If you're secretly way too proud of your Excel skills, does this dev have the game for you: 'While other kids were dreaming of spaceships, I was dreaming of spreadsheets'

GamesPuzzleIf you’re secretly way too proud of your Excel skills, does this dev have the game for you: ‘While other kids were dreaming of spaceships, I was dreaming of spreadsheets’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Games People Play)

A spreadsheet hovers in the foreground while a blocky businessman dances in front of a sports car.

Today I watched a trailer where in the first 10 seconds a ‘90s-style 3D model of a businessman kickflips a dolphin in slowmo over the flashing words “ASSET FLIP”. Such was the pull of this spectacle that I immediately went to Steam and downloadedthe free demo of Spreadcheat, a game whose opening gambit to potential players is “Do YOU have mad spreadsheet skills?”

I like to think that I do, in fact, have a few spreadsheet moves that can impress the kids. But Spreadcheat is a little bit of a Trojan horse. It promises you the spreadsheet life, but in fact this is a deeply odd and funny puzzle game about life in a bro-driven ‘90s business, where first of all the boss wants to know if you’re “cool”, and then you have to cleanse his PC of ads for hot local singles and free PalmPilots with your “geek thing”.

SpreadCheat - Official Announcement Trailer | The MIX Fall Showcase 2024 - YouTubeWatch On

SpreadCheat - Official Announcement Trailer | The MIX Fall Showcase 2024 - YouTube

Soon enough I’ve fiddled various figures I don’t understand, accidentally fired half the accounting department, and am investigating an upgrade to my business card: apparently “Eggshell White” makes the numbers look “cool and legitimate.” I’m tidying away the blow-up dolls from my boss’s late night hijinks before slamming together a Powerpoint about how “innovation is in our DNA” and making the words rotate and zoom on a background of stars. I’ve finally got a real job!

The demo lets you go through around half an hour of the game, and I guess I’d compare it to something like sudoku. The spreadsheet puzzles start simple, but I struggled with the final one before understanding the functions, so presumably the full game will put up a decent challenge.

The full-fat gamecan be wishlisted on Steamand will release early next year, promising to deliver the glorious “aesthetic pleasure of the ultimate ‘90s operating system” complete with MIDI music and “256 sparkling colors”—as well as those “hilarious e-mail attachments” we all remember so well. God, that does take me back.

The final word goes to Spreadcheat’s producer, who really does know how to sell this thing. “While other kids were dreaming of spaceships, I was dreaming of spreadsheets,” says Jack Kristofferson. “Who needs rocket science when you have conditional formatting?”

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

More about puzzleToday’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11Today’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10

More about puzzle

Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11Today’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10

Wordle answers

Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11

Today’s Wordle being played on a phone

Today’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10

Latest

Dead By Daylight: The Junji Ito Collection

See more latest►

Most PopularPath of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better lootPalestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 NakbaPiranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod sceneSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anythingIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fabI tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bay

Most Popular

Path of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better loot

Palestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 Nakba

Piranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’

Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod scene

Sorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our fault

Team Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40K

Is the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.

Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anything

If you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 off

AMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fab

I tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bay

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals