''Samorost'' is a

puzzle A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to find the solution of the puzzle. There are differe ...

point-and-click adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an Interactive storytelling, interactive story, driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus ...

developed by

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

. The first game of the ''Samorost'' series was released in 2003 for free on the Amanita Design website. Two sequels were released, '' Samorost 2'' in 2005 and '' Samorost 3'' in 2016. The game was remastered and released on May 20, 2021, for

Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

and

macOS macOS, previously OS X and originally Mac OS X, is a Unix, Unix-based operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. With ...

for free.

iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...

and Android ports were also made.

Gameplay

The player interacts with the world with a simple

point and click Point and click are one of the actions of a computer user moving a pointer to a certain location on a screen (''pointing'') and then pressing a button on a mouse or other pointing device (''click''). An example of point and click is in hypermed ...

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 ...

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

inventory Inventory (British English) or stock (American English) is a quantity of 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 ...

dialogue Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American and British English spelling differences, American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literature, literary and theatrical form that depicts suc ...

, 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 (arts), 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 tha ...

to the next screen. The game features

surrealistic Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

, 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 media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

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 while he was a student at the

Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague The Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (AAAD, , abbreviated VŠUP, also known as UMPRUM) is a public university located in Prague, Czech Republic. The university offers the study disciplines of painting, illustration and graphics, ...

, 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, introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and widely adopted by authors, including those of modern fantasy literature. They are typically depict ...

's home planet and a large incoming spaceship. ''Samorost'' was nominated for the

Webby Award The Webby Awards (colloquially referred to as the Webbys) are awards for excellence on the Internet presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over three thousand industry experts a ...

in 2004 and the Top Talent Award in 2003.

Etymology

Samorost is a

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

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 a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

for the

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

''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 provided music for the 2021 remaster.

Notes

References

External links

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