Game: Haccer
Genre: Action, Arcade
System: iOS mobile
Developer|Publisher: Why Kev
Age Rating: EU 9+ | US Everyone
Price: US $1.99 | UK £1.79 | EU € 1,99
Release Date: October 18th, 2022
Review code provided with many thanks to Why Kev.
A Good Mobile Title
Haccer is a 2D arcade game which can be played on your IOS device with one or two hands or maybe your feet if you’re really skilled. Developed by WhyKev, the lovely fellow responsible for the cute Tani Nani I reviewed some time ago. Haccer is a fun pick-up-and-play mobile title that can be enjoyed by absolutely anyone. This game comes at a low price with not a single microtransaction or gatcha mechanic in sight. You should absolutely go buy it but if you need more incentive then read on.
Pick up and Dig
The premise of Haccer is you play as an unusually pixelated entity with a pick axe for a head. For reasons unknown you have decided to start digging as far as you can until some form of hazard, such as a bomb or saw blade stops you in your tracks in a single hit. Why are you digging? Maybe there’s treasure or a lost city deep below. Maybe the game is a metaphor for digging yourself into a hole like in some awful Twitter argument.
Whatever your interpretation, digging is the name of the game and it’s a lot of fun to do. The game is presented in a simple but appealing pixelated design which gets the job done. What really stood out was the addictive retro soundtrack which had me even switching off podcasts to enjoy.
Dig Yourself into a Hole
Controls only use the virtual D-pad at the bottom of the screen. Buttons are responsive with movement feeling like a smooth swim through the dirt until you come across more resistance in later areas. You can only move left, right and down. There is no up in this game which means you have to put a little thought into where you place your character especially when the bombs and hazards begin to flood the screen. Don’t think too long though, as a small timer counts down the longer you stay inactive and if it depletes entirely the round is over.
Heart-pounding Experience
You will reach a point when you will need to trigger the bombs to create a path through. With a single tap the bomb will temporarily present its explosive range so you can move to safety. If the explosive range touched another bomb it will trigger another explosion. The game soon becomes this heart-pounding experience of quick reactions in a bid to dig just a little further to trump your previous score. As you dig further you will enter new biomes indicated by a general colour change. Each time this happens something new is added to the mix like a new hazard (yes buzzsaws) or dirt which requires more hits to destroy. A single play-through of the game will last on average less than a minute but I rarely stopped at just one game. It’s incredibly hard not to tap that retry button again.
Speaking of score, the depth you achieve and your overall score are separately recorded. Going for depth is self-explanatory and provides a more chilled game experience. If you want to play the game with more risk, such as triggering as many bombs as possible this will increase a combo meter and in turn deliver a high score. When I attempted to play this way I often found myself holding my breath which probably wasn’t sensible. If you want you can then observe how you are positioned on the leaderboards. As always I prefer to beat my own score than see how terrible I am at gaming compared to others.
The Next Mobile Addiction
Haccer is simple to the point and fun. An excellent game to pull out and have a few rounds of, even if you only have less than a minute to spare. On top of all the praise, this game deserves that I rate it even higher because this is an example of a mobile title restoring my faith in the platform. With a sea of zombie apps and free-to-play nonsense, Haccer rises up as a game well worth your money and time.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up
