According to itseieio's TikTok bio, “they make stupid games,” but I maintain that putting a brick-breaker into Google Calendar is a galactic pipe dream. As they explain in a Videothey've spent two weeks refining the game, adding color-coded explosions as you smash your planned stand-ups to smithereens, as well as that authentic-looking trail behind the ball. But most important of all, your weekly town hall or really be able to decline Thursday afternoon “quick chat” by hitting it with a ball.
When you finish a round of BreakTime, which is a really clever name, you'll be asked if you actually want to decline all the one-on-ones you just broke. No, you don't have to skip this stakeholder meeting because of a video game if you don't want to. But every time a round ends and the popup appears, you will be tempted. Why not go hardcore mode and skip conference calls? It probably could have been emails anyway.
The original Breakout is an arcade classic developed by Steve Wozniak and released in 1976. Sequels like Super Breakout as well as clones like Arkanoid, Off the Wall and Wizorb followed years later, and while “Brick-Breaker” and “Block-Breaker” emerged as names for the genre, something feels about “Breakout clone” in a way correctly, as is not the case with the term “Doom clones” from FPS, for example.
You can get BreakTime from the Chrome web store if you want to try it yourself. Use the arrow keys to control the bat, and if you decide to decline all your meetings, good luck explaining to your boss why.
