Samorost 3

Lore & Background

Development of Samorost 3 started in 2010, with a team of about six people. The developers drew artistic inspiration from animated films by Czech directors such as Karel Zeman, Jan Švankmajer, Jiří Barta, and Břetislav Pojar, as well as films by Russian animator Yuriy Norshteyn. The game consists of 45 screens that were changed many times during development. Sound recording was an important part of development, created by people making weird noises into microphones, including Bára Kratochvílová and Miloš Dvořáček. Other sounds were created by Tomáš Dvořák using multiple instruments, such as a lollipop used to strum. Dvořák also composed the music for the game. Samorost 3 was released on 24 March 2016 for Steam and 3 December 2016 for Android.

The game features gameplay similar to previous Amanita Design games, with no comprehensible dialogue, only a system of animated thought bubbles and gibberish. The player controls Gnome on his journey through space, equipped with an inventory and a flute. He explores the environment, solves puzzles, and collects items. The player can also use a flute required to solve some puzzles. Samorost 3 includes a walkthrough accessible at any time by playing a minigame, presented as a series of sketches describing the puzzle and its solution.

The plot begins when a magical flute falls near the Gnome's house. The Gnome sets out to find its origin, speaking to an engineer who builds a toadstool rocket from reused parts. The Gnome flies from planet to planet, helping creatures with the flute. He eventually discovers two illustrated books revealing that the flute belongs to four monks. A giant orange space octopus arrived from a black wormhole and started consuming planets. The monks built a three-headed watering spaceship and a mechanical knight to fight the octopus. The knight kills the octopus, then sleeps on a moon. Later, one monk uses his flute to create evil spirits, is banished, steals the spaceship, converts it into a dragon, and snatches the other flutes. One flute flew away and landed on the Gnome's planet. The Gnome eventually reaches the monks' planet, steals a black orb from the evil monk, revives the knight, who slays the dragon. The Gnome celebrates with the remaining monks, receives the power to travel instantly, and returns home to greet his dog.

Reader's Guide

Samorost 3 holds a score of 80/100 on Metacritic. The Washington Post called it 'a strange and beautiful point-and-click adventure game,' likening it to Loom and praising its animation, surrealistic visuals, and hint system. PC Gamer praised its surrealness, calling it 'a worthy next step in the evolution of Amanita Design.' Destructoid highly recommended it, stating it is 'jam-packed with delightful characters, stunning scenery, and clever puzzles.' GameSpot praised its distinctive visual style, world, and soundtrack while criticizing bland puzzles. Kill Screen called it 'The best adventure game in years,' praising its design and explorative gameplay. Kotaku included it in its list of titles with the best video game music of 2016. The game was nominated for the 13th annual Global International Mobile Gaming Awards in 2017. It was nominated for 6 Czech Game of the Year Awards in categories including Best Game, Best PC/Console Game, Best Audio, Best Game Design, Best Story, and Best Visuals. The winners were announced on 10 February 2016, and Samorost 3 won in three categories: Czech game of the year, Czech game of the year for PC/Consoles, and Best audio, making it the most successful game at that awards show.

Did You Know?

• Samorost 3 was developed by a team of about six people.
• The game's sounds were created by people making weird noises into microphones, including Bára Kratochvílová and Miloš Dvořáček.
• Tomáš Dvořák used a lollipop to strum instruments to create sounds for the game.
• The game includes a walkthrough accessible by playing a minigame, presented as sketches rather than text or speech.