Mechanism is a 2018 indie adventure game developed solo by Alexander Khoroshavin, released for PC. Set in a grim steampunk world, it follows a lone robot who awakens to find his surroundings transformed by a spreading affliction known as Flegma — black tumors that have wiped out countless other robots. The world shifts in response to player decisions, and exploration is central to uncovering what happened, drawing loose comparisons to the Souls series in its emphasis on thorough environmental investigation. Puzzle-solving relies on collecting and using objects found throughout each location, while a contamination mechanic tracks the robot's exposure to Flegma, which proves dangerous to mechanical beings just as it would to organic life. The experience is driven largely by visual storytelling, and a meta-narrative runs beneath the main plot, suggesting the game's themes extend beyond its surface premise of robots and disease.
