868-HACK

If you’re looking to kill a few hours, 868-HACK is a fine choice. Prolific developer Michael Brough has tapped the well-worn territories of both roguelikes and hacking gameplay and still managed to extract something original. Through a handful of enemy types, a couple dozen unlockable abilities, and a few hidden mutations available to especially skilled players, the game offers a surprisingly deep challenge that rarely feels unfair. The fun starts to peter out as you fall into patterns, but until that time, it’s an engrossing little puzzle box. It’s also a case study in economic design, even if it goes a little too far in that regard; there’s not a speck of unnecessary or drawn-out content here, but there’s also no context to the gameplay, and the audio is bizarrely tuneless.