868-HACK

868-Hack is brilliant in its simplicity and strategic depth. I watched a few videos and didn't really understand the hype until I played it. And yes, I think it lives up to the hype. You are a smiley face. You run around and activate squares that give you points (your main goal) but run the risk of spawning enemies as well. Some of the enemies can be quite brutal to deal with, but some squares give you active abilities to deal with them. You need one of two resources (sometimes both!) to use them, and thus the analysis paralysis sets in. Do I go for this ability to target all of these enemy types? Do I run the risk of activating 5 enemies to get this point bonus? There's only 8 stages in a run, but by that final stage you are sweating bullets trying to puzzle out how you're going to stop the cyber monsters from swarming you. It works surprisingly well on the steam deck to boot. At the end of a long day when you're brain is all used up, you fire up a game of 868-Hack thinking "ah this will be a nice relaxing experience to cap the night off with" and by level 8 you're in a cold sweat, viruses and daemons breathing down your neck as you try to struggle out the mental calculus of how to get to the exit with only enough energy to run two abilities. You did it. You survived and escaped. But now do you dare push your luck and try to increase your streak?

I played this game for hours on iOS, and I had no idea it was on pc. If you like strategy/puzzle games, this one is a gem. The graphics are simple and charming, and the gameplay is addictive. Make your way across 8 "sectors" (boards), moving in simultaneous turns against enemies with unique properties, and acquiring new abilities as you go. There's luck and skill in equal measure. If that sounds like your jam, give it a try!Also, it plays well on the Steam Deck. Right thumbstick is your mouse pointer to select from menus (rare), and the left moves your avatar on the board. No crashes or issues.

MOREISH There is no better "coffee-break roguelike" than this Can we please get an Android port /\

868-**CK

868-HACK is one of my favorite games ever! One of the better rogue like loops.

Michael Brough's games are unique, fascinating, and delightful and this is an excellent starting place.

Gets boring and repetitive. Very little replay value for me personally.

This game is what Michael Brough does best: A minimalist game with lots of depth and cool ideas. There's a lot of different abilities to pick up, and figuring out good combinations between them is satisfying.