868 Hack a challenging indie strategy puzzler
In its opening moments, 868-Hack does everything it can to punish the player. Even with the tutorial, this abstract hacking-themed puzzle strategy game can feel out of place. Seconds-long games end confusing and abruptly, as jargon glares from the screen in garish blocks of neon. Persist for just a few minutes, and as swiftly as it was bewildering, 868-Hack's workings become suddenly clear and the apparently arcane mechanisms reveal themselves to be an elegant, rewarding system. Backed by an ominous soundtrack, the player must move through claustrophobic grids, blasting enemies and collecting points and abilities.
As a computer hacker, you steal precious data while the world sleeps. Siphons are your lockpicks. Programs are your guns. Connect to the sectors. Download the data. Escape, or be deleted alive.
868-Hack, originally released for iOS but now available on Steam for Linux, Mac and Windows PC. Captivating but limiting, vital resources are drip-fed to spawn points, while moving and shooting is rigid and restrained. Which all makes every move count in a game that is challenging, visually eccentric and a great deal more refined and considered than it first appears.
