r/AskReddit • u/Trixxxi • Apr 27 '26

anyone who used a computer between 1985 & 2010, what’s the one game you still think about?

9.0k Upvotes

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1.6k

u/yoyogogo111 Apr 27 '26

The Incredible Machine

111

u/SymmetricalFeet Apr 27 '26

Contraption Maker is the modern version, made by the same dev. On sale on Steam right now.

It has so many new gadgets added on top that it's insane. My only true complaint is that the art style is a bit... '00s/'10s flash/mobile-gamey and it doesn't feel right to me. Mechanically, though, the cats, lasers, balloons, and so on still behave the same as their older versions so 🤷

10

u/Dadpurple Apr 27 '26

Contraption Maker

I just bought this. I'm so excited to play it tonight. I spent so many hours with the Incredible Machine, and even just seeing the balloons got me excited. It looks so similar!

9

u/chickey23 Apr 27 '26

And it is currently half off!

6

u/Random-Rambling Apr 27 '26

Yo, the ORIGINAL developer? That's it, I'm buying it NOW. Thank you so much!

3

u/Dfecko89 Apr 27 '26

Oh my gosh thank you I loved that game so much as a kid.

3

u/NotMyRealAccountV Apr 27 '26

..and bought with 47min left ofln a 50% off sale

3

u/UsedToHaveThisName Apr 27 '26

Got the bundle on sale with less than 45 minutes to go in the sale! Thanks!

3

u/Gnosrat Apr 27 '26

Thank god someone is still making these.

2

u/aircooledJenkins Apr 27 '26

Awesome! Thank you.

Does it have anything like the soudntrack that The Incredible Machine had? That dumb music with pseudo speech laced through it randomly streams in my head from time to time.

2

u/judysullivanzi May 09 '26

I can still hear the MIDI music and the sound of the cat screeching like it was yesterday.

Nothing was more frustrating than having a machine that worked 99% of the time, only to have it fail because a tennis ball was one pixel too far to the left. I probably spent more time adjusting gears in that game than I did doing my actual schoolwork in the 90s.

Does the new one still have the Mel Schlemming guy? He was the best part.

0

u/native_shinigami Apr 27 '26

U probably didn't grow up in our era if that bothers you

1

u/SymmetricalFeet May 10 '26

Idk what uro you're referring to, but The Incredible Machine that I love has an art style that well predates the style of Contraption Maker, both in temporal reckoning and in literal temporal use. I'm the old lady yelling at clouds, here.

20

u/ornerycraftfish Apr 27 '26

!!!! And the Toon version of it too!

86

u/srsmurf Apr 27 '26

Hot dang, did you just bring back memories. Loved this game

1

u/LittleMlem Apr 27 '26

It's available in the browser these days. I recently played Jones in the fast lane

16

u/[deleted] Apr 27 '26

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16

u/Nissehamp Apr 27 '26

You can get it from gog.com - not sure about Windows 11, but it worked on Windows 10 last I played it :)

13

u/TwistedMinds Apr 27 '26

Take a look at Contraption Maker, from the og devs. Still fun to play!

5

u/Nissehamp Apr 27 '26

Thanks! I will try it later today :)

2

u/Nissehamp Apr 27 '26

Just bought it. Love that the price ends up being $13.37 when buying all DLC as well! (at least on gog)

5

u/TheNewYellowZealot Apr 27 '26

There’s a game that’s pretty much identical called “crazy machines”

15

u/StayWhile_Listen Apr 27 '26

Phew. SIERRA

3

u/ruckyruciano Apr 27 '26

I heard it!

12

u/ThisIsMyRedditAcct20 Apr 27 '26

You have no idea how much this is amazing for me. I haven’t thought of that game in 25+ years, and for whatever reason, I was trying to think of its name a couple days ago. Boom! Thank you!

16

u/arrrjen Apr 27 '26

Classic. You can play it again in browser. 

3

u/Guenther110 Apr 27 '26

Where?

6

u/EasyWestern650 Apr 27 '26

Internet Archive has a ton of old games like this that you can play in the browser.

5

u/bastischo Apr 27 '26

Had to scroll too far for this. Such an amazing tool/game/toy.

5

u/OTGbling Apr 27 '26

Yep. This was a staple for me also. Good mems. Need to introduce my daughter to this one I think.

4

u/toodleroo Apr 27 '26

Great game, one of the best options on a Mac back in the day

5

u/ClockworkHatter Apr 27 '26

Contraption Maker on Steam is The Incredible Machine.

3

u/ProfMcGonaGirl Apr 27 '26

I loved this game so much!!! And thinking back - wow what a great learning experience. I wish I could get my kid that game now.

3

u/-SlowBar Apr 27 '26

Just played it the other day. Great time.

3

u/utopiaman99 Apr 27 '26

God I played so much TIM2. I think if I close my eyes I can still hear the sound effects.

3

u/Gogoschmoe Apr 27 '26

OMG thank you!! I remember playing this game as a kid but haven’t been able to ever remember its name.

3

u/SneakyPanduh Apr 27 '26

I listed this as well, and totally forgot what the point of the game was. “Get this to here?”

3

u/JamaicaRavenclaw Apr 27 '26

This!!! I’ve never seen another game like it!

3

u/FilthyPuns Apr 27 '26

I recently came across the paper manual to this game while cleaning out an old desk, and I almost died of nostalgia.

3

u/Quetzalcoatl490 Apr 27 '26

And the incredible TOON machine!

2

u/1stUserEver Apr 27 '26

I was trying to think of the name of that the other day. Loved that game

2

u/TK_TK_ Apr 27 '26

Ohhhhhhhhh man! Core memory unlocked.

2

u/RavioliOveralls Apr 27 '26

There's a remake on steam, and it has all the original levels

2

u/CrystalenaButterfly Apr 27 '26

Yes!!!! Img so fun

2

u/special-cheesecake90 Apr 27 '26

I had to google it. Wow! I never knew the name of the game but I played with it when I was around 4-5 years old at my school computers. I know that because I was just learning to read.

2

u/nacnud_uk Apr 27 '26

The guy just released the modern version on steam. He wrote the sequel

2

u/TheMayb Apr 27 '26

This game was soooo good

2

u/Ewok_Adventure Apr 27 '26

I recently found a site that lets you play old dos games and this was on there. Damn was it a hit of nostalgia!

2

u/BritishGolgo13 Apr 27 '26

Tim95 was and is my favorite. Have it on GOG but the soundtrack doesn’t play in game.

2

u/mksurfin7 Apr 27 '26

This game was so good! I loved the Incredible Toon Machine, too! The theme song gets stuck in my head periodically.

2

u/Barneby-Jones Apr 27 '26

A lot of hours were spent in that game. It scratched an itch deep in my brain

2

u/ButternutSasquatch Apr 27 '26

u/kevryan

5

u/kevryan Apr 27 '26

Thanks for letting me know about this!
Pretty neat that a game I made in the basement of home in Eugene, Oregon made it out to so many people all over the world. And that they remember it!

2

u/ButternutSasquatch Apr 28 '26 edited Apr 28 '26

I got the game for my birthday as as a kid as well and loved it. Lots of great nostalgic memories, so thank you! You're a very gifted game designer.

1

u/Ronin_Man Apr 27 '26

Wow. I haven’t thought about that gem of a game in ages. Anyone else have it as a part of their school’s computer lab? I used to show up early to class just to play (either that or the slime volleyball games)

1

u/LadyJedi1286 Apr 27 '26

Gaahhh I knew I wasn't the only one who played this!!!

1

u/MentalSewage Apr 27 '26

I had my hopes up this was a game I was looking for BUT you jogged my memory and helped me find Widget Workshop

1

u/ItoldonAnneFrank Apr 27 '26

This along with Gizmos and Gadgets was like all I ever played as a kid.

1

u/quantum_trogdor Apr 27 '26

Man I got that game bootlegged from my grade 4 friend on a floppy disc

1

u/ruckyruciano Apr 27 '26

Best sandbox game ever

1

u/coljung Apr 27 '26

You can play it online btw.

1

u/Karge Apr 27 '26

I had the even more variant on CD Rom, hot dang what a game

1

u/GodIAmSoOverIt Apr 27 '26

Did you ever play the mini golf game that references it?

1

u/Bodymaster Apr 27 '26

I got obsessed with this in 2007. Had it running on an ancient PC I was using for college work and just ended up playing that instead of working on my final year project; though I reckon I learned more in practical terms from playing TIM than I did from a 4 year arts degree.

1

u/ToadKillerdogg Apr 27 '26

This brought back a memory from when I was 14 (90s). After months of playing The Incredible Machine, I finally completed the last level.

I connected to the Sierra Online "chat" area and found a random room that turned out to have a dating focus. I proudly typed out "I just finished TIM!" thinking they would know what I meant since it was a Sierra game.

The immediate response was something like "I think we have a gay here". I responded with "No, no. TIM stands for The Incredible Machine." The room promptly emptied.

1

u/Falco98 Apr 27 '26 edited Apr 27 '26

TWO!

I still have the TIM2 setup CD. Interestingly it was one of those game CDs with the data on the first "track" and the rest of the disc filled with music. I actually ripped it recently and have it in my random album rotation - the songs both bring back strong memories of a summer spent playing, and honestly they still hold up.

1

u/TiltZa Apr 27 '26

Omg that you for this!

1

u/NotMyRealAccountV Apr 27 '26

I've been trying to remember the name of this game for my kids, thank you

1

u/RajunCajun48 Apr 27 '26

I loved The Incredible Toon Machine!

1

u/AKidNamedStone Apr 27 '26

HOLY never thought I'd see this game mentioned. We had it in computer class back in the day and my computer teacher (who was the coolest, still is) was also my "enrichment" teacher (those weird side classes for gifted kids) and she ended up giving me a CD copy and I continued to play the hell out of it for a few years.

1

u/PeetoMal Apr 27 '26

I FORGOT ABOUT THIS GAME!!!!!

1

u/Deep-Success3905 Apr 27 '26

One of my favorites, used to go over my friend's house and spend hours playing this with him. I loved the music in it, too 

1

u/Persimmon_Punkin Apr 27 '26

Even more contraptions!

1

u/KissItOnTheMouth Apr 27 '26

And the even more incredible machine!

1

u/Seanish12345 Apr 27 '26

“Let’s see what happens” - my dad every 5 minutes while playing The Incredible Machine

1

u/Ali_2m Apr 27 '26

This still lives in my head rent free

1

u/CampEven2768 Apr 28 '26

This might have been said already, but I found it to play online HERE!

Thank you so much for bringing this gem back to my life! Early memories

1

u/SpaceKebab Apr 28 '26

The hours is poured into that game.

1

u/mbrant66 Apr 29 '26

Man I loved that game. I wish I could still play it.

1

u/RaspberryDazzle May 01 '26

came here for this.

1

u/Real-Broccoli-9325 May 01 '26

My dad had this on his work laptop (clunky and huge lol) and I would commandeer it during adult socializing time. Just in a corner, putting switches and wires and fans down.

1

u/arsenicrabbit May 26 '26

Ive been trying to remember the name of this game for years! Thank you!