Hackers (video game)

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Hackers
Hackers Title.jpg
Developer(s) Trickster Arts
Publisher(s) Trickster Arts
Designer(s) Matouš J
Programmer(s) body Týč
Martin Hanzl
Composer(s) Matúš Široký
Marek Horváth
Engine Unity
Platform(s) Android
iOS
Release19 September 2016
Genre(s) Strategy
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer [1]

Hackers is an independent strategy game developed by Trickster Arts for Android and iOS. [2] Hackers is a cyberwarfare strategy game, and has been likened to the video game Uplink . [3] On iOS the game has an added suffix: Hackers - Join the Cyberwar. [4]

Contents

A screenshot from the game. Players get to design a network of offensive and defensive nodes as they fight for their countries in a futuristic world war. Hackers (video game) - Network.jpg
A screenshot from the game. Players get to design a network of offensive and defensive nodes as they fight for their countries in a futuristic world war.

Players take on the role of a Hacker during a fictional First World Cyberwar. [5] Players can develop and secure their own virtual 3D network and hack various targets around the world. Players can research programs, hack networks to increase their reputation and resources, and compete against other countries. [6] The overarching strategy is to build a robust enough network to protect your data, while finding the best tools to use against others. [7] The game features 70+ story missions with multiple ways to defeat them. There are also player-created networks to be infiltrated, which raise the position of your country on the global leaderboard. [8] The game also has a developed ARG, starting from an in-game mission. [9]

Plot

Hackers takes place in an alternate reality, where a piece of software (codenamed Ergo) was designed to make hacking into systems easier. The software has been made available to the public, so that anyone and everyone can get into hacking. But unlike real-world hacking which consists of command line usage and programming, this alternate reality puts systems and the hacking process into a GUI (Graphical User Interface) to make things easier to try and hack other people. [10]

The game starts you out performing simple hacks with a recently met acquaintance called "Marty". As the game progresses you are introduced to other characters representing various factions such as StormCorp, MIRAGE, Cyber Alliance, Eastern Coalition and DejaVu. During the course of the story you get to experience various security, activist and terrorist missions that test your skills as a hacker.

Development

The game was developed in-house by Trickster Arts. The game was developed in Unity Engine. Development was started in Summer 2014. While working on Hero of Many the developers started working in parallel on another project. This project was cancelled for design reasons and Hackers was created from old gaming design notes out of the desire to keep the company going. Hackers was announced at Game Access '16 on 16 April 2016. [11]

The music was composed by Matúš Široký. [12] The Hackers: Original Soundtrack was released via Bandcamp on October 5, 2017. [13] Sounds were produced by Marek Horváth.

Reception

As of 27 September 2016, Hackers is featured globally by Apple on the front page of "New Games We Love" [14] and, as of 13 November 2016, by Google Play in the "New Games" section in 23 countries. [15] On 27 January 2017, Hackers was nominated for "Czech game of the year for Mobile Devices" at the annual Czech Game of the Year Awards. [16] On 26 April 2017, Hackers was nominated for "Mobile Application of the Year 2017" at the annual Mobilní Aplikace Roku awards. [17] As of 6 October 2017, Hackers has received 4 million downloads.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

An alternate reality game (ARG) is an interactive networked narrative that uses the real world as a platform and employs transmedia storytelling to deliver a story that may be altered by players' ideas or actions.

<i>Uplink</i> (video game) 2001 video game

Uplink is a simulation video game released in 2001 by the British company Introversion Software. The player takes charge of a freelance computer hacker in a fictional futuristic 2010, and must break into foreign computers, complete contracts and purchase new hardware to hack into increasingly harder computer systems.

<i>Dungeon Keeper</i> 1997 strategy video game

Dungeon Keeper is a strategy video game developed by Bullfrog Productions and released by Electronic Arts in June 1997 for MS-DOS and Windows 95. In Dungeon Keeper, the player builds and manages a dungeon, protecting it from invading 'hero' characters intent on stealing accumulated treasures, killing monsters and ultimately the player's demise. The ultimate goal is to conquer the world by destroying the heroic forces and rival dungeon keepers in each realm. A character known as the Avatar appears as the final hero. Dungeon Keeper uses Creative Technology's SoundFont technology to enhance its atmosphere. Multiplayer with up to four players is supported using a modem, or over a local network.

<i>I Love Bees</i> Alternate reality game

I Love Bees was an alternate reality game (ARG) that served as both a real-world experience and viral marketing campaign for the release of developer Bungie's 2004 video game Halo 2. The game was created and developed by 42 Entertainment. Many of the same personnel had previously created an ARG for the film A.I. titled The Beast. I Love Bees was commissioned by Microsoft, Halo 2's publisher and Bungie's ultimate parent company at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyberwarfare</span> Use of digital attacks against a state

Cyberwarfare is the use of cyber attacks against an enemy state, causing comparable harm to actual warfare and/or disrupting vital computer systems. Some intended outcomes could be espionage, sabotage, propaganda, manipulation or economic warfare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kawaiicon</span> Conference held in Wellington, New Zealand

Kawaiicon is a New Zealand computer security conference held in Wellington from 2007. It brings together a variety of people interested in information security. Representatives of government agencies and corporations attend, along with hackers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Cyber Command</span> Unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for cyber operations

United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). It unifies the direction of cyberspace operations, strengthens DoD cyberspace capabilities, and integrates and bolsters DoD's cyber expertise which focus on securing cyberspace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smart TV</span> TV set with integrated Internet features

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Cyberwarfare is the use of computer technology to disrupt the activities of a state or organization, especially the deliberate attacking of information systems for strategic or military purposes. As a major developed economy, the United States is highly dependent on the Internet and therefore greatly exposed to cyber attacks. At the same time, the United States has substantial capabilities in both defense and power projection thanks to comparatively advanced technology and a large military budget. Cyber warfare presents a growing threat to physical systems and infrastructures that are linked to the internet. Malicious hacking from domestic or foreign enemies remains a constant threat to the United States. In response to these growing threats, the United States has developed significant cyber capabilities.

<i>Hero of Many</i> 2013 video game

Hero of Many is an independent video game developed by Trickster Arts. It is an Action-adventure game for Android, iOS, Ouya and Windows. The Windows version was released on Steam on 15 September 2014. The game contains no dialogue and uses black silhouette graphics similar to Limbo. Hero of Many was inspired by the games Another World, Heart of Darkness and Abe's Oddysee.

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Farming Simulator is a farming simulation video game series developed by GIANTS Software. The locations are based on American and European environments. Players are able to farm, breed livestock, grow crops, and sell assets created from farming.

The dark web is the World Wide Web content that exists on darknets: overlay networks that use the Internet but require specific software, configurations, or authorization to access. Through the dark web, private computer networks can communicate and conduct business anonymously without divulging identifying information, such as a user's location. The dark web forms a small part of the deep web, the part of the web not indexed by web search engines, although sometimes the term deep web is mistakenly used to refer specifically to the dark web.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trickster Arts</span> Indie video game creator team based on Czech Republic

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MLT, real name Matthew Telfer, is a cybersecurity researcher, former grey hat computer hacker and former member of TeaMp0isoN. MLT was arrested in May 2012 in relation to his activities within TeaMp0isoN, a computer-hacking group which claimed responsibility for many high-profile attacks, including website vandalism of the United Nations, Facebook, NATO, BlackBerry, T-Mobile USA and several other large sites in addition to high-profile denial-of-service attacks and leaks of confidential data. After his arrest, he reformed his actions and shifted his focus to activities as a white hat cybersecurity specialist. He was the founder of now-defunct Project Insecurity LTD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Venable</span> Cyber security professional (born 1978)

David "Dave" Venable is a former intelligence officer with the United States National Security Agency, and current cyber security professional and businessman. He is an author and speaker on the topics of cyber security, cyberwarfare, and international security; has developed security-related internet protocols; is a US patent holder; and has been named as one of the most influential people in security.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czech Game of the Year Awards</span> Annual award

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<i>Monolisk</i> 2019 mobile video game

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russo-Ukrainian cyberwarfare</span> Informatic component of the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine

Cyberwarfare is a component of the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine since the Revolution of Dignity in 2013-2014. While the first attacks on information systems of private enterprises and state institutions of Ukraine were recorded during mass protests in 2013, Russian cyberweapon Uroburos had been around since 2005. Russian cyberwarfare continued with the 2015 Ukraine power grid hack at Christmas 2015 and again in 2016, paralysis of the State Treasury of Ukraine in December 2016, a Mass hacker supply-chain attack in June 2017 and attacks on Ukrainian government websites in January 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandworm (hacker group)</span> Russian hacker group

Sandworm is an advanced persistent threat operated by Military Unit 74455, a cyberwarfare unit of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service. Other names for the group, given by cybersecurity researchers, include Telebots, Voodoo Bear, IRIDIUM, Seashell Blizzard, and Iron Viking.

References

  1. "Hackers is launching today, a multiplayer darknet cyberwarfare simulator by Trickster Arts – Tech2". Tech 2. 19 September 2016. Archived from the original on 22 July 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  2. "Hackers – online strategy game". Trickster Arts. n.d.
  3. "Hackers is launching today, a multiplayer darknet cyberwarfare simulator by Trickster Arts". Tech.firstpost.com. 19 September 2016. Archived from the original on 22 July 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  4. "In 'Hackers - Join the Cyberwar' You Hack Other Players' Networks". toucharcade.com. 19 September 2016.
  5. "Top 10 new Android games this week: Hackers, Sorcery! 4". androidandme.com. 22 September 2016.
  6. "33 new and notable Android games from the last 2 weeks (9/13/16 - 9/26/16)". Android Police. 26 September 2016. Archived from the original on 28 September 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  7. "In 'Hackers - Join the Cyberwar' You Hack Other Players' Networks". toucharcade.com. 19 September 2016.
  8. "Explanation of World Domination". forum.tricksterarts.com. 25 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2 October 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  9. "The first part of Hackers' ARG". heartme.net. 13 November 2016.
  10. "Hackers is a visual puzzle game with world domination as bragging rights". androidcommunity.com. 23 September 2016.
  11. "Matouš Ježek (Trickster Arts) - Indie Studio Survival Kit (Game Access '16)". youtube.com. 24 August 2016.
  12. "Hackers - Trailer music". soundcloud.com. 26 September 2016.
  13. "Hackers: Original Soundtrack". bandcamp.com. 5 October 2017.
  14. "Hackers Featured on App Store". facebook.com. 23 September 2016.
  15. "Hackers Featured on Google Play". Google Play. 7 October 2017.
  16. "Nominace - ČESKÁ HRA ROKU 2016". www.ceskahraroku.cz. 2016. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  17. "Nominace - MOBILNÍ APLIKACE ROKU 2017" (PDF). www.aplikaceroku.cz. 7 October 2017.