1 
0 Hack into the centrifuge in s.p.l.i.t by Mike Klubnika. This story-driven horror game puts you in the shoes of Axel, a man tasked with using his terminal to hack into various systems. Plan and execute a malware attack alongside two faceless technicians with an intricate hacking puzzles which focus on old school prompts.
Warning: This game includes depictions of self harm and suicide which will be discussed in this review. I have tried my best but due to the nature of the gameplay please be aware there may e some small spoilers ahead!
If this whole hacking thing doesn’t work we’re going to have to s.p.l.i.t
Whilst I got to play through this ahead of launch, I have good news for you. s.p.l.i.t is out on Steam today!
Gameplay
At first glance, s.p.l.i.t seems like a very simple game. It is controlled entirely from your keyboard and you don’t have massive maps to adventure around. How hard could it be? Yeah I really thought that and then I was swiftly reminded how dumb I can be. Understanding the commands in the terminal was a steep learning curve for me. The closest I ever been to a terminal was when I was using %appdata% to find my retro Tomb Raider saves so clearly I know exactly what I was doing…
The story is still a bit of a mystery to me. Memories can be extracted from dead people, there is some sort of centrifuge that needs to be hacked and this group of hackers only gets one shot. Even though you start in the middle of this scenario and a lot has gone into it, it felt like Axel always wasn’t 100% sure what was going on which I really enjoyed. He knew that his way out was suicide but he planned on hanging himself. It isn’t until Victor and Sarah explain that he needs to kill the brain that we get more glimpses into the game’s world.
The game has two endings though whether you can call them a good and bad ending is up for debate. I would definitely recommend going through the game twice just to learn more about the world. I would love to see more of this world, maybe from Sarah and Victor’s POV because I need to know what is actually going on.
Graphics & Audio
Even though s.p.l.i.t predominantly focuses on a computer screen and rarely gets to showcase its graphics, it still manages to create an atmosphere that feels stressful. The few moments that we get where we see Axel enhance the discomfort of the moment and the overarching story. The colours are washed out to an almost greyscale. The only time you see colour is when you mess up typing Axel’s inner most thoughts which adds to the dystopian feel of everything.
The best way to describe the graphics is bleak and I think that sums up this game pretty well. This paired with the audio which feels like it’s forcing you to be fast making this an intense experience. Even though I knew it was just a game, I was still panicking about not being fast enough.
Longevity
Altogether, it took me around 90 minutes to play through this game twice. The first play through took significantly longer but it isn’t hard to play through again. I loved every minute of this game. From the strange, hidden story to the stress built by the audio. As soon as I saw the ‘ending 1 of 2’ I reloaded to get the other ending. It isn’t a game that you can play over and over again. The short length really does leave you wanting to understand more but I don’t think there is much more that you can uncover in the game itself.
Final Thoughts
For such a short game s.p.l.i.t had a massive impact. This game really is a memorable experience and, in case you missed it, I really want more of it. I want to know more about the other techs, memory harvesting, and the world we’re thrown into. Mike Klubnika really has done a lot with a small game. It’s incredibly unique and captivating. The way that the heavier topics are dealt with are simultaneously dread inducing but well dealt with.
The only issue I had with it was that I wanted more. This is a great addition to any library whether you love horror games or are looking for entries into the genre.
s.p.l.i.t was instantly a Thumb Culture Platinum Award game.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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