The year is 1989...
You've just acquired a pristine BRADSONIC 69000, one of the finest multimedia devices ever created, a machine humming with untapped potential. But the purchase came with a cryptic nudge from the seller: a hint regarding the digital underworld of Bulletin Board Systems, a hidden current running beneath the surface.
After some exploratory dives and a few successful challenges on the fringes, an invitation arrives, a whispered address to a particularly elusive and controversial BBS. Is this GLYPHIS_IO the headquarters of the infamous 'Silent Rebellion'? The eccentric community waiting within might become your new home... or the gateway to something far more dangerous?
Each hidden game must be earned. Players hack, bluff, and manipulate their way through underground BBS networks to obtain banned copies, then crack the protection code before the games can be played...
This game is the doorway into an alternate dimension where history, hardware and the early online worlds came together in a totally unique way...
GLYPHISIO BBS: The Proxy Tapes 1989
This game is an immersive, narrative-driven hacking game set entirely within a clandestine, alternate-universe 1989 Bulletin Board System (BBS). You've been invited into the digital commune of GLYPHIS_IO, a tight-knit cracker group operating beneath the surface of the early connected world.
I set out to build a game that captured the underworlds of computing and radio exactly as I imagined them when I was a kid: raw, rebellious, clever, challenging, accessible and, of course, rad as hell.
Your Mission
Your mission in the game is to log on to the secretive BBS and earn the trust of the four core operators, the enigmatic sysop Glyphis, the meticulous Rain, the playful Jaxkando, and the nostalgic Uncle-am and become a functioning member of their underground community.
You will be cracking games, taking on coding puzzles, tapping into illiegal 'pirate' radio stations, building relationships, attending underground gigs and falling deep into a rabbit hole of thriller and mystery.
Get Your System Running
With the help of the BBS community and the extensive documentation at your fingerstips, your first job is to get your BRADSONIC 69000 connected securely to the BBS and streaming audio. In this alternate version of the late 80's, PC hardware took a bigger step towards single accumulator based multimedia technology, resulting in an earlier internet taking off via the BBS (bullentien board system communties), and your awesome desktop computer the BRADSONIC 69000!
Boot into OS Mode and immerse yourself in a retro operating system unlike any other. While you can pass the time with classics like Chess and Solitaire, the real power lies in the modem. Dial into underground BBSs to uncover classified documents and intercept banned radio frequencies.
Some of the Many Features to Look Forward to...
Decode intercepted sysop transmissions to expose redacted history and choose how deep into Glyphis’ conspiracy rabbit hole you go.
Become part of your new found-family, where every decision will decide the fate of the group and the wider BBS global community.
Featuring a cozy, realtime setting where the passing into night occurs based on your timezone.
A place where Pirate Radio and the Dark Web converge. Hours upon hours of hacked pirate radio broadcasts that allow you to see deeper into this alternate dimension, with radio shows that link to your realtime exsistence with morning shows that play when you play in the morning, afternoon drive time and late night chat shows going deep into the underground scenes.
Internal And External Communities To Explore
Inside the BBS you’re folded into GlyphisIO’s inner circle. Where each operator has a distinct voice, backlog of requests, and personal set of puzzles. Crack their challenges, earn their trust, and learn how each thread interweaves with the next drop.
Crack Games, Play Them and Enter Your Name on the Leaderboards!
The REAL 3D Mining Trader: ASTRO MINER | Just One of Many Games to Play as you Crack!
As you progress through the many levels of the game you will be presented with cracking-game hacking puzzles that once solved allow you to play the actual games you crack and enter your score onto the our real-life global leaderboards.
Lets Get Metaphsyical!
Beyond the terminal you’ll discover proxy channels and pirate broadcasts: late-night talk, synth-drenched playlists, and intercepted dispatches that hint at a deeper meta-plot. Follow the rabbit holes and the fiction will keep unraveling long after you log off.
