Transform minds into flowers in this twisted visual novel - Mindhack Quick First Impressions

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT?

Play it, but you might want to wait for some content updates. The current version of Mindhack includes the first three chapters of the game, and the devs plan to release additional chapters through free updates. I absolutely loved the time I spent with Mindhack, but it’s nowhere near finished. It feels more like a demo of what the game will eventually be.

TIME PLAYED

I played Mindhack for an hour and a half, which was enough time to complete all three existing chapters, unlock all achievements, and view all the game’s extras. It was hard not to feel disappointed when I realized I’d already seen everything the game had to offer. I adored the game, and I’m excited for future updates, but the current version of the game doesn’t have much content.

WHAT’S AWESOME

• Stylish visuals. Mindhack may be light on content, but the content that’s there feels incredibly polished. I played as an unnamed doctor that could only be seen as a pair of animated hands. While the game’s color palette is fairly muted, it becomes bright and vibrant during hacking segments. Most characters have simplistic designs, but owners of the minds you’re hacking look strange and inhumane. One person resembles a sea urchin, while another looks like a cabinet. Not only are the visuals stunning, but they add real depth to the game. The world may look drab and lifeless, but when you look inside people, you’ll find a kaleidoscope of color.

• Amazing world-building. Mindhack takes place ten years after a catastrophe that nearly ended the world. While disaster was averted, some people are now influenced by violent impulses known as BUGs. When a BUG owner is discovered, they’re sent to a research facility so that the BUG can be destroyed and their personality can be rewritten. Even though the minds you hack belong to people that have done terrible things, erasing their personality feels sickeningly cruel. It’s a fascinating premise for a game, and I can’t wait to keep playing and discover more about its world.

• Innovative gameplay. I’d describe Mindhack as a visual novel, but it feels dramatically different from other games in the genre. Most of the game consists of mind hacking segments. During these segments, I studied my subjects and spoke with them briefly before I started transforming their minds, typing out words and phrases connected to their souls as quickly as I could. Once a patient had been successfully hacked, I overwrote their personality and replaced it with flowers. Instead of letting me click to confirm, Mindhack made me move my mouse back and forth and erase personalities by hand. It’s immersive and surprisingly unnerving.

WHAT SUCKS

• Limited content. I don’t mind short games, but playing Mindhack is like reading the first chapter or two of a really great book. I love what I’ve seen so far, but it was incredibly frustrating to get cut off from the game as soon as it gets going. It’s an early access game, so I knew what I was getting into, but I wish the devs had added at least another hour or two of content before they released the game. Mindhack is shaping up to be something phenomenal, but I don’t think I can fully recommend it in its current unfinished state.

• Choices don’t seem to matter. During my Mindhack playthrough, I made what I thought was a terrible mistake. Even though I was playing a game, I felt genuinely guilty about what I had done and tried to go back and fix it as soon as I’d finished the game. Unfortunately, making different choices didn’t change anything. Mindhack made me feel like I was responsible for destroying personalities, and realizing that my choices didn’t actually matter robbed the game of some of its power. I really hope that the developers make choices more impactful in future updates.

💬 Are you ready to hack some minds, or will you be leaving the mind hacking to trained professionals? Share your thoughts in the comments!