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The Incredible Machine

Last updated: March 19, 2026

Overview

The Incredible Machine is a physics-based puzzle game where players arrange a given collection of objects in a needlessly complex fashion to perform simple tasks1. The goal of the game is to build strange complicated contraptions using the few pieces at your disposal. When you feel pretty sure that your contraption is going to work, you press the play button and wait for disaster to happen[^ref-collection]. Players must construct cause and effect contraptions with working pulleys, levers, conveyor belts, motors, balloons and more2.

The game challenges players to build elaborate contraptions using a variety of objects, all governed by real-world physics3. Each object behaves according to real-world physics, adding an extra layer of complexity4. The engine does not use a random number generator in its simulation of physics, assuring that the results for any given ‘machine’ are reproducible1. This deterministic approach meant players could experiment confidently, knowing their machines would behave consistently.

Computer Gaming World called it “fresh in concept and long on gameplay”1, while describing it as “a vintage blend of educational and entertainment software at their finest”[^ref-collection]. The magazine noted that the game reawakened “the curious, tinkering 10-year-old” in players[^ref-collection]. Few games can offer the same sense of satisfaction that comes from seeing a plan come together[^ref-collection], and The Incredible Machine delivers that experience with remarkable consistency.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

The game features a Parts Bin interface element for selecting game components6. Players can use keyboard controls, with keys 1-9 and a-g changing music in Freeform Mode2. The interface uses a point and select system with fixed/flip-screen visual perspective from a side view7.

The interface design proved intuitive for players of all ages. As one forum user recalled: “I remember a Game called The Incredible Machine… Well its a Puzzle Game where you must add little gadgets like a plank to a wall so that the little kitty cant get to the fishbowl and you must put a trampoline under a Basketball to let it bounce and go into the Net”[^ref-collection]. This simple description captures the essence of the game’s accessible yet engaging puzzle design.

Structure and Progression

The original game contains 87 puzzles5 with an additional 22 tutorial puzzles8. Players can engage in two ways: solving any one of 200 fully animated puzzles or using the level creation capabilities9. The game includes an “Easy Start” mode, likely serving as a tutorial for beginners6.

The level creation feature proved particularly influential. As one fan noted: “I think that TIM was one of the games that got me into game development. You could make your own levels, right?”[^ref-collection]. This creative freedom extended the game’s longevity far beyond its puzzle count, allowing players to craft and share their own Rube Goldberg challenges.

Puzzles and Mechanics

Typical puzzle objectives include putting a baseball into a basket or turning on a fan2. Players build monkey or mouse-powered machines, use lasers and fire fireworks, and start fires using a bowling ball and flint10. The experience of working through the stages of a solution, getting a little closer each time, is almost indescribably satisfying for anyone with the slightest hint of a tinkering spirit11.

The game description emphasizes its creative possibilities: “Want to build a better mousetrap? All it takes are bike-riding monkeys, treadmill mice and a few bowling balls. Genius and junk combine to solve the convoluted contraptions in The Incredible Machine”[^ref-collection].12

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

PublicationScoreNotes
Computer Gaming WorldPositiveCalled it “fresh in concept and long on gameplay”1
Dragon4/5 stars1993 review1
Electronic Gaming Monthly7.25/101994 review1
PC Gamer90%Gary Meredith review, 1995[^ref-collection]
MobyGames Critics82%Critics average score5
IGN8.4/10Professional review score13
All Game Guide90/100Professional review[^ref-collection]
GameSpot7.6/10Trey Walker review[^ref-collection]
GameZone80/100Professional review[^ref-collection]
Gamezebo80/100Dan Zuccarelli review[^ref-collection]

Modern Assessment

The game has maintained strong reception in modern times, with GOG.com users rating it 4.5/514 and MyAbandonware users giving it 4.42/5 based on 646 votes15. Steam users rate it “Very Positive” at 94% (92% positive from 897 reviews)[^ref-collection]. IMDb users rate it 8.3/10[^ref-collection]. Computer Gaming World retrospectively ranked it #62 in their Hall of Fame1 and awarded it Classics/Puzzles Game of the Year in 19961.

The soundtrack also received praise. One reviewer noted: “I think this was a particularly thoughtful soundtrack, for an equally thoughtfully well done game with a wide range of styles”[^ref-collection]. The music included compositions inspired by classical pieces, with arrangements by Brian Hahn, Christopher Stevens, Jan Paul Moorhead, Ken Rogers, Randy Dersham, and Timothy Steven Clarke16.17

Development

Origins

Jeff Tunnell developed The Incredible Machine after leaving Dynamix in 1990, hoping to innovate by returning to the guerrilla model of game development11. The game was designed to make STEM learning fun and accessible for students3. As one educator noted: “It has been a privilege to lead these activities with local students to show them that STEM is accessible to everyone and that it is also a lot of fun”[^ref-collection].

The concept drew inspiration from Rube Goldberg devices—those wonderfully over-engineered contraptions designed to accomplish simple tasks through absurdly complex mechanisms. Tunnell recognized the gaming potential in this concept, creating a puzzle game that rewarded both logical thinking and creative experimentation.

Production

Kevin Ryan programmed The Incredible Machine in nine months on a budget of US78,361 in 2024)1. Ryan used coding expertise and actual code from vehicular simulators built at Dynamix, getting the basic engine working within a handful of months11. The game was developed using integer-based calculations due to 1990s hardware limitations18.

The collaborative project between Kevin Ryan and Jeff Tunnell’s team resulted in Jeff Tunnell earning a patent for the game concepts1. Jeff Tunnell Productions became known as “a one-man casual/children’s game developer”[^ref-collection], though the quality of The Incredible Machine belied this modest description.

Technical Achievements

The original game required a 386SX processor, 2MB RAM, DOS 5.0+, 4.5MB hard drive space, VGA graphics, and mouse input18. The physics simulation featured simulated physical interactions, air pressure, and gravity1. The deterministic physics engine ensured reproducible results without random number generation1.

The physics engine’s consistency was crucial to the game’s appeal. Unlike games with random elements, The Incredible Machine allowed players to methodically test and refine their contraptions, knowing that identical setups would produce identical results. This made the game feel more like engineering than gambling.

Music and Sound

The game’s soundtrack contributed significantly to its charm. Composers included Brian Hahn, Christopher Stevens, Jan Paul Moorhead, Ken Rogers, Randy Dersham, and Timothy Steven Clarke16. The music drew from various sources, including arrangements of pieces by Scott Joplin and Modest Mussorgsky[^ref-collection], giving the game a whimsical, vaudeville atmosphere that complemented its mechanical aesthetic.

Legacy

Computer Gaming World noted that the game reawakened “the curious, tinkering 10-year-old” and described it as “a vintage blend of educational and entertainment software at their finest”1. TIM was described as “a genre defining franchise” by Jeff Tunnell himself19. The game spawned numerous sequels including:

  • The Even More Incredible Machine (1993) - Included all 87 puzzles from the first game plus 73 new ones, as well as new parts and music[^ref-collection]
  • The Incredible Machine 2 (1994)
  • The Incredible Machine 3 (1995)
  • Return of The Incredible Machine: Contraptions (2000)

A spiritual successor, Contraption Maker, was released in 2014 by some of the original team members20. The game’s influence can be seen in modern indie games that continue to copy this age-old formula14. One GOG reviewer noted how “many indie games continue to copy this age-old formula”[^ref-collection], testament to the game’s lasting influence on puzzle game design.

The game was selected for inclusion in “1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die”1, cementing its status as a landmark in gaming history.

Platform Ports

The game’s success led to ports across multiple platforms:

  • 3DO - Console version with enhanced graphics
  • FM Towns / FM Towns Marty - Japanese computer ports (though the Marty was criticized as “the worst of both worlds: too limited and underpowered as a computer, and too overpriced as a console”[^ref-collection])
  • Macintosh - Full port with Mac-specific optimizations
  • Amiga - European gaming platform version

Later entries in the series expanded to additional platforms including PlayStation, Xbox 360, and mobile devices (iOS, iPad, iPhone).

Digital Re-releases

The game remains available through modern digital distribution:

  • GOG.com - Part of “The Incredible Machine Mega Pack”
  • Steam - Individual and compilation packages available

One preservation issue affects the digital versions: “The original release of the game included CD-audio music, which is sadly missing from the digital re-release”[^ref-collection]. Community-created patches restore this soundtrack for players seeking the complete experience.

Purchase

Purchase / Digital Stores

Downloads

Download / Preservation

See Also

References

Footnotes

  1. Wikipedia - The Incredible Machine – Description of Rube Goldberg device gameplay and physics engine ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17

  2. Internet Archive - The Incredible Machine – Game mechanics description ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. Games Nostalgia - The Incredible Machine – Game mechanics description ↩ ↩2

  4. ClassicReload - The Incredible Machine – Game mechanics explanation ↩

  5. MobyGames - The Incredible Machine – Platform information ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  6. Internet Archive - The Incredible Machine Manual – Interface elements ↩ ↩2

  7. Pixelated Arcade – Technical specifications ↩

  8. Sierra Chest - The Incredible Machine – Tutorial puzzle information ↩

  9. GameFAQs - The Incredible Machine – Game mode description ↩

  10. TV Tropes - The Incredible Machine – Gameplay mechanics description ↩

  11. The Digital Antiquarian - The Incredible Machine – Gameplay analysis ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  12. Abandonware DOS - The Incredible Machine – Gameplay description ↩

  13. IGN - Return of The Incredible Machine – Professional review score ↩

  14. GOG.com - The Incredible Machine Mega Pack – User ratings ↩ ↩2

  15. MyAbandonware - The Incredible Machine – User ratings ↩

  16. MobyGames - Credits – Music composers ↩ ↩2

  17. Steam – Steam user ratings ↩

  18. PCGamingWiki - The Incredible Machine – Hardware limitations ↩ ↩2

  19. Dynamix Wiki - The Incredible Machine – Jeff Tunnell quote ↩

  20. Steam - Contraption Maker – Spiritual successor information ↩

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