Mini-game on Steam: Hacky turns players into cinematic master hackers
If you want to impress curious neighbors or simply feel like a real movie hacker, you'll find what you're looking for on Steam.
Hacky simulates the hacking of networks in the movie in a cute retro way.
(Image: Screenshot / Montage: cku)
Sometimes you can find little gems on Steam that are good for a few hours of entertainment. For would-be computer hackers, Hacky is one such gem. The game is inspired by the hacking mini-games of the Deus Ex saga and provides amusement in between without much training or background story.
Hacky comes in typical retro graphics and has no "light mode" – the screen background is always dark. If desired, a CRT effect can be switched on, which simulates the curvature of the picture tube even on flat laptop screens. The controls are also reminiscent of the nineties: the game is played with the keyboard, the mouse is only used in menus.
Hacky's presentation and game mechanics are reminiscent of the hacker scenes in films from the nineties and early noughties. In Jurassic Park ("That's a UNIX system, I know my way around it!"), Hackers and Password: Swordfish, the protagonists often manipulated neon green symbols and strings of characters with a determined keyboard clack, usually under time pressure or at the risk of their lives.
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The background story is quickly told: On behalf of a mysterious hooded figure, the player – an equally mysterious but slightly cuter hooded figure – takes control of networks by shimmying from node to node. To jump to a network node, the player enters its host name and presses the enter key; depending on the node type, he can then collect bitcoins, microchips or crypto keys via further commands.
(Image:Â Screenshot: heise online / cku)
With the acquired microchips, players can improve their hacking skills, learn additional commands or increase the Bitcoin loot. However, every action leaves its mark: when the red bar in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen reaches 100 percent, a stylish red system alarm locks the player out.
So far, so simple, so much fun. A few other mini-games, such as "hacking" systems using keyboard clatter or the correct arrangement of concentric circles, provide some variety, while typical sound effects and the electronic soundtrack convey the necessary urgency, especially in later levels.
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"I developed this game to impress girls in the café," writes the creator of "Hacky" self-deprecatingly on Reddit. When asked whether the plan worked, he dryly comments that he was stared at with interest before his counterpart called the police. Players who start "Hacky" in the right setting, for example on a park bench in front of the Pullach BND headquarters, can be sure of at least a few curious glances.
"Hacky" is currently available on Steam for Windows PCs at a price of €4.99 and is rated 12+. A free demo version provides a good first impression of the game.
(cku)
