Tom Hall Unlocks Vault to Mark Anachronox's 25th Anniversary

When Anachronox released in 2001, it emerged in the shadow of Ion Storm Dallas’ more infamous fiasco. With John Romero’s Daikatana consuming resources and attention, Tom Hall’s quirky sci‑fi RPG barely escaped before the studio imploded. Over the last quarter‑century it has built a devout cult audience drawn to its absurdist humor, detailed world and mismatched sensibilities.

You play as Sly Bucelli, a surly, indebted private eye who lives in a pod above his local space bar, struggles to spell and takes a case that sends him after mysterious techno relics and the most dangerous criminals in the solar system. The game often resembles late ’90s sci‑fi PC RPGs but unfolds as an absurdist farce: your mouse cursor is a character, one party member is a planet composed of satellite relays, the Canadian dollar becomes the standard currency of humanity’s space future, and its play echoes Japanese console RPGs such as Chrono Trigger.

United States, Dallas

anachronox, tom hall, ion storm, john romero, daikatana, sci-fi rpg, sly bucelli, cult classic, chrono trigger, canadian dollar