What similar games would I enjoy if I like Crazy Machines 3?
If you enjoy Crazy Machines 3, check out Bridge Constructor Portal, The Incredible Machine series, Besiege, or Contraption Maker. All feature similar physics-based puzzle-solving with different thematic twists.
8. Is it worth the full price or should I wait for a sale?
While it's definitely worth playing, Crazy Machines 3 frequently appears in Steam sales and bundles at significant discounts. Unless you're itching for this specific type of puzzle game immediately, waiting for a sale is probably the way to go.
9. What kind of system requirements does it have?
The game is not particularly demanding by today's standards. Most modern computers (even modest laptops) should run it without issues. It's more about puzzle-solving than graphics processing power.
10. Would this game be appropriate for children interested in engineering or physics?
Absolutely! It's a fantastic educational tool disguised as entertainment. Kids can learn basic physics principles, cause and effect relationships, and problem-solving skills while having fun. The interface is intuitive enough for younger players with some basic reading skills, though they might need help with more complex puzzles.
