Mad Machines: Time Machine (Milan)

I wish we had more time!

A knight? An empress? A pharaoh? Or maybe just humble slaves? Who would you have been in another era? Finally you will discover this thanks to the extraordinary invention of Dr. Mad.

Choose to travel in the period you have always dreamed of and contribute to rewriting a piece of history *

* The chosen era is not guaranteed.

Mad Machines are a company that have been on our radar for a little while now; well, frankly, since 2022, when not just one, but both of their games debuted on the TERPECA list, at 4 (Birth Machine) and 39 (Time Machine), respectively. Since 2022, the games have slipped down the rankings, but as of 2024, are both still ranking in the top 100 games in the world, according the enthusiasts.

Needless to say, a trip to Milan has been in the cards for a while. And when we found that flying to Spain via Milan was actually going to work out cheaper than flying direct, well it seemed silly not to. (Also slightly insane, but that’s beside the point.) And so we dusted off our passports and booked ourselves 20 hours in Milan, from landing to take-off.

We did start the day with a bit of sightseeing, and after a very pleasant walk through the city and along the canal from the Duomo di Milano, we found ourselves outside Mad Machines, with the perfect amount of time to grab a pizza from across the street at Ristorante Sale Rosa, which was an excellent recommendation from a fellow enthusiast.

Prior to our arrival, Dr Mad’s assistant, Sonia, had contacted us with all of the instructions we would need to enter Mad Machines, and at 3pm exactly, we entered our code, and found ourselves in one of the funkiest reception areas we’ve visited to date. Time Machine isn’t exactly a cold start, but it’s also certainly not your usual meet and greet with a GM.

Once our belongings were securely stored in the provided lockers, and the GDPR/waiver filled out, the light above the door turned green, and we stepped through to receive our pre-game briefing. But it was so much more than that, and we had some tasks to complete before we could even get to the briefing!

IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN

With the pre-game tasks complete (and honestly, this is possibly my favourite method of receiving the rules and health and safety information I have ever encountered), it was time to meet our games master, Michaela, and get on with the main event.

Mad Machines’ Time Machine isn’t our first adventure through time, nor is it likely to be our last. But it was an adventure, nevertheless. While everything leading up to actually entering the Time Machine was absolutely delightful, it was in the machine itself where things really got underway.

Crucially for an adventure through time, nothing within the world felt anachronistic or out of place. Everything just sort of fit, and the puzzles evolved almost organically from the surroundings. The game itself was rather whimsical and playful, and although there are enough seats to travel through time with up to six players, the linear structure of the game lends itself much better to a smaller team – particularly if that team is experienced.

The Time Machine is an excellent example of a classic escape game. The set was a beautiful space to spend time in, with plenty of atmosphere. The narrative is present, but it isn’t an overly story driven game. Instead, the narrative moments were used to create obstacles and help set the pace and give structure to the game.

PUZZLES

Observation, logic, and team work are crucial to success in the Time Machine. Paradoxically simple, and yet complex, the tasks we encountered were a joy to solve, with plenty of incredibly satisfying “Ah Ha!” moments that made me smile every step of the way, thanks to their diegetic, if slightly mad, nature.

Looking back at it, I’m not convinced there were all that many puzzles in Time Machine. It certainly wasn’t overloaded with content, although it also wasn’t especially sparse either. But the puzzles that were there were excellent, and were combined with other more playful activities that were just simply fun, giving the game plenty of variety and providing players with the opportunity to just, well, play, for lack of a better word.

GM/CLUE SYSTEM

The process of asking for help in Time Machine is actually really quite lovely. For one thing, it’s almost a mini-puzzle on its own (it’s very simple, don’t worry). But for another, at least two people in the team need to agree that a clue is needed. In a team of two, if you don’t agree to work together to request assistance, well, there’s no way for one person to ask on their own anyway. But once you agree, Dr Mad is quick to help out with a nudge on the screen of the Time Machine.

We didn’t have much direct interaction with our host, Michaela, but the interactions we did have were lovely. She was friendly and enthusiastic, without being over the top. Plus, she was great at her job, sending through help when requested instantly (or sounding the rather terrifying alarm when Gord did something he shouldn’t).

ANYTHING ELSE

With two games that both boast some solid puzzles, great sets, and plenty of whimsical fun, it’s definitely worth a visit to Mad Machines if you find yourself in Milan. Of the two games currently available at the venue, Time Machine was our preferred experience, but it’s a tough call to make.

Were they worth our completely mad idea to spend 20 hours in Milan en-route to Spain? Eh, I’ll let you know when I’ve recovered from my sleep deprivation.

Success/Failed

Final Rating:

Team: 2 Players

Address: Via Ambrogio Binda, 7, 20143 Milano MI, Italy

Website:http://www.madmachines.it/