Screenshots
Watch trailer on Steam ↗CIPHER-8
Ludokultur · Published by Ludokultur · Official site ↗
Positive — 100% positive (29 reviews)
Last updated 27 Sept 2026
CIPHER-8 is a brain-twisting minimalist arcade puzzler where you push numbers into a grid and manipulate them with randomly drawn special abilities! Play blitz mode for frantic combo streaks, or analyze every move in puzzle mode. Both scale infinitely in their difficulty. How far can you go?
Free to PlayDJCTQ lFull Controller Support
Free
Indie, Strategy, Casual · 2023 · More free games
Navigate the intricate puzzles of CIPHER-8, where pushing numbers into grids meets endless challenge. Developed by Ludokultur, this indie strategy game invites you to explore both puzzle and blitz modes, each offering unique gameplay experiences.
About this game
🎊 CELEBRATING 8 YEARS SINCE THE RELEASE OF THE VIRTUAL FANTASY CONSOLE PICO-8, THIS TITLE IS RELEASED AS A FREE GAME! 🎊
You just couldn't let go of your dream to become some sort of cyberpunk Robin Hood, so you invented a device that connects your brain to the inner world of a high-security safe’s digital lock. Somewhat irritated, the safe suggests you play a game to make up for your intrusion. Lose and be locked in forever, or win to attain unimaginable wealth (to redistribute among those in need of course). Can you crack the cipher?
CIPHER-8 is a brain-twisting game where you push numbers into a grid. Well, numbers or all kinds of manipulatory tricks (also known as "special abilities"). Or bombs apparently. Anyways, after all it’s about making the total value of each column match its goal value. However, changing one column affects the others as well. Oh and by the way, bonus points if you manage to plan ahead a few turns to keep your cipher streak going in the process!
There are two game modes:
Note: This game is made using the virtual fantasy console PICO-8 (digipad + 2 buttons), but controls just fine via keyboard (arrows + X and C) or pretty much any controller.
💻 Design & Code: Fabian Fischer (@Ludokultur)
🎶 Dynamic music: @muse_energy
You just couldn't let go of your dream to become some sort of cyberpunk Robin Hood, so you invented a device that connects your brain to the inner world of a high-security safe’s digital lock. Somewhat irritated, the safe suggests you play a game to make up for your intrusion. Lose and be locked in forever, or win to attain unimaginable wealth (to redistribute among those in need of course). Can you crack the cipher?
CIPHER-8 is a brain-twisting game where you push numbers into a grid. Well, numbers or all kinds of manipulatory tricks (also known as "special abilities"). Or bombs apparently. Anyways, after all it’s about making the total value of each column match its goal value. However, changing one column affects the others as well. Oh and by the way, bonus points if you manage to plan ahead a few turns to keep your cipher streak going in the process!
There are two game modes:
- ⚡️ BLITZ asks you to reach a target score in just 90 seconds, so you better get that brain juice flowing fast!
- 🧩 PUZZLE mode on the other hand is all about planning since there’s no timer, but you lose energy if you go without scoring for too many turns.
Note: This game is made using the virtual fantasy console PICO-8 (digipad + 2 buttons), but controls just fine via keyboard (arrows + X and C) or pretty much any controller.
💻 Design & Code: Fabian Fischer (@Ludokultur)
🎶 Dynamic music: @muse_energy
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
Minimum:
- OS: 7+
- Processor: 700 MHz
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Storage: 3 MB available space
Supported Languages
English
Latest news
AnnouncementsOfficial
CIPHER-8 is out!
Hi! I'm super excited to let you know my brain-twisting arcade puzzler CIPHER-8 is available right now and it's 100% FREE on Steam! 🎉 {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44532438/3a4413bd701ae7b13a31acb7a9f5c62784d6a34c.gif Why make it free you might ask? Well, this release is primarily a love letter to PICO-8, a virtual fantasy console that has been around for 8 years and fostered an entire ecosystem of cozy creativity. Seriously, check out some of the thousands of fun games available for it! ❤️ Now, CIPHER-8 is a challenging game, so maybe try starting in the non-timed puzzle mode at first. Once you get the hang of it, you may catch yourself spotting more and more unexpected opportunities and blitz mode may soon feel like you're some half-automated wizard! 🤯 I hope you have a tiny bit of fun with my little game. If you do, consider leaving a review (and maybe take a peek at my next "bigger" title, a billiard roguelike called Rack and Slay)! :) All the best, FabianRead full article on Community Announcements (Ludokultur)
