Factorio
Factorio
Game
Game2015
Hacknet
Developer Team Fractal Alligator
Hacknet is a 2015 video game developed by Matt Trobbiani that allows the player to perform simulated computer hacking. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
318 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
92
LovedLoved
213 positive · 19 negative
95% range 88–95%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 213 | 19 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 30 | 1 | 29 |
| Lemmy * | 7 | 0 | 12 |
| Mastodon * | 3 | 0 | 4 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
11,114 of 11,808 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
92% recommend · 198 yes, 18 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 216 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (24,480 of 26,174 positive).
Players praise the immersive hacking experience and engaging story. [1][2][3] Some note the game teaches basic Unix commands and concepts. [4][5][6] A few reviewers find the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [8]
This might just be the 10 years since launch, or my actual experience with computers, but the gameplay loop feels a bit off (pun not intended) for me. The tutorial got me curious enough with the plot to get through, but there is no substance in the base game. Haven't played the DLC, not interested. If you are into looking at hacker-looking interfaces and typing the same half a dozen commands over and over (tab …
- [3]
If you are even slightly contemplating trying this game out, read this!!! This game, to me, was an absolute MASTERPIECE from start to finish. As someone who is pretty much compsci inept, bar the obligatory "hello world" Python script, this game absolutely hooked me in from the first contract. The tools used within the game are explained perfectly and are not complex; even someone like me felt like the typical …
- [7]
Hacknet is an okay game, but it gets repetitive quickly. If you're unable to suspend your disbelief, this game might not be for you. That being said, Hacknet does have some redeeming qualities. The game can serve as a tool for learning basic Linux commands, as the game involves spamming common terminal commands like, ls, cd, rm and scp. Additionally, I enjoyed the creative liberties taken in the game's "hacking" …
- [10]
A friend gave me a cracked version of this game back in ~2017, and it was mostly collecting dust in my storage until I decided to actually buy it. This game is so incredibly immersive that you feel like you're actively breaking into servers and performing espionage. The plot is rich and quite moving, and personally I found myself stuck playing for many consecutive hours just because I needed to see what happened …
- [1]
Cute little game with a great story Gameplay is superb Trump was in the Epstein Files The visuals and everything else were made with a lot of love Great to play on devices like laptops when you dont know what to do
Summarised from 34 of the 301 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 10, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Hacknet talk about immersive and makes you feel like a hacker; those who didn't talk about gameplay becomes repetitive quickly. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Hacknet received generally positive reviews from critics. GameSpot gave the game an 8/10, praising the game for its unique presentation puzzle design.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 318 · most liked firstWatching Mr. Robot all the way through doesn't make me a cyber security expert?. Ah yes, but you see, I also played Hacknet
positive · AI labelView post →Cute little game with a great story Gameplay is superb Trump was in the Epstein Files The visuals and everything else were made with a lot of love Great to play on devices like laptops when you dont know what to do
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I remember buying this game 10 years ago. I was either 13 or 14 and this game looked awesome, a real "HACK THE WORLD" kind of experience, but in a more realistic light than WatchDogs. When I played it then, it was pretty overwhelming, throwing unfamiliar commands and phrases to my tiny Windows user brain. It was only when I was around a Junior or Senior in High School that I finally beat the game. It was beautiful, from the badass music to the witty humor hidden in text files; it was a peek…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[CLOSED] [STEAM] Christmas Steam Key Giveaway -- Part 5. As before ([Day 1](https://lemmy.ca/post/35563409), [Day 2](https://lemmy.ca/post/35607838), [Day 3](https://lemmy.ca/post/35685416), [Day 4](https://lemmy.ca/post/35754802)), please make a list of the 5 games you would like from this list. At the end of the day, I will try to make as many people happy as possible! You are free to go to previous giveaways and requests items from there too. As always, please be patient if I send you a key…
neutral · AI labelView post →No, this isn't loss, we have new (rule)rs. ::: spoiler Explanations, from top to bottom, left to right, each quadrant Negative, High Energy: 1. [A quote from Jerma985, where he says "If I chop you up in a meat grinder, and the only thing that's left of you is your eyeball, you're probably dead"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouClsYFMhhI) 2. [Lyrics from the song Ain't No Rest For The Wicked](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2Z0sON2UPc) Positive, High Energy: 3. [Lyrics from the MGR:R song…
neutral · AI labelView post →My HackNet Steam review: People claim that this is a realistic hacking game, but the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act citation in the tutorial is incorrectly formatted and does not cite a particular subsection. Do not recommend.
negative · AI labelView post →[Game] Ctrl Phreak - a ridiculous game where you hack just like in the movies, by mashing your keyboard as fast as you can!. This is a total joke game but it's priced right at $5 and they totally committed to the joke. Rather than trying to teach pseudo-linux hacking commands (like in [Hacknet](https://store.steampowered.com/app/365450/Hacknet/) or [Uplink](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1510/Uplink/)), this game is inspired by terrible hacking scenes in movies and TV (like having [two…
neutral · AI labelView post →If you are even slightly contemplating trying this game out, read this!!! This game, to me, was an absolute MASTERPIECE from start to finish. As someone who is pretty much compsci inept, bar the obligatory "hello world" Python script, this game absolutely hooked me in from the first contract. The tools used within the game are explained perfectly and are not complex; even someone like me felt like the typical underground hacker featured in a 90s movie, typing across 5 different keyboards after…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →larp as a hacker, learn basic unix/linux CLI skills, listen to decent music
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Man. Hacknet was so cool. I should play that game again. Only game that really gives you the urge to mutter "I'm in" under your breath.
positive · AI labelView post →Won't teach you hacking, but teaches you about IPs, ports, folder structure and Unix commands, which is the first step. The story and puzzles are also excelent!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I haven't completed the game, and I just stopped playing because I needed a break. But thus far, I am so grateful for the devs. This game is AWESOME! I'm the kind of guy that usually lacks practice when it comes to these things. I have a depth of understanding, but I never take action. This game was it. The action I was searching for. I love the story, I love the puzzles, man I wish this could go on foreve-... it has an extension called labyrinths???? The game can be further modded??? I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →deleted everything in /sys/ and ran forkbomb just to realize i ran it on my ingame computer instead of the target 10/10 would play again
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent game! Initially I passed by this because it looks like a programming game, in actuality it's more of a command line puzzle tasking you to follow clues from server to server rather than write code. Pick it up if you enjoy logic puzzles and don't mind a lot of reading.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This might just be the 10 years since launch, or my actual experience with computers, but the gameplay loop feels a bit off (pun not intended) for me. The tutorial got me curious enough with the plot to get through, but there is no substance in the base game. Haven't played the DLC, not interested. If you are into looking at hacker-looking interfaces and typing the same half a dozen commands over and over (tab complete and up key for history available), you will enjoy it. If you want…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hacknet does a great job making you feel like you're actually navigating a computer system without becoming overwhelmingly complex. The command-line interface is approachable, and uncovering the story through missions is surprisingly engaging. It's a clever hacking simulator that's both immersive and consistently fun from beginning to end.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10/10 I was told to mess up someone's webpage, so I used the index.html they had to launch a browser in-game to a rickroll link, but my in-game browser wasn't supported. But I tried again with different code and it ACTUALLY WORKED WHAT I'm running YouTube in this game bro
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun but not super accurate hacking game. Good way to pass a few hours.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hacknet is an okay game, but it gets repetitive quickly. If you're unable to suspend your disbelief, this game might not be for you. That being said, Hacknet does have some redeeming qualities. The game can serve as a tool for learning basic Linux commands, as the game involves spamming common terminal commands like, ls, cd, rm and scp. Additionally, I enjoyed the creative liberties taken in the game's "hacking" mechanics. For example, I liked the ability to hack a fake cookie clicker…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Incredibly fun, but crashes frequently on Macs. Runs smoothly on windows. Don't play at airport tho
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Game] DROP - System Breach is a fun cyberpunk hacking game. Drop - System Breach is a hacking game like [Hacknet](https://store.steampowered.com/app/365450/Hacknet/) or [Uplink](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1510/Uplink/) but rather than typing out fake hacking commands, Drop can be played with a controller (like on [Steam Deck](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1902300/DROP__System_Breach/) or [Nintendo Switch](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/drop-system-breach-switch/)).…
neutral · AI labelView post →interesting game just a tip for new players on this genre. make sure the window size and font size are properly set. For me fullscreen can be buggy, if you tab out to seek some info, the game can be black screened.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hacknet is a really cool game
positive · AI labelView post →Hacknet. You play as a novice hacker who investigates the disappearance of a character by hacking into other people's computers to gather information. The hacking mechanic is fairly realistic and requires you to use the terminal a lot, so it really makes you feel like a hacker. Pretty short and sweet game, and the soundtrack is pretty good as well
positive · AI labelView post →This was incredibly thrilling to play. The push for speed challenged your ability to retain information in a short period of time, and it was an incredible experience. It's not real coding, like others have mentioned, so you're not going to learn anything. You essentially learn how to use prebuilt tools in a command prompt and how to communicate with a computer. But it works like a virtual machine with its own language and a fake operating system. (And I think that's really cool). It's also…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was really enjoying this game until I got locked out of 2 storylines midway through them with no warning and no indication that the story lines/sets of missions were locked. I had to look online to find other people complaining about the same thing to figure out why the mission I was trying to complete wouldn't work was because it was locked without warning. The game is way too repetitive for me to want to replay the whole thing again just to see those missions and honestly I don't know if…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm playing Hacknet and I really just tried to type sudo in this game
neutral · AI labelView post →- Dying Light 2 Stay Human – $25.19 on Fanatical - A Plague Tale: Requiem – $24.99 on Steam - Disney Dreamlight Valley – $22.49 on Steam - Need for Speed Unbound – $20.99 on Steam - Total War: THREE KINGDOMS – $20.39 on Steam - Timberborn – $19.99 on Steam - Red Dead Redemption 2 – $19.79 on Steam - The Wandering Village – $18.74 on Steam - Tiny Tina's Wonderlands – $17.03 on GreenManGaming - It Takes Two – $15.99 on Steam - Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition…
neutral · AI labelView post →It's unfortunate for the negative reviews that complain that this isn't how real hacking works. It's a game on steam. And it is fun as hell. Who cares, my guys. The description does NOT say that it's here to teach people how to hack. It is immersive. And it IS a SIM. And it does just that, PERFECTLY. It's absolutely fun as hell, and it doesn't take the incredible amount of trial and error that real exploits take to find out. Don't expect this to teach you anything real- except for operating…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Does this actually teach you hacking? No. But it does touch on adjacent concepts in a fun way and with a good story. Really fun when you are used to the terminal and it does kind of give you the feeling of being a hacker on TV dishing out commands.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Here’s some progress on a (very soft) emulation of text-mode rendering in #godot — I’m in the very early stages of a hacking game (think Uplink or Hacknet)
neutral · AI labelView post →I really want to develop my own #videogame But not having any development/coding experience outside of some python scripting. The whole premise being an educational game designed to teach people the basics of network engineering, in a roguelike environment. Think similar to Hacknet.
neutral · AI labelView post →I recently made the switch to Linux for my primary computer and I felt sad I really don't know anything about using the CLI. Thanks to your comment, I found Hacknet on Steam and it's on a wicked awesome discount right now so I bought it and have played for a few hours. Now I know how to at least navigate the system through directories, and that's giving me confidence enough to keep on exploring and studying more. Thank you! :)
positive · AI labelView post →Having completed "Hacknet", the hit 2015 hacker simulator video game. (Only half joking)
positive · AI labelView post →I played it for 2 and a half hours. It wasn't bad, but there was nothing to think about. The same gameplay over and over again... Extremely repetitive, and I was basically just sitting there watching animations until it ended. I deleted it out of boredom.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really really fun, an absolute must for anyone interested in coding or logic-based puzzle games. Really felt like a challenge for me, as I have very little experience writing in any scripting languages, but it is reasonably easy to pick up and once you get a hang of it, it's smooth as butter. The reasonably low specs needed to run the game also make it ideal as a 'travel game' on non-gaming laptops and such. The writing is fun and pleasant to dig into and I found it very satisfying to read…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought this game 6 years ago, and today I finally achieved 100% completion. Looking back, the journey was entirely worth it. Back then, I needed to improve my English and analytical skills to fully grasp everything, but coming back to finish it has been one of the most rewarding gaming experiences I've ever had. Hacknet is a fantastic game. It completely sucks you into its digital world, creating an immersive, lovely feeling that few other games can replicate. What truly sets it apart are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A friend gave me a cracked version of this game back in ~2017, and it was mostly collecting dust in my storage until I decided to actually buy it. This game is so incredibly immersive that you feel like you're actively breaking into servers and performing espionage. The plot is rich and quite moving, and personally I found myself stuck playing for many consecutive hours just because I needed to see what happened next. This seriously contributed to my interest in studying cybersecurity! XD ALSO…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After all these years I've finally managed to finish the game. It's a masterpiece, incredible game with a deep narrative and storyline. Thank you Matt for this gem! (It's so good to play this game when you actually studying SecOps and know what the ♥♥♥♥ are you doing lmao)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →one of mine is Hacknet thing that got me into learning some simple programming and scripting and that led to me wanting to do gamedev stuff. gotta make my own 6/10 game to have people latch onto like that
neutral · AI labelView post →At least it's partially archived on the wayback machine. I remember going through Bash after seeing quotes from there while playing Hacknet.
neutral · AI labelView post →I keep coming back to this game and replaying it again and again. The story is very captivating, the DLC (more like another game) is so cool, there are secrets everywhere. SAVE THE JET . I cannot recommend it more if you like hacking games, I will say this is the best hacking game out there I played a ton of them and this I keep coming back to.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a hacker: This ain't it. Though I can't say I've seen a good 'hacking game' yet. It should be as fun as the fun part of hacking, without the tedious parts, and be less work than actual hacking (or I may as well be actually hacking). That doesn't exist yet and this isn't it. Not the worst attempt I've seen, though.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you can immerse yourself within the narrative, a moment in Labyrinths will become unforgettable. And I like the game and all, not extremely accurate as a hacking simulator yes but it is incredibly fun to do so. Given all that, I think a couple of moments in this game take it from being "oh that was a nice hacking simulator" to "this would make it into a top 10 experiences list".
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's engrossing and compelling and gives you SO much freedom. Plus, the soundtrack is awesome! EDIT: It also turns out this game was made by the legendary TROBBIO, which means it's automatically amazing!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is pretty great... provided you dont spend to much time away from it for too long. I find that if I spend a long time away I have to restart completely over to get the chance to learn how to play again. lol. Otherwise, it provides an immersive hacking experience. Perfect for a little casual gaming.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Quite realistic while still being fun, great puzzles and design as well.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →lets you experience the fun of being a hacker just like in movies, a good mix between realism and arcade
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In no particular order, here are some games I’ve enjoyed most in the past decade or so (and found most interesting to shill to my friends): - The Roottrees are Dead (online sleuthing game, with a cool but slightly campy story, wears its Obra Dinn influence on its sleeve a bit too obviously for some people) - Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic (Cities Skylines for people who understand economics are more than just dollar signs and tweets, it’s more like Factorio than SimCity) - Hacknet…
neutral · AI labelView post →ESC (Electronics Security Company) is exactly the kind of bullshit puzzle game I love. you play a white hat on various missions am I good at it? no. do I love to be bad at it? sure do. I'm not sure HOW much like The Operator or Hacknet it is, but I very much enjoyed the demo
neutral · AI labelView post →If the concept of a game like "Hacker" intrigues you, it's worthwhile to check out Hacknet #games #infosec
neutral · AI labelView post →I recently played Hacknet, a hacking game published in 2015. That game talks a LOT about being tracked on the Internet, telling you to delete logs and some IP address data in file headers. I think it's becoming reality.
neutral · AI labelView post →★☆☆☆☆ 1/5 - "It's a UNIX system! I know this!" I think my problem with this game is I'm a Linux nerd who's been working in IT for 15 years. I am clearly not the target audience. This game actually plays more like a text-based adventure game for people who know nothing about computers, but like the Hollywood idea of what a hacker is often portrayed as. Despite what the store page says, this is one of the most Hollywood hacking games I've ever played - it would be less Hollywood if it had…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Employing basic UNIX commands and reading emails has never been so captivating. All set to absolutely killer tunes.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The end music was 5/5, perfect music for a final hack.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hacknet's pretty sweet if you know what you're in for. The game's very cool in it's presentation and if you're getting this game for cheap, that's enough. As a puzzle game it's... lacking. You really don't do a lot in it. The game has one pretty memorable moment early on, but nothing like it ever happens again. It hints at freedom, creative solutions and epic hax0r showdowns, but in my experience every time i tried to do something that was out of the box, it turned out that I was stuck on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game is like Gave me a Way how the basic Hacking is done well its not real but the processes are route is similar to real hacking of weak devices and about how the game worked in my Darky was smooth and good total game review is 9/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Simply, Engaging, and fantastic. Such a sweet little game to play, always enjoy coming back to it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I just finished this game, and I had a great time. I've played a few hacker-sim games over the years, and this is the first one I felt like I could dig my teeth into. It wasn't terribly overwhelming in terms of the tutorial or game mechanics like most other hacker games, but most of you hacking involves typing commands into a fake terminal, so you do feel like a movie-style hacker. This is enhanced by a phenomenal soundtrack and a well-designed HUD. I particularly like that programs…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →riddled with hilarious content from back in the day. absolutely loved this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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