If you want to dive into the world of hacking without actually breaking into anyone’s computer system, you can get your hands on hacking games.
In this guide, we take a look at the top seven hacking games that you can play in 2020.
Gunpoint
Gunpoint is a popular hacking game that is a combination of stealth and puzzle-solving. Moreover, it includes partial hacking now and then. The game takes place in the future where Richard Convoy, a spy, has to penetrate buildings to fulfill assignments from different clients. To do this, you have to use a hacking gadget, the crosslink, to sneak your way through the buildings. You can opt to rewire the lights in a room so that they go off when you enter. Alternatively, you can lure the guard and lock him outside before you can gain entry. Simply put, you have to do what you can to bypass security features and avoid guards to complete any of the given mission.
Additional features include:
- Choose your own style of play
- Discover your own solutions to different levels
- Purchase any gadgets to suit your playstyle
Available on Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Quadrilateral Cowboy
Quadrilateral Cowboy is an excellent hacking game by Brendon Chung. He is behind games such as Thirty Flights of Loving and Gravity Bone. In this game, you become the computer hacker who, armed with a “top-of-the-line hacking deck outfitted with a 56.6k modem and a staggering 256k RAM”, oversees one or more agents who penetrate buildings and steal documents. Different agents have different abilities. As the player, you get to experience what the agents are experiencing via virtual reality goggles. In addition, you have to come up with a program by typing a code on your keyboard that helps you manipulate the building’s security features without triggering the alarms. Moreover, the programs have to be designed with the right timing to allow them to bypass the various obstacles without setting off the alarm.
Additional features:
- You have access to other gadgets that can be programmed to help with the heist
- Available as a standard edition and deluxe edition
Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Invisible, Inc.
In Klei Entertainment’s Invisible, Inc. you acts as a remote operator for a spying agency that is under attack from multinational organizations. As a result, you have to direct agents in secret missions, acquiring support and resources that can allow them to relocate the agency’s computer system to a safe haven.
Additional features:
- You can choose from five different play modes
- Customizable build allows you to adapt to your surroundings
- Each playthrough is different thanks to the randomly generated world
Available on Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, and iOS.
Darknet
Darknet is a puzzle/strategy game in which players play as elite hackers who have been contracted to recover data from the world’s most secure networks. This award-winning game plays in a first-person perspective and requires careful planning and smart execution. You need to conquer the net, a hidden cyber world, by diving into networks directly for a personal and up-close hacking experience. You can do this using worms, viruses, and exploits. The game is a procedural level generation game which means no two levels are alike.
Additional features:
- Designed to help players improve their hacking skills
- Features an in-game currency for upgrading your tools
- An intuitive and fluid UI
Available for Android and iOS.
Hacknet
Hacknet is among the best simulator hacker games available. It’s a terminal-based, immersive hacking simulator for PCs. In this game, Bit, a hacker who is responsible for developing the most invasive security systems on earth is dead. However, the media reports it as an accident but that might not be the case. When he doesn’t reconnect to his system for 14 days, his failsafe kicks in and sends instructions in an automated email to a lone user, you. As a result, it’s now up to you to uncover the mystery and ensure that Hacknet-OS doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
Additional features:
- The game focuses on real hacking
- You get a chance to gain insight into the world of hacking
- Designed with instructions to provide an easy learning curve
Available for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Deus Ex
Deus Ex is another role-playing hacker game. It is a series of six games: Deus ex (2000), Deus Ex: Invisible War (2003), Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011), Deus Ex: The Fall (2013), Deus Ex Go (2016) and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016). In this game, the year is 2052 and the world has become a chaotic and dangerous place. Terrorists are operating openly and killing thousands of people. In addition, more and more people are dying from diseases, drugs, and pollution. The world’s economies are about to collapse and the ever-growing gap between the wealthy and the poor grows ever wider. Moreover, the secretive factions are now emerging and fighting on who will control the world.
Additional features:
- It has action, problem-solving and character interaction
- The game adapts to each individual player’s style of play
- It’s realistic and features recognizable locations
Available on Microsoft Windows, macOS and PlayStation 2.
Watch Dogs
Watch Dogs was created by Ubisoft Montreal and is all about revenge. In this game, you play Aiden Pearce, a former thug and brilliant hacker whose criminal past resulted in a violent family tragedy. He is now on the hunt for those who harmed his family using a system called Central Operating System (CTOS). This system holds crucial information from every resident of the city and controls almost every piece of the city’s technology. With this system, Aiden Pearce is able to monitor and hack everyone by manipulating everything connected to the CTOS. This includes downloading personal information to help you find a target or controlling the public transportation system to stop the enemy.
Additional features:
- Takes place in a simulated city
- Customize your own style of play
- Access to over 30 traditional weapons
Available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, and Wii U.
If you want to learn more about hacking, you can read our guide on how to become a hacker.
