198X

Set in a suburb sometime in the 1980s, 198X follows Kid, a teenager caught between youth and adulthood. After discovering a local arcade, Kid finds new worlds and meaning in its games.

The story moves through five arcade-style games: a beat ’em up, a space shooter, a driving game, a ninja action platformer, and a first-person dungeon-crawling RPG. Each section offers a different style of play.

Between games, narrative scenes trace Kid’s coming-of-age journey. The arcade visits, mastered moves, and defeated enemies mark Kid’s growth, while the boundary between the games and everyday life begins to blur.

Players who enjoy 198X often praise its pixel art, soundtrack, nostalgic arcade styles, and the way its varied game sections accompany a coming-of-age story. Some find the experience charming and atmospheric, while others feel the mini-games lack depth, the story does not develop far enough, or the short playtime leaves the experience feeling incomplete. Several reviews also mention difficult sections and limited checkpoints.