u/badassbradders

The game is an immersive cyberpunk sim I'm developing for my hacking adventure called GLYPHIS_IO BBS: The Proxy Tapes 1989. It's a game within a game, very Bladerunner.

This game is a 10 level mini-game taking place after a huge genocide has wiped everyone out in your district, you play as a transhuman mercenary looking to find out what happened and link up with the elders of your group for safe passage to the next mega city - Civitas Theodore. It's cyberpunk transhumanisim sat inside a 1989 proto-cyberpunk PC that never existed.

The Computer. What you're looking at in the video is my simulated virtual computer, the Bradsonic 69000. It is a cross between the Sharp X68000 (beautiful late 80's Japanese 32-bit exclusive PC) and my first ever PC the ICL Fujitsu Indiana.

The Software. In the game you create retro-viruses. Like brute force password crackers and OS/Server timer restrictors, and more... you use this software seen on screen BradBasix to write them.

The Datasette. Inspired by the Datasette on the C64 this is the file system in the game, that allows the player to combine with BradBasix and write their own programs and games from scrtach with extensive support from NPCs and the help sections inside BradBasix.

The player can play over two fouth walls and reference documents if they need to, and also zoom full screen and alter different parts of visual feedback like scanlines and the CRT "glow". I'm super proud of it, I know it's the sort of game that isn't for everyone, but I really do hope you guys dig it too.

My absolute dream would be if a small community of creators came out of the game, even just 0.5% of the success that Piko8 had, I'd be happy. They would be making games and sharing them, really digging into the retro sandbox this virtual pc had to offer within the game enviroment.

The game is currently in development. I am streaming devlogs on youtube every week and I'd love to have more support.

This is where to find out more about the game, and wishlist here via Steam, if you're rad.

This is where to find me on YouTube - I will be streaming every Friday and occasionally mid-week.

Thank you!

Oh, and for the super nerds out there, like me: this combines Python and Pygame with C++ and raylib. BradBasix is a Python-based IDE for BradScript, a custom BASIC-style language that feels a bit like Lua to me. You can create 2D, 2.5D and 3D environments, with the 3D side powered by a C++/raylib engine connected through a Python wrapper. It’s neat.

At this present moment I have made a 2.5D map and object engine using C++ and Raylib which is starting to build things in the style I want.

The game is actually going to be a mini game within my larger project Glyphis_IO BBS: The Proxy Tapes 1989, which is a hacking adventure/sim set in an alternate 1989 Japan.

The idea with this particular mini game is that it will eventually be a mix of Deus Ex and System Shock in terms of the physics and world. The story is also connected to my wider Civitas Universe which is heavily based around transhumanism and multi-dimensional theory.

I am trying to work out from a design perspective what these maps really need to be to make them feel like a proper cyberpunk world rather than just putting neon everywhere.

At the moment I'm looking at things like multiple ways to achieve an outcome, map loops, shortcuts, environmental storytelling and possible destructible world elements (if I can get that working). Super keen to hear anyones thoughts, especially if you loved games like System Shock and Dues Ex back in the day.

What do you think are the really important elements of a cyberpunk game world that I should be thinking about?

I'm trying to build this around work and kids, but have found myself doing regular Friday night streams (UK time) where I build the maps and work on the game.

I stream the progress and map building every week on YouTube if you wanted to feed my thoughts in a live environment?

Would love some people from this sub to pop in and share some wisdom with me while I'm figuring this thing out.

And if you wanted to see the overarching game where this will eventually be, it's Glyphis_IO BBS: The Proxy Tapes 1989. Feel free to wishlist if it's something you'd be keen to play, no worries if not.

Thanks!

edit: not sure why it is labelled as nsfw, sorry!

Wishlist on Steam here via this link.

I’m learning an awful lot while making this game, and honestly, I’m very aware that I still have a long way to go. I’m sorry if some of the influences feel obvious at this stage, but I’m trying to absorb, learn from, and honour the things that first made me fall in love with this kind of work.

The story takes huge inspiration from the sparks of William Gibson’s 80s imagination, the social paranoia running through Philip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly, the brilliant design thinking of Zachtronics, and old-school favourites like Uplink, alongside more recent games such as Grey Hack and Hacknet.

I’m trying to take those influences with humility, learn as much as I can, and slowly shape them into something that feels personal and new.

Wishlist on Steam here via this link.

I’m learning an awful lot while making this game, and honestly, I’m very aware that I still have a long way to go. I’m sorry if some of the influences feel obvious at this stage, but I’m trying to absorb, learn from, and honour the things that first made me fall in love with this kind of work.

The story takes huge inspiration from the sparks of William Gibson’s 80s imagination, the social paranoia running through Philip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly, the brilliant design thinking of Zachtronics, and old-school favourites like Uplink, alongside more recent games such as Grey Hack and Hacknet.

I’m trying to take those influences with humility, learn as much as I can, and slowly shape them into something that feels personal and new.

I'd love to know what you think of the project. I'm currently two devlogs in, and loving the world building. I have written two social engineering missions, a bunch of mini games, and a really fun Cybertrain cyberpunk city planner to play from the computer, all of which is showcased in the video and across my channel with shorts. You can wishlist here if you like.

I was heavily influenced by the writings of Phillip K. Dick. Mainly, A Scanner Darkly, Ubik, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, but filtered through this retro-cyberpunk lens of terminals, BBS systems, and messy digital identities.

A Scanner Darkly is probably the biggest one in terms of vibe, that whole idea of fractured identity and surveillance systems that kind of loop back on themselves. That’s very much how I think about the layered interfaces and interactions in Glyphis. Then Ubik comes in with the reality instability side of things, systems breaking down, weird messages appearing where they shouldn’t, rules feeling slightly off, which maps nicely to the pirate radio, strange software behaviour, and hidden structures in the game. And Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep sits underneath it all thematically, that question of what’s real, what’s performed, and how identity and memory get filtered through systems. Altogether it just felt like a natural fit for a retro setup, where old tech isn’t just aesthetic, it actually becomes the medium for exploring those bigger human questions.

Then with Gibson, i guess it is that whole “console cowboy” vibe. Jacking into systems, navigating hidden networks, and information having real weight, that’s all baked into what I’m doing, just dialled back into a more grounded, retro space. Instead of slick cyberspace, it’s BBS terminals, dodgy connections, and text-based rabbit holes, but the core idea is the same: you’re digging through layers of systems that weren’t meant to be understood, piecing together meaning from fragments. Gibson’s influence is less about copying the aesthetic and more about capturing that feeling that the real action is happening inside the network, just out of sight. This is my first ever steam game and I'm still working hard on it.

I've made cyberpunk board games in the past Civitas Nihilium, Civitas 2230 and a small pc game, The Mysteries of Profundum, and before that I had a really fun time running my own ARG called Mushroom. I'm sharing this all because I come to r/cyberpunk a lot, I have a strong connection to the genre and build everything from my own fascination with it.

I guess a post like this is aiming to find other versions of me who would be interested in playtesting or giving my game a go when it gets released. I'm not looking to earn a quick buck or anything like that, I'm just keen to meet more cool people that I hope this game will bring joy to. Thank you and I look forward to chatting with you!

TL;DR:
I’m building a retro cyberpunk hacking game set in an alt-1989 Japan, played through terminals and BBS systems. It leans heavily into Philip K. Dick (identity, reality glitches) and William Gibson (console cowboy, hidden networks), with social engineering missions, mini-games, and a playable cyberpunk city sim inside the OS.

I’ve got 2 devlogs up, I’m deep into the worldbuilding, and this is my first Steam game. Not chasing money, just looking for people who love cyberpunk as much as I do to follow along, wishlist, and maybe playtest later.