''Samorost'' is a

puzzle A puzzle is a game, Problem solving, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together (Disentanglement puzzle, or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to arrive at th ...

point-and-click adventure game developed by

Amanita Design Amanita Design is a Czech independent video game developing company founded in 2003 by Jakub Dvorský and headquartered in Brno, Czech Republic. The company has created award-winning games including ''Machinarium'', the ''Samorost'' series and ...

. The first game of the ''Samorost'' series was released in 2003 for free on the Amanita Design website. Two sequels were released, ''

Samorost 2 ''Samorost 2'' is a puzzle point-and-click adventure game developed by Amanita Design. Released for Microsoft Windows, OS X and Linux on 8 December 2005, the game is the second video game title in the ''Samorost'' series and the sequel to ''Sa ...

'' in 2005 and ''

Samorost 3 ''Samorost 3'' is a puzzle point-and-click adventure game developed by Amanita Design. It is the third video game title in the ''Samorost'' series and the sequel to '' Samorost 2''. It is the first game in the series that is full-length and with ...

'' in 2016. The game was remastered and released on May 20, 2021, for

Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...

and

macOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...

for free.

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...

and

Android Android may refer to: Science and technology * Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system ** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...

ports were also made.

Gameplay

The player interacts with the world with a simple point and click interface directing a small, white-clad humanoid with a little cap and brown boots (called simply "gnome" by Dvorsky). The goal of the ''Samorost'' games is to solve a series of

s and

brain teaser A brain teaser is a form of puzzle that requires thought to solve. It often requires thinking in unconventional ways with given constraints in mind; sometimes it also involves lateral thinking. Logic puzzles and riddles are specific types of br ...

s. The puzzles are sequentially linked forming an adventure story. The game contains no

inventory Inventory (American English) or stock (British English) refers to the goods and materials that a business holds for the ultimate goal of resale, production or utilisation. Inventory management is a discipline primarily about specifying the shap ...

dialogue Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literary and theatrical form that depicts such an exchange. As a philosophical or didactic device, it is c ...

, and the solving of puzzles mainly consists of clicking on-screen elements in the correct order. Solving a puzzle will immediately transport the

player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...

to the next screen. The game features surrealistic, organic scenarios that mix natural and technological concepts (often featuring manipulated photographs of small objects made to look very large), creative character designs and a unique musical atmosphere. Music tracks are available through

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

Plot

The game starts as Gnome looks through telescope in his House. He suddenly spots a planet moving towards his home planet. He goes to his airship Polokonzerva and flies to the Planet. He lands on the planet and after some adventures he finds an engine room of the planet. He changes the planet's course so it narrowly misses Home Planet. Gnome then returns home as cheering is heard.

Development

''Samorost'' was created by

Jakub Dvorský Jakub Dvorský (born August 19, 1978) is a designer and video game creator from Brno, Czech Republic. In 2003, he founded Amanita Design, a small independent game developing studio based in the Czech Republic. Life and career Between 1994–1997 ...

while he was a student at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

, in the department of Graphic Design and Visual Communication in 2003. Although short and simplistic in its gameplay, its surreal graphics and memorable score made the game stand out. The object of the game is to avert a collision between the

gnome A gnome is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature. Its characte ...

's home planet and a large incoming spaceship. ''Samorost'' was nominated for the Webby Award in 2004 and the Top Talent Award in 2003.

Etymology

Samorost is a Czech word that is used to describe objects sculpted from discarded wood (roots, trunks, branches, etc.), usually for decorative purposes. The protagonist of the game lives on an asteroid that resembles such an object. Another meaning of 'samorost' is "maverick." The word is composed of the parts '' samo-'' ("self, auto-") and ''rost'' (form of ''růst'', "to grow"). This could also be translated as "vagabond," "self-identifier," "individualist," or "wanderer," especially in the context of the protagonist.

Soundtrack

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

for the

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

''Samorost'' was "selected by

's founder Jakub Dvorský from various sources". It wasn't officially released on any format; however, it was ripped from the game by a fan and uploaded to the internet. Composer

Floex Tomáš Dvořák, known professionally as Floex, is a contemporary Czech composer, clarinetist, producer, DJ, and multimedia artist. He is best known for his work with indie game studio Amanita Design. loex.cz Official website/ref> Dvořák relea ...

provided music for the 2021 remaster.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2003 video games Adventure games Amanita Design games Flash games Freeware games Independent Games Festival winners Indie video games Linux games Point-and-click adventure games Video games developed in the Czech Republic Video games set on fictional planets Windows games MacOS games Art games Single-player video games