The Signal State is a Zachlike about rewiring synthesizers
And rebuilding a futuristic farm
Is it still a Zachlike if it's not made by Zachtronics? Because The Signal State sure looks like a Zachlike. It's about solving logic puzzles inspired by modular synthesizers, which means you'll tinker with ornate machinery by twisting knobs and changing wiring. It's also wrapped in a post-apocalyptic story in which your actions will "change the fate of agriculture."
It's out now. Check out the trailer below.
Zachlikes typically look completely incomprehensible in screenshots, and yep - check. In The Signal State, you're altering inputs by deploying modules - panels of buttons, knobs and conectors - and then wiring them together in different ways.
You're trying to create a particular kind of output in order to solve the puzzle, but also like in a Zachlike, there are different routes towards success. The Signal State has leaderboards so you can compete for the most efficient solution.
The Signal State is from Reckoner Industries, a small studio from Signapore. Although the game is fully released now, there are plans for future features mentioned on the game's Steam page. Those include a sandbox mode where you can experiment, and a puzzle design tool so you can make your own challenges. Nice.
You can pick The Signal State up now for £15.50/$20/€17, and there's a demo available from the Steam page.