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{{short description|2013 video game}}
{{short description|2013 video game}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox video game
{{Infobox video game
| title = 868-HACK
| title = 868-HACK
| image = 868 hack logo.png
| developer = [[Michael Brough (game designer)|Michael Brough]]
| developer = [[Michael Brough (game designer)|Michael Brough]]
| publisher = Michael Brough
| publisher = Michael Brough
| platforms = {{ubl|[[iOS]]|[[Microsoft Windows]]|[[MacOS|Mac OS X]]}}
| platforms = {{cslist|[[iOS]]|[[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]|[[Mac OS X]]}}
| released = 30 August 2013
| released = {{ubl|'''iOS'''|30 August 2013|'''Windows, Mac OS X'''|27 January 2015}}
| genre = [[Roguelike]]
| genre = [[Roguelike]]
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]]
}}
}}


'''''868-HACK''''' is a 2013 [[roguelike]] [[video game]] developed and published by [[Michael Brough (game designer)|Michael Brough]]. The player controls a hacking program in a computer system and must grab as much computer data as possible before a defence program destroys it.
'''''868-HACK''''' is a 2013 [[roguelike]] video game developed and published by [[Michael Brough (game designer)|Michael Brough]]. The player controls a hacking program in a computer system and must grab as much computer data as possible before a defence program destroys it.


Development of the game began in March 2013, as part of the "Seven-Day Roguelike" competition. It was released in August 2013 for [[iOS]] and in January 2015 for [[Microsoft Windows]] and [[MacOS|Mac OS X]]. The "PLAN.B" [[expansion pack]] was released in July 2017.
Development of the game began in March 2013, as part of the "Seven-Day Roguelike" competition. It was released in August 2013 for [[iOS]] and in January 2015 for [[Microsoft Windows]] and [[MacOS|Mac OS X]]. The "PLAN.B" [[expansion pack]] was released in July 2017.


''868-HACK'' received mostly positive reviews from critics. The game was nominated for an Excellence in Design award at the [[Independent Games Festival]], receiving an honorable mention for the [[Seumas McNally Grand Prize]] there. ''868-HACK'' was ranked 42nd on ''Polygon''{{'s}} list of "The 100 best games of the decade (2010–2019)", and 29th on ''Paste''{{'s}} list of "The 50 Best Mobile Games of the 2010s".
''868-HACK'' received mostly positive reviews from critics. The game was nominated for an Excellence in Design award at the [[Independent Games Festival]], receiving an honorable mention for the [[Seumas McNally Grand Prize]] there. ''868-HACK'' was ranked 42nd on ''Polygon''{{'s}} list of "The 100 best games of the decade (2010–2019)"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/11/4/20944573/best-games-2019-2010-ps4-switch-xbox-pc-50-11|title=The 100 best games of the decade (2010-2019): 50-11|date=4 November 2019|website=Polygon|access-date=30 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106212251/https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/11/4/20944573/best-games-2019-2010-ps4-switch-xbox-pc-50-11|archive-date=6 November 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> and 29th on ''Paste''{{'s}} list of "The 50 Best Mobile Games of the 2010s".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/11/best-mobile-games-of-the-2010s.html|title=The 50 Best Mobile Games of the 2010s|date=4 November 2019|website=Paste|access-date=30 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202192225/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/11/best-mobile-games-of-the-2010s.html|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>


== Gameplay ==
== Gameplay ==
[[File:868-HACK gameplay.jpg|236px|left|thumb|In a top-down view the player must grab as much computer data as possible in a cyberpunk setting]]
[[File:868-HACK gameplay.jpg|left|thumb|In a top-down view the player must grab as much computer data as possible.]]


The player controls a hacking program in a computer system and must grab as much computer data as possible before a defence program destroys it.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPad/868-Hack/review.asp?c=53545|title=868-Hack Review|work=[[Pocket Gamer]]|last=Slater|first=Harry|date=4 September 2013|access-date=21 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705070538/http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPad/868-Hack/review.asp?c=53545|archive-date=5 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The game plays in the manner of a [[Dungeon crawl|dungeon crawler]], with rooms being randomly generated.<ref name=":0" /> The player must collect keys to unlock nodes to hack.<ref name=":0" /> The game's graphics resemble those of [[ZX Spectrum]].<ref name=":0" />
The player controls a hacking program in a computer system and must grab as much computer data as possible before a defence program destroys it.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPad/868-Hack/review.asp?c=53545|title=868-Hack Review|work=[[Pocket Gamer]]|last=Slater|first=Harry|date=4 September 2013|access-date=21 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705070538/http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPad/868-Hack/review.asp?c=53545|archive-date=5 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The game plays in the manner of a [[dungeon crawl]]er, with rooms being randomly generated.<ref name=":0" /> The player must collect keys to unlock nodes to hack.<ref name=":0" /> The game's graphics resemble those of [[ZX Spectrum]].<ref name=":0" />


The game takes place in a [[cyberpunk]] setting, where, as alluded to by the game's title, hacking is done by [[Dial-up Internet access|dial-up]]. The player is a "smiley face" which can be moved around an 8×8 grid.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/16/what-works-and-why-betting-on-yourself-in-868-hack/|title=What Works And Why: Betting on yourself in 868-Hack|last=Francis|first=Tom|date=16 August 2018|website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202194907/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/16/what-works-and-why-betting-on-yourself-in-868-hack/|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The grid is shaped by "circuit-board-looking walls".<ref name=":6" /> The enemies in ''868-HACK'' look vaguely like those in [[Pac-Man (character)|Pac-Man]].<ref name=":6" /> Players can fire lasers at these enemies.<ref name=":6" /> Most of the enemies have three types of health, one that can move around two tile at a time, another enemy has three health bars, and another enemy is [[invisible]] until it comes into the player's line of fire.<ref name=":6" /> Each wall tile stores a reward which can be extracted, but also has a number signifying how many enemies it will spawn when opened.<ref name=":6" />
The game takes place in a [[cyberpunk]] setting, where, as alluded to by the game's title, hacking is done by [[Dial-up Internet access|dial-up]]. The player is a [[Smiley|"smiley face"]] which can be moved around an 6×6 grid.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/16/what-works-and-why-betting-on-yourself-in-868-hack/|title=What Works And Why: Betting on yourself in 868-Hack|last=Francis|first=Tom|date=16 August 2018|website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202194907/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/16/what-works-and-why-betting-on-yourself-in-868-hack/|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The grid is shaped by "circuit-board-looking walls".<ref name=":6" /> The enemies in ''868-HACK'' look vaguely like those in [[Pac-Man (character)|Pac-Man]].<ref name=":6" /> Players can fire lasers at these enemies.<ref name=":6" /> Most of the enemies have two health bars, and they each have one of three different special abilities; being able to move over two tiles at a time, having three health bars instead of two, or being invisible until it comes into the player's line of fire.<ref name=":6" /> Each wall tile in the game stores a reward which can be extracted, but also has a number signifying how many enemies it will spawn when opened.<ref name=":6" />


== Development and release ==
== Development and release ==
[[File:Michael Brough (6120713406).jpg|236px|right|thumb|Michael Brough (developer). Brough and the game received positive reviews from critics.]]
[[File:Michael Brough (6120713406).jpg|thumb|Developer Michael Brough]]
In March 2013, developer Michael Brough started to work on ''868-HACK'' as part of the "Seven-Day Roguelike" competition.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/i-can-t-stop-playing-this-hacking-iphone-game-1228250085|title=I Can't Stop Playing This Hacking iPhone Game|website=Kotaku|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202193729/https://kotaku.com/i-can-t-stop-playing-this-hacking-iphone-game-1228250085|date=2 September 2013|first=Chris |last=Person|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/210879/Road_to_the_IGF_Michael_Broughs_868HACK.php|title=Road to the IGF: Michael Brough's 868-HACK|last=Wawro|date=17 February 2014|first=Alex|website=Gamasutra|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202182011/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/210879/Road_to_the_IGF_Michael_Broughs_868HACK.php|archive-date=2 December 2019|access-date=2 December 2019}}</ref> The game was originally called "86856527" at the event.<ref name=":5" /> Brough worked on the game for six months, then spent four months fixing bugs, tuning balance, and [[porting]].<ref name=":1" /> Michael Brough recorded the sounds of the game; Leigh Alexander of [[Gamasutra]] said the sound "gives its forbidding machinery a fascinating human sound".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/199760/The_gorgeous_math_of_Michael_Broughs_868HACK.php|title=The gorgeous math of Michael Brough's 868-HACK|date=6 September 2013|last=Alexander|first=Leigh|website=Gamasutra|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202181824/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/199760/The_gorgeous_math_of_Michael_Broughs_868HACK.php|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>


''868-HACK'' was released to iOS on 30 August 2013.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2015/01/28/dial-868-hack-on-steam-steal-data/|title=Dial 868-HACK on Steam, steal data|date=28 January 2015|first=Mike |last=Suszek|website=Engadget|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202185121/https://www.engadget.com/2015/01/28/dial-868-hack-on-steam-steal-data/|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> Later, on 26 January 2015, it was released for Microsoft Windows and MacOS.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/868-hack|title=868-HACK|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202185453/https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/868-hack|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> An estimated 14,000 copies of ''868-HACK'' were sold for iOS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.electrondance.com/brough-beaten-a-portrait-of-success/|title=Brough Beaten: A Portrait of Success|date=12 February 2015|website=Electron Dance|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202190135/http://www.electrondance.com/brough-beaten-a-portrait-of-success/|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> On 23 July 2017, an expansion pack of the game was released, called "''868-HACK – PLAN.B''".<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/11/868-hack-expansion-released/|title=868-HACK expansion PLAN.B jacks in|last=O'Connor|first=Alice|date=11 July 2017|website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202191154/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/11/868-hack-expansion-released/|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The expansion added a "new mode, new progs, and new power-ups."<ref name=":4" />
In March 2013, developer Michael Brough started to work on ''868-HACK'' as part of a seven-day [[Roguelike]] competition.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/i-can-t-stop-playing-this-hacking-iphone-game-1228250085|title=I Can't Stop Playing This Hacking iPhone Game|website=Kotaku|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202193729/https://kotaku.com/i-can-t-stop-playing-this-hacking-iphone-game-1228250085|date=2 September 2013|first=Chris |last=Person|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/210879/Road_to_the_IGF_Michael_Broughs_868HACK.php|title=Road to the IGF: Michael Brough's 868-HACK|last=Wawro|date=17 February 2014|first=Alex|website=Gamasutra|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202182011/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/210879/Road_to_the_IGF_Michael_Broughs_868HACK.php|archive-date=2 December 2019|access-date=2 December 2019}}</ref> The game was originally called "86856527" at the event.<ref name=":5" /> Brough worked on the game for six months, then spent four months fixing bugs, tuning balance, and [[porting]].<ref name=":1" /> Michael Brough recorded the sounds of the game; Leigh Alexander of [[Gamasutra]] said the sound "gives its forbidding machinery a fascinating human sound".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/199760/The_gorgeous_math_of_Michael_Broughs_868HACK.php|title=The gorgeous math of Michael Brough's 868-HACK|date=6 September 2013|last=Alexander|first=Leigh|website=Gamasutra|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202181824/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/199760/The_gorgeous_math_of_Michael_Broughs_868HACK.php|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>


Fours months after its initial release, on 17 December 2013, the game was chosen as "Mobile Game of the Week" by American magazine [[Paste (magazine)|''Paste'']]. Aevee Bee, writing for Paste for this review, described the game as "a turn based trainwreck—a meticulously ordered, predictably random and nearly always solvable trainwreck of exploding and overwhelming complexity".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2013/12/mobile-game-of-the-week-868-hack.html|title=Mobile Game of the Week: 868-HACK (iOS)|date=9 September 2013|website=Paste|access-date=3 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203071122/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2013/12/mobile-game-of-the-week-868-hack.html|archive-date=3 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2019, ''868-HACK'' was ranked 42 on American video game website [[Polygon (website)|''Polygon'']]'s list of "The 100 best games of the decade (2010–2019)".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/11/4/20944573/best-games-2019-2010-ps4-switch-xbox-pc-50-11|title=The 100 best games of the decade (2010–2019): 50–11|last=Staff|first=Polygon|date=4 November 2019|website=Polygon|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106212251/https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/11/4/20944573/best-games-2019-2010-ps4-switch-xbox-pc-50-11|archive-date=6 November 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> It was also ranked at 29 on ''Paste'''s list of "The 50 Best Mobile Games of the 2010s".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/11/best-mobile-games-of-the-2010s.html|title=The 50 Best Mobile Games of the 2010s|date=4 November 2019|website=Paste|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202192225/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/11/best-mobile-games-of-the-2010s.html|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
''868-HACK'' was released for iOS on 30 August 2013,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2015/01/28/dial-868-hack-on-steam-steal-data/|title=Dial 868-HACK on Steam, steal data|date=28 January 2015|first=Mike |last=Suszek|website=Engadget|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202185121/https://www.engadget.com/2015/01/28/dial-868-hack-on-steam-steal-data/|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> and for Windows and Mac OS X on 27 January 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meer |first=Alec |date=January 19, 2015 |title=Wot I Think: ''868-HACK'' |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/868-hack-review-pc |access-date=June 27, 2024 |website=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/868-hack/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|title=868-HACK|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202185453/https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/868-hack|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> An estimated 14,000 copies of ''868-HACK'' were sold for iOS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.electrondance.com/brough-beaten-a-portrait-of-success/|title=Brough Beaten: A Portrait of Success|date=12 February 2015|website=Electron Dance|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202190135/http://www.electrondance.com/brough-beaten-a-portrait-of-success/|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> On 23 July 2017, an expansion pack of the game was released, called "''868-HACK – PLAN.B''".<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/11/868-hack-expansion-released/|title=868-HACK expansion PLAN.B jacks in|last=O'Connor|first=Alice|date=11 July 2017|website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202191154/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/11/868-hack-expansion-released/|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The expansion added a "new mode, new progs, and new power-ups".<ref name=":4" />

Fours months after its initial release, on 17 December 2013, the game was chosen as "Mobile Game of the Week" by American magazine [[Paste (magazine)|''Paste'']]. Aevee Bee, writing for Paste for this review, described the game as "a turn based trainwreck—a meticulously ordered, predictably random and nearly always solvable trainwreck of exploding and overwhelming complexity".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2013/12/mobile-game-of-the-week-868-hack.html|title=Mobile Game of the Week: 868-HACK (iOS)|date=9 September 2013|website=Paste|access-date=3 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203071122/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2013/12/mobile-game-of-the-week-868-hack.html|archive-date=3 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2019, ''868-HACK'' was ranked 42 on American video game website [[Polygon (website)|''Polygon'']]'s list of "The 100 best games of the decade (2010–2019)".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/11/4/20944573/best-games-2019-2010-ps4-switch-xbox-pc-50-11|title=The 100 best games of the decade (2010–2019): 50–11|date=4 November 2019|website=Polygon|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106212251/https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/11/4/20944573/best-games-2019-2010-ps4-switch-xbox-pc-50-11|archive-date=6 November 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> It was also ranked at 29 on ''Paste'''s list of "The 50 Best Mobile Games of the 2010s".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/11/best-mobile-games-of-the-2010s.html|title=The 50 Best Mobile Games of the 2010s|date=4 November 2019|website=Paste|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202192225/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/11/best-mobile-games-of-the-2010s.html|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>


==Reception==
==Reception==
=== Critical response ===
{{Video game reviews
{{Video game reviews
| MC = (iOS) 84/100<ref name=":3"/>
| MC = (iOS) 84/100<ref name=":3"/>
|PG=4/5
|PG=4/5
|TA=5/5<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://toucharcade.com/2013/09/06/868-hack-review/|title='868-HACK' Review – A Cyber-Roguelike that Excels in Design|date=6 September 2013|website=TouchArcade|access-date=3 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203071125/https://toucharcade.com/2013/09/06/868-hack-review/|archive-date=3 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
|TA=5/5<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://toucharcade.com/2013/09/06/868-hack-review/|title='868-HACK' Review – A Cyber-Roguelike that Excels in Design|date=6 September 2013|website=TouchArcade|access-date=3 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203071125/https://toucharcade.com/2013/09/06/868-hack-review/|archive-date=3 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
''868-HACK'' received generally favorable reviews from critics, according to [[review aggregator]] [[Metacritic]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/game/ios/868-hack|title=868-HACK|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=21 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805114704/http://www.metacritic.com/game/ios/868-hack|archive-date=5 August 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>
''868-HACK'' received generally favorable reviews from critics, according to [[review aggregator]] [[Metacritic]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/868-hack/critic-reviews/?platform=ios-iphoneipad|title=868-HACK|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=21 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805114704/http://www.metacritic.com/game/ios/868-hack|archive-date=5 August 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>


Will Freeman of ''[[The Guardian]]'' praised the game for captivating players by "imposing limitations" and having every move in a game be "challenging"; he further praised the game by saying that it is "visually eccentric and a great deal more refined and considered than it first appears".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/09/hack-868-review-refined|title=868-Hack review – 'more refined than it first appears'|last=Freeman|first=Will|date=9 February 2015|work=The Observer|access-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202181234/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/09/hack-868-review-refined|archive-date=2 December 2019|issn=0029-7712}}</ref> Harry Slater of [[Pocket Gamer]] called the game an "intriguing" but "unashamedly tough experience" that offered a "unique and engaging take on some of modern gaming's current trends".<ref name=":0" /> The game received Pocket Gamer's silver award.<ref name=":0" /> [[Edge (magazine)|''Edge Online'']] called the game "formidably tough" and "meticulously thought through", saying it was "one of the smartest iOS games in some time".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.edge-online.com/review/868-hack-review/ |title=868-Hack review {{!}} Edge Online |date=9 November 2013 |access-date=21 June 2017 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109164146/http://www.edge-online.com/review/868-hack-review/ |archivedate=9 November 2013 }}</ref> Chris Person of ''[[Kotaku]]'' found the game to be "incredibly addictive".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/i-can-t-stop-playing-this-hacking-iphone-game-1228250085|title=I Can’t Stop Playing This Hacking iPhone Game|website=Kotaku|language=en-us|access-date=2020-01-05}}</ref> Writing for ''[[The Verge]]'', Andrew Webster said that ''868-HACK'' praised ''868-HACK'' for being a "relatively quick game" and the "perfect fit for your iPhone".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/9/4/4694874/868-hack-turns-your-iphone-into-an-addictive-hacking-simulator|title='868-HACK' turns your iPhone into an addictive hacking simulator|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=4 September 2013|website=The Verge|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406023921/http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/4/4694874/868-hack-turns-your-iphone-into-an-addictive-hacking-simulator|archive-date=6 April 2017|access-date=2 December 2019}}</ref>
Will Freeman of ''[[The Guardian]]'' praised the game for captivating players by "imposing limitations" and having every move in a game be "challenging"; he further praised the game by saying that it is "visually eccentric and a great deal more refined and considered than it first appears".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/09/hack-868-review-refined|title=868-Hack review – 'more refined than it first appears'|last=Freeman|first=Will|date=9 February 2015|work=The Observer|access-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202181234/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/09/hack-868-review-refined|archive-date=2 December 2019|issn=0029-7712}}</ref> Harry Slater of [[Pocket Gamer]] called the game an "intriguing" but "unashamedly tough experience" that offered a "unique and engaging take on some of modern gaming's current trends".<ref name=":0" /> The game received Pocket Gamer's silver award.<ref name=":0" /> [[Edge (magazine)|''Edge Online'']] called the game "formidably tough" and "meticulously thought through", saying it was "one of the smartest iOS games in some time".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.edge-online.com/review/868-hack-review/ |title=868-Hack review {{!}} Edge Online |website=Edge |date=9 November 2013 |access-date=21 June 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109164146/http://www.edge-online.com/review/868-hack-review/ |archive-date=9 November 2013 }}</ref> Chris Person of ''[[Kotaku]]'' found the game to be "incredibly addictive".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/i-can-t-stop-playing-this-hacking-iphone-game-1228250085|title=I Can't Stop Playing This Hacking iPhone Game|website=Kotaku|date=2 September 2013 |access-date=5 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202193729/https://kotaku.com/i-can-t-stop-playing-this-hacking-iphone-game-1228250085|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Writing for ''[[The Verge]]'', Andrew Webster praised ''868-HACK'' for being a "relatively quick game" and the "perfect fit for your iPhone".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/9/4/4694874/868-hack-turns-your-iphone-into-an-addictive-hacking-simulator|title='868-HACK' turns your iPhone into an addictive hacking simulator|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=4 September 2013|website=The Verge|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406023921/http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/4/4694874/868-hack-turns-your-iphone-into-an-addictive-hacking-simulator|archive-date=6 April 2017|access-date=2 December 2019}}</ref>


=== Accolades ===
=== Accolades ===
''868-HACK'' received nominations for Excellence in Design and the [[Seumas McNally Grand Prize]] at the 2014 [[Independent Games Festival]], getting an honorable mention for the latter.<ref name=":7" />
''868-HACK'' received nominations for Excellence in Design and the [[Seumas McNally Grand Prize]] at the 2014 [[Independent Games Festival]], getting an honorable mention for the latter.<ref name=":7" />
{| class="wikitable unsortable plainrowheaders"
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+List of accolades received by ''868-HACK''
!Year
!Year
!Award
!Award
!Category
!Category
!Result
!Result
!{{abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}}
!{{abbr|Ref(s).|Reference(s)}}
|-
|-
| rowspan="2" |2014
| rowspan="2" |2014
Line 56: Line 56:
|Excellence in Design
|Excellence in Design
|{{nom}}
|{{nom}}
| rowspan="2" |<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiedb.com/games/868-hack|title=868-HACK Windows, Mac, iOS, iPad game|website=Indie DB|access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202184405/https://www.indiedb.com/games/868-hack|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
|style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiedb.com/games/868-hack|title=868-HACK Windows, Mac, iOS, iPad game|website=Indie DB|date=29 August 2013 |access-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202184405/https://www.indiedb.com/games/868-hack|archive-date=2 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|-
|[[Seumas McNally Grand Prize]]
|[[Seumas McNally Grand Prize]]
Line 65: Line 65:
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
⚫
[[Category:Roguelike video games]]
*{{official website|https://868-hack.neocities.org}}
⚫
[[Category:Indie video games]]

[[Category:2013 video games]]
[[Category:2013 video games]]
[[Category:Cyberpunk video games]]
[[Category:Cyberpunk video games]]
⚫
[[Category:Indie games]]
⚫
[[Category:IOS games]]
⚫
[[Category:MacOS games]]
⚫
[[Category:Roguelike video games]]
[[Category:Science fiction video games]]
[[Category:Science fiction video games]]
⚫
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Video games developed in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
⚫
[[Category:MacOS games]]
⚫
[[Category:IOS games]]
⚫
[[Category:Single-player video games]]

Latest revision as of 20:33, 1 November 2024

868-HACK
Developer(s)Michael Brough
Publisher(s)Michael Brough
Platform(s)
Release
  • iOS
  • 30 August 2013
  • Windows, Mac OS X
  • 27 January 2015
Genre(s)Roguelike
Mode(s)Single-player

868-HACK is a 2013 roguelike video game developed and published by Michael Brough. The player controls a hacking program in a computer system and must grab as much computer data as possible before a defence program destroys it.

Development of the game began in March 2013, as part of the "Seven-Day Roguelike" competition. It was released in August 2013 for iOS and in January 2015 for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. The "PLAN.B" expansion pack was released in July 2017.

868-HACK received mostly positive reviews from critics. The game was nominated for an Excellence in Design award at the Independent Games Festival, receiving an honorable mention for the Seumas McNally Grand Prize there. 868-HACK was ranked 42nd on Polygon's list of "The 100 best games of the decade (2010–2019)"[1] and 29th on Paste's list of "The 50 Best Mobile Games of the 2010s".[2]

Gameplay

[edit]
In a top-down view the player must grab as much computer data as possible.

The player controls a hacking program in a computer system and must grab as much computer data as possible before a defence program destroys it.[3] The game plays in the manner of a dungeon crawler, with rooms being randomly generated.[3] The player must collect keys to unlock nodes to hack.[3] The game's graphics resemble those of ZX Spectrum.[3]

The game takes place in a cyberpunk setting, where, as alluded to by the game's title, hacking is done by dial-up. The player is a "smiley face" which can be moved around an 6×6 grid.[4] The grid is shaped by "circuit-board-looking walls".[4] The enemies in 868-HACK look vaguely like those in Pac-Man.[4] Players can fire lasers at these enemies.[4] Most of the enemies have two health bars, and they each have one of three different special abilities; being able to move over two tiles at a time, having three health bars instead of two, or being invisible until it comes into the player's line of fire.[4] Each wall tile in the game stores a reward which can be extracted, but also has a number signifying how many enemies it will spawn when opened.[4]

Development and release

[edit]
Developer Michael Brough

In March 2013, developer Michael Brough started to work on 868-HACK as part of a seven-day Roguelike competition.[5][6] The game was originally called "86856527" at the event.[5] Brough worked on the game for six months, then spent four months fixing bugs, tuning balance, and porting.[6] Michael Brough recorded the sounds of the game; Leigh Alexander of Gamasutra said the sound "gives its forbidding machinery a fascinating human sound".[7]

868-HACK was released for iOS on 30 August 2013,[8][9] and for Windows and Mac OS X on 27 January 2015.[10][8][11] An estimated 14,000 copies of 868-HACK were sold for iOS.[12] On 23 July 2017, an expansion pack of the game was released, called "868-HACK – PLAN.B".[13] The expansion added a "new mode, new progs, and new power-ups".[13]

Fours months after its initial release, on 17 December 2013, the game was chosen as "Mobile Game of the Week" by American magazine Paste. Aevee Bee, writing for Paste for this review, described the game as "a turn based trainwreck—a meticulously ordered, predictably random and nearly always solvable trainwreck of exploding and overwhelming complexity".[14] In November 2019, 868-HACK was ranked 42 on American video game website Polygon's list of "The 100 best games of the decade (2010–2019)".[15] It was also ranked at 29 on Paste's list of "The 50 Best Mobile Games of the 2010s".[16]

Reception

[edit]

868-HACK received generally favorable reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[9]

Will Freeman of The Guardian praised the game for captivating players by "imposing limitations" and having every move in a game be "challenging"; he further praised the game by saying that it is "visually eccentric and a great deal more refined and considered than it first appears".[18] Harry Slater of Pocket Gamer called the game an "intriguing" but "unashamedly tough experience" that offered a "unique and engaging take on some of modern gaming's current trends".[3] The game received Pocket Gamer's silver award.[3] Edge Online called the game "formidably tough" and "meticulously thought through", saying it was "one of the smartest iOS games in some time".[19] Chris Person of Kotaku found the game to be "incredibly addictive".[20] Writing for The Verge, Andrew Webster praised 868-HACK for being a "relatively quick game" and the "perfect fit for your iPhone".[21]

Accolades

[edit]

868-HACK received nominations for Excellence in Design and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the 2014 Independent Games Festival, getting an honorable mention for the latter.[22]

Year Award Category Result Ref(s).
2014 Independent Games Festival Excellence in Design Nominated [22]
Seumas McNally Grand Prize Honorable mention

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The 100 best games of the decade (2010-2019): 50-11". Polygon. 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  2. ^ "The 50 Best Mobile Games of the 2010s". Paste. 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Slater, Harry (4 September 2013). "868-Hack Review". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Francis, Tom (16 August 2018). "What Works And Why: Betting on yourself in 868-Hack". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  5. ^ a b Person, Chris (2 September 2013). "I Can't Stop Playing This Hacking iPhone Game". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  6. ^ a b Wawro, Alex (17 February 2014). "Road to the IGF: Michael Brough's 868-HACK". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  7. ^ Alexander, Leigh (6 September 2013). "The gorgeous math of Michael Brough's 868-HACK". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  8. ^ a b Suszek, Mike (28 January 2015). "Dial 868-HACK on Steam, steal data". Engadget. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  9. ^ a b c "868-HACK". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  10. ^ Meer, Alec (19 January 2015). "Wot I Think: 868-HACK". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  11. ^ "868-HACK". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  12. ^ "Brough Beaten: A Portrait of Success". Electron Dance. 12 February 2015. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  13. ^ a b O'Connor, Alice (11 July 2017). "868-HACK expansion PLAN.B jacks in". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  14. ^ "Mobile Game of the Week: 868-HACK (iOS)". Paste. 9 September 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  15. ^ "The 100 best games of the decade (2010–2019): 50–11". Polygon. 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  16. ^ "The 50 Best Mobile Games of the 2010s". Paste. 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  17. ^ "'868-HACK' Review – A Cyber-Roguelike that Excels in Design". TouchArcade. 6 September 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  18. ^ Freeman, Will (9 February 2015). "868-Hack review – 'more refined than it first appears'". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  19. ^ "868-Hack review | Edge Online". Edge. 9 November 2013. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  20. ^ "I Can't Stop Playing This Hacking iPhone Game". Kotaku. 2 September 2013. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  21. ^ Webster, Andrew (4 September 2013). "'868-HACK' turns your iPhone into an addictive hacking simulator". The Verge. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  22. ^ a b "868-HACK Windows, Mac, iOS, iPad game". Indie DB. 29 August 2013. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
[edit]
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