Climb a procedural tower in an alternate version of 1988 to kill its insane owner. Then do it again, and again. The constantly evolving world is influenced by other players as you experience this bold and wildly exciting dungeon crawler.
About the story
Black Future ’88 is a Synth-Punk roguelike 2D action Shooter. Vertically climb an always evolving procedural tower to reach the top and kill its insane owner…before your heart explodes. Shoot, slash, dash and upgrade yourself to survive the endless waves of deadly traps, homicidal AI, crazed junkies and colossal Wardens standing in your way in a stylish alternative version of 1988. The world is reeling from a nuclear cataclysm, created by Duncan, the tower architect. The First of his bombs fell in the summer of 1988, and by December they had blacked-out the sun with endless rain. We decided to stop keeping time after this, and it’s been 1988 ever since. Everything that lived through the initial attack will die in the extreme floods that followed. These are the times after, where there are no more months, or even weeks…everything is measured in minutes left to live. Take on the mantle of one of the last remaining misfit survivors, and fight your way to the top of the tower to kill the architect and stop the endless nuclear rain. Ascend to die, and die to survive. Game Features Death Ascendant: Climb an always evolving procedural tower and fight for survival through a constant onslaught of death by fire, lasers, and slashes. Unique Synth-Punk World: Play through a unique take on a retro cyberpunk dystopia, and fight to survive through 5 distinct zones each with their own challenges. Pick Your Poison: Play as one of 5 playable characters, each with their own unique buffs- and weaknesses. Ruin Friendships: Test your wits and reflexes with a friend in couch co-op, and experience a completely unique take on the co-op roguelike. Kill the Wardens: Fight for survival by challenging the numerous unique bosses that guard each one of the game’s zones. Fog Machines and Laser Beams: Bring a gun and laser sword to a fire fight by arming yourself with a selection of the 50 unique weapons available in the game, each with their own unique effects. Evolve to Survive: The only way to survive when everything, including your own heart, is trying to kill you is to carefully boost or curse yourself by strategically choosing- and combining from 30 distinct buffs and curses. Dailies: Every day, a new challenge is generated with unique attributes that will test your mettle and allow you to see how your skills compare against other players in a global Leaderboard. Fight for not just survival, but supremacy! Ear Candy: Death never sounded so good thanks to an all killer original analog-synth soundtrack performed by Tremor Low.
Platforms
Switch PCGenres
Adventure Indie ShooterThemes
Action Science fiction
Languages: English and 5 more
| Interface | Audio | Subtitles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | |||
| Russian | |||
| French | |||
| German | |||
| Chinese (Simplified) | |||
| Japanese |
Media
Critic Reviews
Worth Playing
By Cody MedellinThe main hook in Black Future '88 is enough to recommend it to roguelike fans who want something a little different from the norm. There's a nice balance between trying to be thorough about collecting everything and rushing to make the most of your time, which is good enough to push most players out of their comfort zone. Those wanting something quick and different in the genre will find some joy in this title.
oprainfall
By Jason QuinnBlack Future ’88 surprised me quite a bit. It’s a very rewarding and addicting game, and you’ll catch yourself saying “just one more run” every time you die. Its short length and fast pace makes it very conducive to replaying, and unlike some rogue-likes, it’s fun to play pretty much immediately. Even in a genre where a game like Dead Cells stands tall, this can certainly stand on its own merits. If you like rogue-likes and platforming action games even a little bit, this is an easy recommendation. It’s $20 on Steam and the Nintendo Switch eShop, and even though a successful run lasts 18 minutes or less, you can easily sink 10+ hours into it.
GameMAG
By GameMAGOf course, the lack of content and motivation is not so terrible if you play Black Future '88 on the Nintendo Switch in the subway, but for longer sessions, this game is not exactly intended. If you love the genre, then it's worth playing, but all others can pass by.
SelectButton
By Kevin MitchellBlack Future '88 is a thrilling roguelike that eventually feels like you are in a side-scrolling bullet hell shooter the higher you climb. Once you reach the top, you'll begin once again, just with a harder difficulty.
Geeks Under Grace
By Maurice PogueThe novelty of the 80's throwback aesthetics makes Black Future '88 worthy of a purchase, if not also for the fact that it is the best shooter I have played in 2019.
