Programming Games #1 - M.A.R.I. and the Crazy Factory

Some of you may know that I am a full-time programmer. So it's high time to take a look at a less known game mechanic: programming games. But don't worry, you don't have to learn an abstract programming language and you don't have to deal with variables, objects or serialization. Programming games are almost always about defining an algorithm to reach a certain solution step by step. Even if this sounds complicated, it's actually quite simple: we tell the robot which steps to perform one after the other. This is exactly what M.A.R.I. and the crazy factory is about.

The Mobile Autonomous Robot Iintelligence has awakened after a heavy thunderstorm in a robot factory. The storm has caused some damage in the factory, which must be repaired quickly. Our task in the chaos is to find and repair the control center on the top floor. Sounds like it could be a long journey - so let's get going!

Initiate start sequence

M.A.R.I. and the Crazy Factory is a solo game that is indicated on the box with a playing time of 5 - 30 minutes. Forty different levels with increasing difficulty want to be explored and mastered. All levels as well as instructions, solutions and help are on cards. Besides these cards, the action tiles and of course M.A.R.I. itself are in the small box. There is no such thing as a game structure. Just pick out the level card and the action tiles on it and you're ready to go.

Step by step

Each action tile has an action printed on it that M.A.R.I. can perform. Each time an action tile is placed, the direct execution begins. As soon as two action tiles are in the row, both instructions are executed one after the other. It doesn't matter if the action tiles are placed at the beginning, at the end or in the middle of the row. Per level there is always a certain number of tiles that have to be used. Besides the "standard actions" like one or two steps forward, turn right or left, wait and stop, there are some more special actions that give the player more options for the higher levels:

• Double Action - the next action in the series is performed twice.
• Hack - a door is moved if you have collected the key chip beforehand
• Zigzag - M.A.R.I. is turned by 90°. After that, the tile is turned to the other side (so this means that at each execution of the row M.A.R.I. makes a turn in the other direction)

M.A.R.I. cannot move over the yellow edges of obstacles or walls. If this is the case, the level is lost. If M.A.R.I. has reached the target field and completed all tasks on the way, the level is won.

Factory repaired

Ooops, that's not going to be easy, was my first thought when I drove M.A.R.I. into the wall twice in the third level. The fact that the instructions are executed after every move gives the little robot a lot of possibilities to give commands. The order is also important. You quickly place the first tile and only realize at the end that the plan can't work out at all. Foresighted planning is the order of the day. From the 10th level on, you usually can't get through the game in one go, but don't worry: there are helpful tips for each level, and if you get stuck, there's also a solution.

The age recommendation of 10 years is quite appropriate, but even if M.A.R.I. und die verrückte Fabrik is declared as a solo game, it works just as well with two or three players. After all, puzzling is also possible together and then also with younger children. The game material is nicely illustrated and the whole thing comes in a narrow box that fits into a backpack without any problems. The game also takes up very little space on the table and can thus be played well on the go, for example, on the train.

So if you enjoy puzzles and challenges, you get a lot of game in a small space and should definitely take a trip to the crazy factory! And if you still don't have enough after the 40 levels, you can print out bonus levels at the following address: mari.lifestyle-boardgames.com/bonus

The move

To show you the flow of the game we have packed the first level into moving pictures (sorry - german only):