July 2, 2026
Hack the planet, heal the heartbreak
Exapunks
Cult hacker game sparks love, nostalgia, and one big "please come back" plea
TLDR: EXAPUNKS is a retro-style hacking puzzle game with printed zines and even custom puzzle tools, but the bigger story is fans still passionately mourning the quiet of its maker, Zachtronics. Most comments are love letters, though a few politely argue this brainy cult favorite isn’t for everyone.
EXAPUNKS is selling a fantasy that sounds ripped from a grungy 1997 fever dream: you’re a sick ex-hacker making one last deal, diving into banks, TV stations, highway signs, even your own body, all while learning from a fake underground magazine and hunting down old-school side games. But the real action here isn’t just the game’s retro chaos — it’s the comment section turning into a full-on Zachtronics support group.
The loudest mood is pure devotion. One fan basically waved everyone toward the developer’s whole catalogue, calling it all worth buying. Another dropped the blunt, melancholy bombshell: “I wish Zach would start making games again.” That tiny sad face carried enough heartbreak to power a whole forum thread. Nostalgia is absolutely running wild here, with players treating EXAPUNKS less like a game and more like a beloved brain-melting relic from a smarter, weirder era.
But not everyone is fully drinking the hacker Kool-Aid. One player called it an all-time favorite and praised how it captures the fun of programming, while also admitting it humbles you fast if you try to be clever too early. Another came in with the spiciest polite dissent imaginable: they like programming for fun, but EXAPUNKS just didn’t click, and they’d rather play Opus Magnum. So yes, the drama is low-stakes but delicious: is EXAPUNKS the peak of puzzle gaming, or the one Zachtronics obsession that even fans side-eye a little? Either way, the crowd agrees on one thing: this studio left a hole people still haven’t gotten over.
Key Points
- •EXAPUNKS is described as a hacking puzzle game set in 1997, centered on a former hacker with the phage performing hacks in exchange for treatment.
- •Players learn through TRASH WORLD NEWS and program EXAs to infiltrate networks, replicate, destroy files, and evade detection.
- •The game includes hacking targets such as banks, universities, factories, TV stations, highway signs, game consoles, the government, and the player character’s own body.
- •The article announces print-on-demand EXAPUNKS zine sets through Lulu after the physical deluxe edition sold out, priced at $7 plus shipping per issue.
- •Axiom VirtualNetwork+ is identified as the game’s custom puzzle tool, with virtual networks written in JavaScript using API functions to define hosts, files, registers, goals, and logic.