Puzzle developer Zachtronics is currently working on its swan song, and it looks like the studio plans to release it with a bang. Last Call BBS is a game where you play pirate games on a retro console called Z5 Powerlance and find rare gems in the process. It will also be the studio’s last game.
Like other Zachtronics games like Shenzen I/O and Exapunks, Last Call BBS is an interface to the individual computing environment. In this case it is the Z5 Powerlance, a kind of high-tech version of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum or Apple IIe. The premise is that the bartender has loaded this machine with access to plenty of cool puzzles to try, and each one feels like a trip down memory lane dedicated to Zachlikes.
Some of the games look like clones of standard solitaire (although you can bet they’ll have a twist). In another, he’s assembling conveyor belts and other industrial equipment and program control boxes, and in another, he appears to be churning out organic meat chunks for creepy aliens. Then there is one who builds and paints weapon models.
In the Last Call BBS summary, it is referred to as “the latest Zachtronics game”. On Twitter, a fan asked if that meant “newest” or “latest” and the company confirmed that it was the last product it planned to release with a simple, straightforward answer.
Latest.
— Zachtronics (@zachtronics) June 15, 2022
Zachtronics was founded by designer Zach Bart in 2000 and has released 13 games, including Infinifactory, Ironclad Tactics, and Mobius Front ’83. Last Call BBS will be the studio’s fourteenth title and will be released on Steam on July 5.
Source : PC Gamesn
