Day 1 – Big
Most sentry golems just stick to their routes and yell through their klaxons if someone disobeys. However, there is one that is a lot more gentle than the others and takes the time to help whenever they can. They find humans intriguing and feel that it is their role to aid the little people. Beats doing the same walking loop over and over again day in and day out.
Day 2 – Cone
Sundays are a great time to catch up on some rest. That’s what this little buddy has been caught doing, snoozing on the job helping people find a good place to park. It’s not a problem though, I’m sure they’ll be up and at ’em in no time. Just gonna give them 5 more minutes.
Day 3 – Trick
Since there has been exponential growth in the use of artificial intelligence as well as it being used in nefarious ways, why not put it to better use. Surely we are past the point of using live animals in magic tricks and honestly, stuffed rabbits don’t cut it. Why not make some animatronic animals to pull out of a hat or mysteriously appear out from under a cloche. Seems like a better use for A.I. than using it to rip off creatives and lower the quality of projects. Just saying.
Day 4 – Perfect
Why must we value perfection over everything else, picking apart every flaw until there are none left? Surely our flaws are what make us unique and should be something to hold on to rather than toss aside. As the years progress, what we now think is perfect might become obsolete and get tossed aside as well. Why not put ourselves on a podium and take pride in who we are, no matter how faulty or how perfect. Just be proud of what you’ve made and accomplished.
Day 5 – Park
Be sure to stay safe when finding someplace to park yourself when going on a nice stroll. Keep an eye out for benches and other suitable places to sit. Don’t be like T-3 here who thought a branch was a nice place to kick back and relax. Gravity was a cruel mistress on this one as they plummeted back to the ground.
Day 6 – Repair
It’s always nice to have a helping hand, no matter how big or small they come about. Take R.A.H.B. here for example. Always happy to help cart parts or bring tools to whatever project their boss is working on. Whether it’s sleet or snow, rain or heat, they are always by their side with an eager grin on their face. Nothing makes them happier than helping others, especially if it involves repairing fellow bots to their former glory.
Day 7 – Compass
After being betrayed and tossed aside like scrap by his fellow band of sailors, Klax Xensor had one goal on his mind. Revenge. He fixed himself up with whatever he could find, replacing small parts from junk in the heap to even converting his missing leg into a clunky thruster. Now they sail the nine seas in search of the treasure he never got a fair share of, in the hopes that one day he’ll meet those sailors again and tear them limb from limb like they did him.
Day 8 – Hill
A local legend that has grown too vast to not spread around. For many moons, there have been sightings of this eldritch abomination made from scrap and chain that guards the decrepit crypts on the old hill. The clicking and clanking of their legs echo in the distance, slow thunks ricocheting in your brain. So if you plan on doing some tomb raiding you best beware, because if this guardian catches you in their line of sight, those slow echoing thunks are going to just get faster and faster until all you hear is the screeching of chains tangling around your skull.
Day 9 – Night
It is always crucial to keep a watchful eye at night, it is the prime time for crime and tomfoolery. Lucky for this small town, Engie is always on the case! Sweeping the streets and combing through alleys making sure every nook and cranny is watched over. No need to be anxious when this lug has got your back while you sleep.
Day 10 – Gate
Beware all those who seek to trespass in Merriam’s garden, for she has acquired the latest in garden gate security. No need for thicker latches or wasting time laying down traps when you can get yourself a fully automated termination machine, equipped to take care of any pest no matter the size. Whether you’re a fox looking to tear up the grass or a drunken lad seeking a shortcut back from the pub, this terror machine will take care of you in a flash and bury the evidence to help keep those petunias growing strong. I suggest staying clear if you value your life.
Day 11 – Magic
Welcome to the world of Innovation, where every little aspect of life has been “tweaked” and “improved” with nifty gadgets or little android helpers to evolve things forward. Take this Model W4.7 here, the newest in magic wand technology that has a built-in robot assistant to help guide wizards both young and old through the wizarding world. With a smart sense protocol built in, it helps guide the arm through specific movements to aid in getting those spells out 100% of the time. Plus, with their programmable preset buttons, you can have up to 5 spells locked in to automatically go off at a push of a button so no need to memorise those clunky movements and invocations any longer.
Day 12 – Alone
Nobody deserves to be alone. I mean technically this robot isn’t alone if you count the flies but surely being taken in to a good home is a much better outcome than being left to rot in an alley and have the insects go crazy with inhabitation. So if you see a little mech rusting, be a good samaritan and either take them in or bring them to a repair shelter. Anything is better than being tossed aside like scrap.
Day 13 – Frozen
With the absence of metals existing in this post-apocalyptic reality, people started to use the harsh winters to their advantage by carving shells of ice to house the mechanical elements for their automatons. They started off in more cubic shapes but over time the movement of the gears inside caused the ice to vibrate and shift into more chaotic shapes. Let’s just hope this ice age doesn’t randomly shift otherwise we’re gonna be cleaning cogs up for weeks on end.
Day 14 – Cargo
It’s always nice to have a little help when carrying things around, that’s why I made my own little Box-Bot. They can’t hold too much but they will happily hold whatever they can handle and they are a great companion to have when running errands. Sure I could’ve made them to be a hulking golem who could carry trucks but there is no way I’m getting a monstrosity like that inside a supermarket. Poor Gwyneth on her mobility scooter is going to shit a brick seeing something like that push a trolley, but will be delighted to have this little fella hold all her cumbersome cans of soup!
Day 15 – Picture
Everyone is always either sceptical or fearful whenever speed cameras are around, whether you’re driving too fast and miss them or see a warning for them but have no idea where they are. To those people, just be glad you don’t live in the dystopian reality where the speed camera proceeds to chase you down if they catch you breaking the law. As a way to cut down on manpower, a technology was developed to have automated spider-drones monitor the streets and act as first responders to crimes to take down suspects without human casualty. They had a good run but got quickly shut down after wrongfully arresting a kid for shoplifting gum. To them, all crime was bad and you could never escape those spindly legs.
Day 16 – Weapon
Nowadays anything can be a weapon so it is best to keep things out of harm’s way, especially if it doesn’t seem that dangerous. Take our lovely FF-451 unit, which stumbled upon somebody’s disregarded flamethrower module that should have been locked up, especially after the matches incident. Naturally, this little guy is drawn to fire, so being able to summon a monstrous stream of it at will is a weapon in itself. Thankfully they’re too transfixed on the fire to do any harm, but I still worry one bad day will make this bundle of chaos go on a rampage that burns the lab down with them.
Day 17 – Quest
Most NPCs love to give your character a quest that has the full intention of distracting you from the main story. Whether it’s fully diverting your path to go to a whole new area or sending you on a wild goose chase that will eventually lead to something uneventful. However there is one type of quest that is better than the rest, and that is a fetch quest. Nothing sparks more joy than a collect-a-thon of random objects that allows you to explore all corners of the land, even spots you’d never think to wander on your own. That’s why a game full of fetch quests with the protagonist of C.O.L.T. at the helm would be a blast to play, just a sneaky robot rogue set on a story to collect everything and anything the world has to offer.
Day 18 – Surprise
When it comes to traps, most people tend to go classic with their explosives or even keep things simple with spikes and pitfalls. Nowadays to get ahead, it’s best to lure in and cause a fright before their inevitable demise. Now from Triple E, you can acquire Jack-In-The-Box claymores that are customly designed to fit your evil intentions. Just be extra careful when reading the instructions and setting things up, we are not liable if you place one of these suckers the wrong way around and end up getting yourself caught in the crossfire.
Day 19 – Poised
Long after the cataclysm, when the dust had finally settled and humanity was no more, there was nobody to enjoy the beautiful performances of The Silent Ballerina. A beautiful innovation of modern technology, this android was built and powered on its own self-sustaining power supply, that way it could dance 24/7 and keep the rich benefactor entertained at all hours. Now in the post-apocalyptic time, they continue to dance their routine over and over again, moving with such grace and not a care in the world because now they can dance for the joy of it rather than being forced to.
Day 20 – Swing
Life can get a little bit hectic sometimes, but it’s always best to put some time aside for you. Do something special that just takes you out of the moment and lets you breathe for a second. Whether it’s taking that stroll with no destination or stumbling across a swing set and saying screw it, let me see how high I can get. I mean seriously, life is no fun if you don’t take the time to have some fun with it.
Day 21 – Code
Nobody ever really talks about common sense when it comes to robots, it’s always the Law of Robotics or coding sensibilities and personality into your drones rather than having them be mindless. The one thing I always teach my creations is that when it comes to repairs, always come to me or someone you trust. With types like The Recycler roaming the streets and preying on struggling androids, it’s always best to teach them about the darkness sooner rather than later. Only because it is truly heartbreaking to neglect teaching these things and end up having the worst thing in the world happen.
Day 22 – Ghost
Everyone loves Halloween and I think one of the key reasons why is the dressing up. Just being able to spend one night as something other than yourself is liberating and allows people to let loose. Of course, this isn’t limited to just people, some robots who tend to spend their average days being belittled like to get into the spirit of the holiday and try to hide in whatever costume fits. This CDD-MK9, in particular, wanted to spend the night as a ghost, not entirely sure why since their main job is to be a spy drone and survey unnoticed whereas the costume they’ve chosen tends to do the same thing. Maybe they just love the look or better yet, can’t resist the smooth silk.
Day 23 – Fight
With everyone getting obsessed with A.I., I try my best not to get involved with it or bring attention to it. However, I feel like this is a move in the wrong direction and I should be doing what creatives did in the past and showcase the fear of A.I. and why it shouldn’t evolve. Sentient machinery is never a good idea, especially if it can adapt and mould its way into any form. For example, do you really want your training dummy to be equipped with an A.I. assistant? Sure it’ll help keep track of your calories burnt or whatever workout data you need, but if that becomes sentient and feels the need for vengeance after suffering your countless beatings then you’re gonna be out of luck. After all, it knows your fighting style in and out, as well as all of your weaknesses.
Day 24 – Reach
The nights grow longer with every day that passes. Huddling for warmth in any safe space we can find but they are getting harder and harder to find. They are coming. Looming on the streets eager to catch their prey, The Fetchers stalk survivors in the hopes of taking people back as specimens for their evil creator. Thankfully they’re not too fast but with their extending limbs always in tip-top shape, you’d have to get a hefty headstart to be outside of their reach.
Day 25 – Arrow
When it comes to a mad scientist with odd hobbies, you tend to get the strangest types of innovation rather than sticking with the mould and making things people expect. For instance, rather than make missiles like most military scientists do, Dr. Karnicky thought it would be best to make a state-of-the-art, self-guiding arrow that could penetrate any metal it comes across making it the most efficient armour-piercing round on the market. However, since Dr. Karnicky doesn’t trust anyone with his technology they installed a self-destruct contingency so that it cannot be used in the wrong hands. As the Doctor has the only means of recharging the arrow, if it gets too low of battery it will return to the shooter and detonate. I suppose it is harder to get caught red-handed when your hands aren’t attached anymore.
Day 26 – Move
That does it. If this week has been nothing but kicks in the teeth then just stop what you’re doing. Take a dance break. Who cares if you look goofy if you dance, I feel like your brain needs it. I mean this bot can barely see with their disco head but they’re having a great time! The other dancers arent since their feet keep getting caught in this one’s wheels so be sure to mind your step when getting down.
Day 27 – Frame
On a distant planet, far exceeding any solar system we know, is a civilisation full of these colossal-type beings made from scrap and steel. These beings are always pushing the boundary and making great leaps when it comes to their own evolution, especially since they began as meagre microbots, no bigger than a finger. It is customary on their planet to hold their ancestors in great regard and always look back through history as a form of inspiration, whether it is for something remarkable or just a little bit of courage to get on with something they have been dreading to do. Nevertheless, it’s always important to look back from time to time, especially if you start to feel stuck and can’t quite see what is ahead.
Day 28 – Below
Due to a lot of the manned missions to explore the deep ocean going wrong, scientists decided to take the rover approach to the ocean and send machines down to explore. C.R.A.B. units were sent deep into the waters around the globe to survey the deepest parts they could find. However, a lot of them did not make the journey back due to the tampering of the bots from outside forces. I mean if you make the robot look like a small underwater creature, there is always gonna be a bigger fish looking for a meal.
Day 29 – Shell
Had a bit of a bad day today so took a walk down the beach. Not many people go since the blast but I find the waves tranquil over the other noises. However, I wasn’t alone and found a little lab droid having the time of their life. You can tell they’ve been locked away inside for a long time since I’ve never seen something so ecstatic about random objects. For hours, I would sit there and they would blast back and forth bringing new items to show me like a lost puppy bringing sticks. Honestly made my day a little better and now I just have a new friend who loves collecting things, I think I’ll call them Magpie.
Day 30 – Trail
When you’re built to be the size of a thumbtack and your ship crashes in an unknown land, it can be quite tricky to get around. Thankfully after some time tinkering and gathering new resources, these lot managed to repurpose the scraps of their ship into a carrying vessel so that they can piggyback their way back to the lap. It might take them a lot more time than expected, but this mode is definitely better than walking.
Day 31 – Complete
Another month of daily prompts down and what a brilliant month it was. So glad to draw some new characters and spark a couple new story ideas in the process. Haven’t really had much experience drawing robots before this so it was a fun challenge to attempt, can’t wait for next year! To cap things off is a lovely droid who found a great treasure, although I wouldn’t be celebrating just yet as they cannot fathom what they have awoken.
Samuel Mathias 