Hacknet

[i]Note: I am biased because of the nature of my job. While not related to IT Security, it involves technical troubleshooting / problem solving and all kind of investigations. Basically, less fun version of Hacknet.[/i] [h3]Accurate Hacking Simulator?[/h3] I was not exposed to a lot of hacking in games, maybe just a bit in Sleeping Dogs, or Cyberpunk 2077. While other games focus purely on hacking vibes, those tend to ignore the actual process. And Hacknet pays much more attention to the realistic aspect of the game. Of course, to me it looks like huge oversimplification, but that was made as a game, right? It was made to be simple, fun and accessible. And it never felt like I am working, it felt like I am playing a game and having a good time. So while not being accurate, it nails the realistic hacking experience to enough extent. [h3]Handholding or Exploration?[/h3] The first 60% to 70% percent of the game felt like a tutorial. Fun, with a lot of stories and action, but with a huge sense that I am playing in a sandbox. Everything is pretty safe, and you get what you need to do right from the email, so you need to execute specific steps without much investigation. Yes, you need to look for something specific, but it is usually very algorithmic and follows the same steps. So, this feels like handholding to me, and having to "detective" part to it, where you just don't know where to look at and have to think and explore. But! There are endgame quests, such as the main story line or Project Junebug quest. Those actually did things perfectly as I have wanted. There is more to reading, investigating, searching and connecting pieces of information together. This was perfect. Example: usually it would be "find a (file / password / IP) or edit / remove something. Here is the server.". That is straightforward. Project Junebug: Here is the name of the person. Kill him. You see what I mean? That is perfect example of what I wanted this game to be. And it eventually has things that appeal to me! So, overall, great experience. Right? [h3]A bit of so-so moments[/h3] Just one. The game has netMap, a graph that displays the machines you have connected to. And the graph grows, and there is less and less space, it all becomes cluttered at some point. And there is no way to clean it up, resize, organize or alter. And this is sad a bit, because the missions that I liked involve a lot of research, but the research progress was hevily impacted by overall messy navigation system. But it's a minor thing. What else? [h3]The Easter Eggs and Secrets[/h3] While the big part of the game feels like a tutorial, it has a lot of things to explore. Jokes and memes, hidden quests with high rewards - it's all there. So if you want, you can take much more from the game than it offers at a first sight. Like in some RPGs you can even get overpowered pretty early - if you follow some clues in the game, you can get CLOCK.EXE, which makes game itself hacked. Things that are hidden and require exploration definitely cool here. [h3]The Music[/h3] I pay a lot of attention to game OSTs, it makes me love the game more if the music resonates with me. And back in 2017 when I have bought the game, I learned about Hacknet from Remi (The Algorithm) - one of the musicians behind the OST, and I bought it. So, to me the OST is perfectly fitting the game. Just very neat, I thought. Until the final mission. I have three examples of getting goosebumps from the music in the game: 1. One optional boss fight in Baldur's Gate 3 2. Expedition 33 in various places. And... Yeah, the final mission of Hacknet! Putting [spoiler]Carpenter Brut's Roller Mobster[/spoiler], one of my favorite synthwave / darksynth tracks ever made me freeze for a minute in awe. And then realize that time is ticking and I need to do everything fast. Perfect sense of adrenaline. Great choice for OST! [h3]Really solid hacking-lite experience[/h3] Overall, I liked this game. Relatively short, but never gets dull. And I have not even touched the DLC yet - and it has 97% positive rating! So, while the main game is over for me, I will get to Labyrinths in future to feel this enjoyment again.

is bestest game about hacking Im very like that game because it have history about Bit game very cool and I'm recomended play it DLC bestest than originaly story, but originaly story good too

I got recommended this game by my therapist (no, not for therapy reasons, he just thought it was cool) and boy am I glad I listened. Awesome game, immersive, 10/10, would play again.

This is actually a pretty alright game, it's not brain melting difficult to figure out. I enjoy the little story it had within, and all the Easter eggs here and there. Short and simple, with many things to discover within various bits and pieces, take your time with it and it will click eventually where you be breaking into everyone stuff like a good old hacker man. I give it a 9/10. The only real downside, is the server nodes UI is awful to navigate after connecting to many servers and clogs it up.

While I didn't finish the game, I really enjoyed the immersion. But I ran into a game breaking bug where I couldn't complete any missions. I wish there was a clearer indicator on what mission I'm on and how to complete it instead of marking "mission incomplete" on every single mission email. The vagueness of Naix and Entropy lockout missions was a bummer.

Ngl came to play this game only beause of the Home - Resonanance song I heard back in the day, and found out it was a soundtrack for Labyrinths, and OH BOY IT SLAPS here. The game - especially when you are up to 0 knowledge on how to operate a Linux terminal - is providing a reasonable yet rewarding challenge. Its emersiveness makes it completely stand out from the games where hacking is shown as some dude just banging on the keyboard and all done - no, it is really giving you knowledge how to type a certain command and how exactly it is going to work in certain circumstances. The syle, the way it works with the tasks and contracts - pretty much everything here gives you a constantly levelling feeling of being a true HACKERMAN_666 although being not tech-savy at all. 10/10 game

Super fun, super resourceful and educational

A short but in depth hacking simulator that approximates what it is like to punch in strings of command lines. Hacknet streamlines the experience enough to remain engaging and accessible but doesn't come across like it's constantly holding the player's hand or omiting any major technical aspects inherent of hacking. Experienced in a variety of exciting scenarios that lets you act as an on-the-edge black hat.

The game strikes the perfect balance between realistic and "fun to play" hacking, and, while not incredibly long, it kept me attached to the screen from start to finish.

HOLY CRAP THIS WAS AWESOME, every mission feels so immersive plus every soundtrack is just AWESOME. the ending mission was absolutely brilliant, i have never felt so much of an adrenaline rush from any game before. highly recommended

A game that makes you think and have fun doing it. There are tones of little Easter eggs if you know how to look for them. Been looking for a game like this where you can actually interface with a terminal. They created an entire file system for this. The devs put real work into this and it show. Now one of my favorites of all time.

One of the best games I've played. Top ten hands down, and can't believe I never played this in the past 5 years.

This hacking game made me cry. I'm off to find the secrets and play the dlc now. Please finish this masterpiece

Sure, the gameplay is rather repetitive, but the style of the game is very charming and it really makes you feel like you're learning to be a hacker, lol. Fun puzzle game.

If you have never played a game like this before, this is definitely the one to start with. Amazing tutorial, amazing game play, you can get into this not knowing much about Linux/this stuff because the game does a good job at easing you in, but later on it doesn't insult your intelligence by holding your hand. Plus the workshop has plenty of good content. Welcome to the Matrix neo. 9/10

Short and sweet, but leaves you wanting more. Not much here in terms of "coding", you get to run a few basic UNIX commands. But it's fun and the game ends before the charm wears off. Overall it's very accessible, even if I did wish it let you play with things bit more in-depth. It scratches a similar itch to Uplink, with a bit more of a story and a linear sort of narrative, but it has enough character and charm to stand on its own even if you're unfamiliar with that game. The game takes about 6 hours to complete, with a diverging route for about 1/3 of the game that you can go back and do if you'd like, but aside from that your second play through will be much like the first. Overall, I liked it. A sequel would have been great but doesn't seem to be in the cards

Some objectives don’t really specify what you’re supposed to do. For example, an email might say something along the lines of "break into this server using a shell command". Okay… then what? Am I supposed to delete everything once inside, or copy it? And the objectives you do complete will still show as incomplete even after you’ve finished them. Also, screw up on a server and need to restart? Well then you're screwed. You can't really reset a server easily so you have to reload a save. The UI (not the terminal) is absolutely atrocious. Sound is awful, cause you can't turn it off completely. They have these gunshot sounds every time you complete and objective (replying to an email), or when a new server node spawns in, so it ends up being a jump scare. Why can't I turn these off?

Cool Concept, But It Couldn’t Keep Me Hooked Hacknet starts strong. The idea of diving into a terminal-based hacking sim with a mysterious narrative hook is instantly appealing, especially if you’re into cyberpunk aesthetics or want to feel like a digital detective. At first, typing out real commands and navigating the virtual systems feels immersive and fresh. But that feeling didn’t last long for me. The main problem is how quickly the novelty wears off. After a couple of missions, the gameplay loop becomes repetitive — scan, probe, crack, read a few emails, rinse and repeat. There’s little variety or meaningful evolution in the mechanics. You’re not solving clever puzzles so much as going through the motions of the same routine over and over. The story, while intriguing in concept, never really grabbed me. It’s told in fragments through logs and emails, but it lacks emotional weight or urgency. I never felt particularly invested in the characters or their motivations — and a lot of the writing just felt flat. On top of that, there are some pacing issues. Some tasks feel tedious and drawn out, while others jump ahead abruptly. And if you’re not already familiar with basic command-line structure, the early learning curve can feel more frustrating than fun. I really wanted to like Hacknet. It nails the aesthetic and tone, and I respect the ambition. But the shallow gameplay and underwhelming story made it feel more like a tech demo than a fully satisfying experience.

一下午通了，感觉其实这个游戏很不错，值得起40的

This may have just sparked me to do better in myself so i can have the fun life i want. : ) Love you, Bit.

it keep stopping in my mac, but I'm really enjoying it.

IS a good entry basic coding/hacking game

its a gross simplification of cyber security so people with no knoledge of programming can still experience the game to the fullest.

got hacked in the game, had to do irl changes. 10./10

watch out kids on roblox youre not gonna wanna mess with me now!!

I love playing this game, super addictive!

best fucking hacking game ever

I have played it a few times over the years.

best game!!!

good

Heckermen Incarnate

very fun

nice

10/10

PortHack

heker mennn

i'm in

i'm in