Ancient Machines

Overview

A machine-building puzzle game

Ancient Machines is built around tactile physics: players solve levels by understanding motion, force, timing, object properties, and how different systems interact.

The game includes a detailed editor for building custom puzzles. You can place objects, tune physical properties, create moving platforms, connect joints, draw custom physics lines, use triggers and chips, and then immediately test the result in play mode.

Physics puzzles Level creation Trigger logic Collectibles Moving machines

Gameplay

What you do in a level

Levels can be direct skill challenges, logic puzzles, moving-platform contraptions, or editor-made machines with chained events.

Move and Solve

Control objects, collect stars or points, reach goals, avoid hazards, and use momentum to complete the level objective.

Use Mechanisms

Interact with joints, motors, platforms, trigger zones, guns, magnets, damageable objects, and transform fields.

Create Levels

Build scenes with editor controls, object settings, game settings, advanced paths, physics lines, and custom object behavior.

Level modes

Three ways a level can be solved

Ancient Machines levels are not all built the same way. The selected level type changes what the player is expected to do during solve mode.

Build To Solve

The player solves the puzzle by assembling a machine from allowed objects. This is the budget-driven mode where every part and joint choice matters.

Touch To Solve

The level is solved through direct interaction with the scene: touches, drags, touch-triggered motors, touch destruction, and touch-driven trigger zones.

Jump To Solve

The level behaves like a platform challenge with a main character, platform ground, jumping, left/right movement, collectibles, hazards, and camera follow.

Detailed Level Type Walkthrough

Ancient Machines puzzle with a saw, ball tracks and connected mechanisms

Editor

Full object control

The editor exposes low-level physics and high-level gameplay behavior. A single object can be a dynamic body, a sensor, a goal, a target, a collector, a gun, a trigger, a moving platform, a logic source, or part of a larger group.

The walkthrough page explains the control icons, object settings, object game settings, level-type details, joint types, joint settings, Dynamic Tree generation, and dedicated Game Settings guides.

Control Icons Game Settings Guides Dynamic Tree Guide

Systems

Built for complex puzzle logic

Ancient Machines has gameplay systems that can be combined: triggers activate chips, chips change objects, paths move platforms, and physics contacts can create new events.

Trigger Zones

Activate connected objects through contact, damage, timers, visibility, controls, motor limits, or other trigger zones.

Chip Logic

Read values from source objects, process them through formulas, and send results to destination objects.

Advanced Paths

Move platforms along configured paths with speed, looping, reverse behavior, delays, and touch or contact activation.

Creator guide

New ways to play and create

15 October 2026 · Creator toolkit update

Meet your Main Character

Walk, run, jump and crouch. Choose from 15 skins, customize colors and textures, and shoot or throw with your chosen weapon.

Build a character →

Give your vehicle a rider

Attach a ragdoll to a bicycle or scooter and choose which object to resize when the fit needs adjusting.

Attach a rider →

Keep your drawings editable

Save and import layered .amd drawings, explore 78 brushes and paint inside a selection.

Explore the Image Editor →

All recent features →Search How-to, FAQ and options →

Creator guide

More ways to bring a machine to life

Articulated characters, powered vehicles, painted artwork, particles and physical destruction extend what you can create.

Characters & vehicles

Ragdoll Characters

Create an articulated physics character, dress it in one of 15 skins, choose weapons and shields, set its pose, and configure balance, walking and independent hand controls.

Explore the guide

Characters & vehicles

RagDog Characters

Create a four-legged physics character with separate front and rear leg chains, a neck, head and articulated tail.

Explore the guide

Characters & vehicles

Vehicles & Wheel Drive

Build motor vehicles and light vehicles, choose which wheels receive power, and tune wheels, appearance, input and suspension.

Explore the guide

Art & effects

Draw Image Editor

Create your own artwork for a level with 78 brush types, painting and smudging tools, gradient fills, editable vector lines, textures, stamps and a layered canvas.

Explore the guide

Art & effects

Particle Editor & Playback

Design your own particle effects inside the game, including their graphics, emission, movement, colour, size and fading. Save them in Particles and use them in your own level as placed effects or object events.

Explore the guide