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The last Zachtronics game, Last Call BBS is out now in early accessAnd it’s on PC Game Pass
And it’s on PC Game Pass
The most prolific indie studio of the last decade are preparing to bow out, with today bringing the early access launch of “the last game from Zachtronics”,Last Call BBS. It’s a puzzle-o-rama firing up a mysterious old computer to download pirated software from a BBS, letting us play everything from logic puzzles of circuits and flesh to a model kit-building simulation. I’ve played a wee bit and am keen to explore more, even as someone who is the absolute worst at Zachlikes.
Great vibes in meaty puzzler X’BPGH: The Forbidden Path
It’s an interesting one. I always enjoy Zachlikes having stories to uncover alongside the puzzling, and this sprinkles mystery across the BBS and the computer. It’s a nice simulation of a computer too, with a good hard drive burble and screechy modem. And it captures the vibe of pirating software, from warez groups and crackers leaving obnoxious messages with shout-outs to the challenge of trying to figure out a strange game or software without a manual. Some are friendlier than others, mind, and the BBS’s operator helpfully attaches difficulty ratings. Games take several minutes to download too, and after each you must wait 15 minutes for your download quota to refresh. I was weirdly delighted to fire up solitaire while waiting for my first download to finish.
Shoutouts to kewl d00dz in Last Call BBSGreetz on the splash screen a cracker added to 20th Century Food CourtWatch on YouTube
Shoutouts to kewl d00dz in Last Call BBS
While I’m no good at puzzle games (I have never finished a Zachlike and I likely never will), I’m enjoying poking around this collection. I will continue to poke.
Last Call BBS is available nowon Steam Early Accessfor £15.49/€16.79/$19.99, as well as through aPC Game Passsubscription. Zachtronics expect to launch the full version in a month or two following some tweaks, polish, and new content. They usually take their games through early access in this way so I trust this will be another smooth journey.
This one technically isn’t a game, it’s professional software
“I was hoping that I’d really like teaching and stay with that for a few years, but I learned that’s definitely not the case and I’m having a hard time imagining anything other than games in my future, in some shape or form,” Barthtold Kotakulast month.
The kit-building sim lets you export a GIF of your finished robot, and I expect to see very cool models painted with the masking and decal options.
“What we do next as individuals or collaborators is a question we are very actively discussing right now. I’m particularly interested in freelancing and weird side projects, while other members of the team are drawn to the idea of a stable job with more growth potential than a small indie studio that makes what’s essentially the same game every year.”
While Zachtronics are best known for the genre of logic puzzle which bears their name, Zachlikes (a termI coined in 2016and Barth embraced forthe title of his book), they have made plenty more. Over the years they’ve also dabbled in turn-based tactics and strategy games, so much solitaire, and evena great visual novel. I’ll be curious to see what the Zachtronics crew do next, whether together or individually.
