The first Clockwork Man game was not so good; while it was well presented, the gameplay itself was quite frustrating or unfair at times. This sequel is improved in gameplay and presentation.
What I liked

• A mix of HOG and point-and-click problem solving.
  
• I mentioned high production value: excellent art, music and voice acting throughout.
  
• A simple but interesting story.
  
• Some scenes let you scroll or zoom for more searching, which is fun. Takes some getting used to.
  
• Dialog between characters is fun enough that you won't just click through it. This is helped by the excellent voice acting.
  
• Throughout the game, the main character keeps a journal that serves as summary of the story and a reminder of what needs doing next. It's well written and beautifully illustrated.
  
• As in the first game, there's an elaborate hint system where you can choose how exactly you want to be helped: a preview of what objects look like, a radar that highlights items, a straight-up locator, and a narrative hint guide.

What I didn't like

• Probably the worst offence of this series is how objects might be partially obstructed behind other items in the scene, sometimes in a way that hides their defining features.
  
• Although this problem is not as prevalent here as in the first game, you still occasionally need to find objects that end up looking nothing like what you expected. A shovel or a saw will end up looking like very strange variations of each. Not what you imagine in your mind at all. A hint system allows you to see a preview of the object, but why should have to use that? But, this rarely happens, unlike in the first game where it was just terrible.
  
• Also improved from the first game but still present: some tiny, tiny objects and fiddly clicking.
  
• The point-and-click sections necessitate pixel hunting and mouse sweeping, unless you're willing to use hints. Later in the game, a hint allows you to see all interactive items for a short time.
  
• Related to the above points, I again get the feeling that they really want you to make use of the hint system as part of your experience. That's because the hint system is well developed and kind of fun to use, they probably wanted to capitalise on it.

All in all I enjoyed this game much more than the first one (which got a negative review). Embrace the fact that the hints are part of the gameplay, and enjoy this nice casual game.
Some technical notes:

• Not widescreen, no high resolution
  
• No Steam integration (overlay or screenshots or achievements / cards)
  
• Can't Alt-Tab away from the game (if you're in fullscreen); the screen will flash a bit and then put you back inside.
  
• Game wouldn't run on my PC, I played it on another PC (runs fine in Windows 8) and the developers were nice enough to try and help in the forum.

[h1]An engaging HOG with high production value[/h1] The first Clockwork Man game was not so good; while it was well presented, the gameplay itself was quite frustrating or unfair at times. This sequel is improved in gameplay and presentation. [b]What I liked[/b] [list] [*]A mix of HOG and point-and-click problem solving. [*]I mentioned high production value: excellent art, music and voice acting throughout. [*]A simple but interesting story. [*]Some scenes let you scroll or zoom for more searching, which is fun. Takes some getting used to. [*]Dialog between characters is fun enough that you won't just click through it. This is helped by the excellent voice acting. [*]Throughout the game, the main character keeps a journal that serves as summary of the story and a reminder of what needs doing next. It's well written and beautifully illustrated. [*]As in the first game, there's an elaborate hint system where you can choose how exactly you want to be helped: a preview of what objects look like, a radar that highlights items, a straight-up locator, and a narrative hint guide. [/list] [b]What I didn't like[/b] [list] [*]Probably the worst offence of this series is how objects might be partially obstructed behind other items in the scene, sometimes in a way that hides their defining features. [*]Although this problem is not as prevalent here as in the first game, you still occasionally need to find objects that end up looking nothing like what you expected. A shovel or a saw will end up looking like very strange variations of each. Not what you imagine in your mind at all. A hint system allows you to see a preview of the object, but why should have to use that? But, this rarely happens, unlike in the first game where it was just terrible. [*]Also improved from the first game but still present: some tiny, tiny objects and fiddly clicking. [*]The point-and-click sections necessitate pixel hunting and mouse sweeping, unless you're willing to use hints. Later in the game, a hint allows you to see all interactive items for a short time. [*]Related to the above points, I again get the feeling that they really want you to make use of the hint system as part of your experience. That's because the hint system is well developed and kind of fun to use, they probably wanted to capitalise on it. [/list] All in all I enjoyed this game much more than the first one (which got a negative review). Embrace the fact that the hints are part of the gameplay, and enjoy this nice casual game. [b]Some technical notes:[/b] [list] [*]Not widescreen, no high resolution [*]No Steam integration (overlay or screenshots or achievements / cards) [*]Can't Alt-Tab away from the game (if you're in fullscreen); the screen will flash a bit and then put you back inside. [*]Game wouldn't run on my PC, I played it on another PC (runs fine in Windows 8) and the developers were nice enough to try and help in the forum. [/list]