I’m generally pretty picky when it comes to roguelikes, but I also really adore cute-looking platformers, so when I was first introduced to Mother Machine, a co-op side-scrolling platformer roguelike from the eponymous Berlin indie Maschinen-Mensch, I was both immediately intrigued and very curious. How do these sub-genres blend? Can they? And how can this be done in a way that appeals to both sides of its same coin, particularly with randomly generated maps?
Needless to say I was pretty eager to take a few of these questions to the devs. We chatted with Creative Director Johannes Kristmann, who talks about the origin of his studio and its latest game, how these seemingly disparate game styles come together, and even a little bit about what might be next for the platformer – and even for the studio’s next multiplayer game.
MassivelyOP: Who is Maschinen-Mensch?
Maschinen-Mensch’s Johannes Kristmann: Maschinen-Mensch is a small game development studio of around 20 people based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 2014 by two former AAA developers, Riad Djemili and myself, Johannes Kristmann. Since then, we have been working on multiple smaller but increasingly ambitious projects. The core DNA of our studio lies in exploring the possibilities of integrating sophisticated procedural generation with gameplay-relevant systems.
What sort of things inspired the studio to come up with Mother Machine? Was it a love of platformers? A desire to do something different in the roguelike sub-genre?
After working on Curious Expedition 1 and 2, I wanted to develop a game that offered more immediate fun and a greater sense of physicality, compared to the relatively dry, turn-based nature of our previous projects. Platformers—especially those with a heavier, more realistic feel—have always fascinated me. The prospect of applying our expertise in procedural generation to the platformer genre was particularly intriguing.
Watching gameplay footage, I can certainly see some possible inspiration; Mother Machine looks a bit like a Donkey Kong Country or Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. How well do you think that will translate to a roguelike title?
Well spotted! I’ve played a lot of games for research, and the Donkey Kong series has certainly been a major influence. I believe the roguelike formula—or at least elements of it, as I interpret them—fits well with platformers. Exploring a procedurally generated world full of emergent surprises, combined with joyful movement mechanics, works incredibly well!
What excites me most is the variety of situations that can arise from the physicality of the game world and platformer gameplay. The feeling of experiencing something truly unique—moments that happen only to you—is one of the aspects I love about roguelikes. Seeing these moments unfold in a real-time, physics-driven environment feels incredibly special and is deeply satisfying to explore as a game developer.
On the whole, what sort of skill floor and skill ceiling do you think Mother Machine is trying for? Is this for serious platformer fans or is this a little bit more approachable in general?
I would say that Mother Machine definitely leans toward a more approachable design. There are already plenty of ultra-tight, nail-biting platformers that test precision, reflexes, and frustration tolerance. With Mother Machine, I didn’t feel the need to add to that.
Instead, I aimed to create something that encourages a more thoughtful, strategic approach to challenges. Players encounter situations that invite creative solutions and allow for multiple approaches, rather than demanding perfect timing to execute a predetermined sequence crafted by the designer. I love seeing players experiment with the game world, their abilities, and the possible combinations they can discover together. This kind of free-form problem-solving is exactly what I’m striving for with Mother Machine.
There’s very obviously a playful nature to the characters players control, but then the trailers also suggest that there are some dark secrets hiding. Without spoiling too much, can players expect a sort of narrative tonal shift from fun-loving yet destructive gremlins to some sort of darker overtones?
Yes, absolutely! While the gameplay and major themes of the game are playful and comedic, the story that unfolds throughout the campaign included in the base game touches on some fairly mature topics. I believe this introduction to the world of Mother Machine lays the foundation for a rich, intriguing, and deep lore.
The contrast between the quirky, chaotic gremlins and the serious themes explored in the narrative creates fascinating dynamics that I hope we can expand on even further in the future.
What sort of ways will Mother Machine keep random map generation from making platforming a bit too hard to do?
Getting gameplay-relevant procedural generation right is incredibly challenging. We’ve been developing procedural games since 2014, and the experience we’ve accumulated over the years is what drives the world generation design in Mother Machine.
The secret sauce lies in the granularity—where procedural generation begins and how it’s balanced with hand-crafted elements. Without diving too deep into the details (though I hope to one day, not too far in the future), the caves of Mother Machine are built from hand-designed pieces that are procedurally stitched together and populated with gameplay elements.
What is the studio’s idea of a well-balanced platformer, especially since characters can mutate their little gremlin? Do you think you’ve got a good mixture of abilities that allow for multiple playstyles or has there been any indicator that something is a required selection?
Since we never know which mutation a player has chosen—or what combination of mutations a group might have in a multiplayer round—we ensure that the main path through a cave never requires a specific mutation. However, many side routes and optional rewards do encourage more sophisticated approaches.
That said, players won’t always need a specific mutation to overcome an obstacle generated in their path. Mutations aren’t the only tools at their disposal—creative use of environmental elements or combining mutations between multiple players can lead to unexpected solutions.
Our goal for a well-balanced platformer is to pair a joyful, satisfying core movement system with the freedom to experiment and get creative within the physical playground our levels provide.
How did the Steam Next Fest demo go?
We are very happy with the results of the demo. Seeing a wave of new players and activity is incredibly rewarding, especially after working on the game in relative isolation for the past few years. Finally having our creation in the hands of so many players—and watching how they overcome obstacles (or break the game)—is absolutely exhilarating.
The blurb posted on Steam suggested that navigating levels doesn’t have a single solution. Does that mean there are multiple puzzles or paths, or do the levels generate in such a way that, for example, one tunnel has more obstacles while another has more things to fight through?
Yes and yes! Depending on the generation, the cave can split into multiple parallel paths, each offering different challenges. Additionally, the optional rewards introduce obstacles that never have a single solution but instead encourage a myriad of creative approaches.
As a player, I really dislike when a game presents a challenge where I’m expected to decipher the designer’s intention and simply execute their idea. I want the freedom to play, experiment, and come up with my own crazy solutions to navigate a world full of obstacles and challenges. And I’m confident that with Mother Machine’s level generation, we’ve achieved exactly that.
What sort of mechanics will Mother Machine offer in order to keep folks trying and playing? Will there be challenge modes or leaderboards or additional level tiles?
First and foremost, there are many different mutations for players to experiment with. Each one grants a unique active ability that significantly impacts how you play the game and what role you take in a group. Finding the mutation that best suits your playstyle is engaging on its own, but the real depth comes from how it interacts with other players’ mutations. The size of your group also plays a major role—whether you’re part of a small duo, a full four-player expedition, or venturing out alone, forced to survive without any additional help.
Beyond that, Mother Machine has a highly modular structure. The base game will launch with one biome, a story campaign, and a set of mutations for you to unlock. It will be available at a very affordable price, giving you a chance to try it out and see if the core gameplay resonates with you.
If you enjoy it, we’ll offer an additional DLC at launch, featuring a custom biome, unique enemies, new platforming mechanics, and even more mutations to experiment with. We have big plans for Mother Machine, but as a small team, we needed a structure that allows us to expand the game over time. You can expect more DLCs in the future, giving players the option to further extend their experience with additional content.
Let’s say, best case scenario, Mother Machine is a smash hit and people are clamoring for more. Obviously this is looking far forward into the future, but would the studio consider making expansion packs for Mother Machine or would it just go on to a full-blown sequel?
We’re fully committed to expanding Mother Machine with additional expansion packs. There are countless ideas and exciting directions we could explore—not just in terms of unique platforming mechanics and gameplay, but also in expanding the lore and deepening the story of our little chaos gremlins and their mechanical mother.
This is another question that arguably might not be possible to answer, but I am curious what other kinds of games Maschinen-Mensch plotting? Can we expect more multiplayer titles? Perhaps something larger scale? I write for an MMORPG site, so I have to ask!
Fair point! Did you know we actually experimented with an MMO in the past with Curious Expedition: Rivals?
After experiencing the excitement of designing for multiplayer, I think it would be really difficult for us to return to strictly single-player games. Personally, I’m very interested in working on a full-fledged MMO—some of my fondest gaming memories come from the early days of the genre, when everything felt possible. Ultima Online left a deep and lasting impression on me.
I don’t know what the future holds in that regard, but if we get to fully realize our vision for Mother Machine, I’m confident you’ll have plenty of opportunities to keep reporting on the game in the future!
