''Last Call BBS'' is a

puzzle video game Puzzle video games make up a broad genre of video games that emphasize puzzle solving. The types of puzzles can test problem-solving skills, including logic, pattern recognition, Sequence, sequence solving, Spatial ability, spatial recognition, ...

developed by

Zachtronics Zachtronics LLC is an American video game developer, best known for engineering-oriented puzzle video games and programming games. Zachtronics was founded by Zach Barth in 2011, who serves as its lead designer. Some of their games include ''Space ...

. Released on August 4, 2022, it was the studio's final game before its closure.

Gameplay

Set on a Z5 Powerlance, a fictional 1990s PC, ''Last Call BBS'' features eight small puzzle games with distinct gameplay. To install the games, the player needs to dial an in-game BBS. All games contain elements of previous works developed by

. For instance, ''20th Century Food Court'', a

factory simulation Construction and management simulation (CMS), sometimes also called management sim or building sim, is a subgenre of simulation game in which players build, expand or manage fictional communities or projects with limited resources. Strategy video ...

game where the player arranges machines to make food, incorporates the assembly line elements of ''

SpaceChem ''SpaceChem'' is a puzzle game, puzzle and indie game by Zachtronics Industries, based on principles of automation and chemical bonding. In the game, the player is tasked to produce one or more specific chemical molecules via an assembly line b ...

''. With

point-and-click Point and click are one of the actions of a computer user moving a pointer to a certain location on a screen (''pointing'') and then pressing a button on a mouse or other pointing device (''click''). An example of point and click is in hypermedi ...

controls, the games begin with easy introductory levels, before increasing in difficulty as new gameplay elements are introduced. In addition to the puzzle games, the game contains a circuit creation game, model-building simulator and a retro-style minigame of

solitaire Solitaire may refer to: Film and television *'' Le Solitaire'', a 1987 French film * ''Solitaire'' (1991 film), a Canadian drama film * ''Solitaire'' (2008 film), a drama film *''Solitaire'', 2016 Lebanese comedy film with Bassam Kousa *"Solit ...

, similar to those present in previous Zachtronics games.

Development and release

The closure of Zachtronics was announced in June 2022, along with the announcements of ''Last Call BBS'' and a compilation of all solitaire minigames in the studio's previous works. ''Last Call BBS official trailer was released online later that month. The game was released on

Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...

via

early access Early access, also known as alpha access, alpha founding, paid alpha, or game preview, is a funding model in the video game industry by which consumers can purchase and play a game in the various pre-release Software release life cycle, developm ...

on July 5, and its final version was released on August 4. In an interview with ''

Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...

'', Zach Barth, Zachtronics' founder and lead designer, said that the reason for their breakup was that they "felt it was time for a change." The team officially disbanded following the release of ''The Zachtronics Solitaire Collection'', though some of its members, including Barth, are still active in game development. ''Last Call BBS'' received favorable reviews from critics upon release.

References

External links

* {{official website, https://www.zachtronics.com/last-call-bbs/ 2022 video games MacOS games Puzzle video games Single-player video games Video games about computing Video games developed in the United States Windows games Zachtronics games