| Deus Ex Machina | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Developer(s) | Automata UK |
| Designer(s) | Mel Croucher |
| Released | 1985 |
| Genre | |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Platform(s) | ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 |
| Media | Cassette tape |
| Input methods | Keyboard |
Deus Ex Machina is a computer game developed and published by Automata UK for the ZX Spectrum in 1984. After the collapse of the company it was subsequently republished by Electric Dreams in 1985, but only for the Commodore 64. The game was accompanied by an additional audio cassette tape which contained a voice and music track to be synchronised with the game. The cast included Ian Dury, Jon Pertwee, Donna Bailey, Frankie Howerd, and Mel Croucher (the writer/director). Colin Jones (later known as author/publisher Colin Bradshaw-Jones) was the programmer of the Commodore 64 version, whilst Andrew Stagg produced the original Spectrum version. The game charts the life of a "mistake" which has formed in "the machine", its growth and evolution. Throughout the game a percentage score the presented which you should try and maximise. The progression is loosely based on "The Seven Ages of Man" from the Shakespeare play, As You Like It and includes many quotations and references to this.
Etymology
The game's name is derived from the Latin expression deus ex machina, literally meaning "god from the machine", and used to indicate "a person or event which provides a sudden, unexpected solution to a story".
