Feature 1 - A retro PC to build up
Feature 1

Build up an old computer, one upgrade at a time

By the Focus98 team · Updated

You start with a beige 1998 PC: a slow processor, a small hard disk and a floppy drive. Every minute you focus earns credits, and credits turn it into something much better.

Where you start

A Kestrel 233 MHz processor, 32 MB of memory, a small hard disk and a floppy drive. Three windows open at once, no sound, no internet. It works, but it's a 1998 computer, and it shows.

What you can buy

  • A faster processor: more windows open at once. Later systems need one.
  • A bigger hard disk: drive C holds your credits, so a bigger disk means you can save more. When it's full, extra credits are lost, so upgrading it matters.
  • A modem: the internet, the online shop, downloads, a web browser and the messenger.
  • A CD-ROM drive: installs software that comes on CD. Later drives write CDs and DVDs.
  • A sound card and speakers: system sounds, and the media player.
  • A printer: printed certificates for your achievements, and sticky notes on the desktop.
  • A network card: Focus Groups with friends.
  • Software: better repair tools, and a disc burner that makes every session pay more.
The Focus98 shop, with hardware to buy
The shop: hardware, software and extras

Ordering by mail, the 1998 way

Without a modem, the shop is a mail-order catalog. Parts arrive in a few hours; software comes on a floppy disk or a CD, and you need the right drive to install it. Hardware goes in with the Add New Hardware Wizard, programs with their own Setup. Get a modem and the shop opens online, software downloads instead, and hardware ships sooner.

Moving up an era

Save enough and you can upgrade the whole system: Focus 98 to Bluebird 2001, then Chroma 2005, then Dawn 2010. Each era has its own look, sounds and shop, and pays more for every minute of focus. Some need a faster processor or a bigger disk first, so planning your upgrades is part of the game.

Tip Buy a bigger hard disk before you save up for something big. Credits that don't fit on drive C are lost.

Questions and answers

Is Focus98 a PC building game?

In a way: you upgrade a retro computer part by part with credits you earn by focusing, from a 1998 machine up to 2010. It's a focus timer first, so the game moves as you work.

Is it an idle game?

No. The computer only earns while you focus. Leave it alone and it slowly slows down instead.

How long does it take to reach 2010?

Weeks to months of regular focus, depending on how much you work and how you spend. Each era pays more, so it speeds up.

Focus98 is coming soon to Google Play. Free to start, no ads. Get early access

More features

See also: all guides

Feature 1 A retro PC to build upFocus98 User's Guide