In 2013, New Zealand indie developer Michael Brough released 868-HACK, a turn-based iPhone game revolving around cyber attacks and difficult circuitry. Inspired by roguelikes before it, Hack, FTL and Spelunky are accredited for kicking off the genre in the indie gaming space. Now the computer commander is back, jacking in to a more accessible port in a tough-as-ever classic.
In 868-BACK, all data is monopolized by a monolithic corporation. Your job is to humble their supposedly impenetrable systems and return cyberspace to the people. Controlling a one-eyed smiley face, you collect siphons, use them to extract resources straight off the circuit board, and dance around the anti-virus programs in a turn-based waltz. It all appears simplistic and controllable, but most of the ‘Broughlikes’ do. At first.
Both 868 games are fiercely difficult. There are only a handful of enemies that move in consistent, predictable patterns, not unlike Pac-Man’s ghostly fiends. Large, open maps give you ample room to siphon up data without triggering any alarms, but provide zero cover when threats emerge. Likewise, narrow spaces provide a more controlled environment, but it’s unlikely you’ll siphon anything without summoning an ambush. Your best resources are “progs,” unique power ups that grant you new ways to attack and navigate the grid. Often the handier the prog, the higher the risk it will be to grab them.
BACK doesn’t fuss with the formula too much. There are new progs, and some revisions, but for returning players it certainly feels like getting back on the bike. New players are the biggest benefactors of the sequel. On top of, I’ll be damned, a tutorial, the game also features an easily accessed index, which will illustrate what each prog and special ability look like in action. The biggest change-up is the structure. While the original was almost arcade-like in its straight forwardness, BACK sees you surfing between different servers with individual conditions. How you leap between them, or where you run to when your tail’s between your legs, adds to the depth of your assault on the system.
The game also features a snazzy new paint job. While the cyberpunk bonafides were never in question, BACK has a far scuzzier, nastier look. Compared to the more elegant pixel work of the original, these sprites seem much more summoned from some corruptive place. Never fear on the audio front. The vocalized blips and *kshhhs* stuck around.
Intended or not, 868-HACK served as a great entry point for Brough’s body of work. Lovingly known as ‘Broughlikes,’ these super simple, super tough, turn-based games like Cinco Paus and Corrypt have taken on a life of their own. Now BACK serves as an entry point to that original node. A nexus into a mean, rewarding web of thrills.