Hacknet Review Summary

Authentic hacking experience: The game provides an immersive and realistic hacking experience, making players feel like real hackers. It includes technical aspects of hacking and is praised for its authenticity.

Engaging story and puzzles: The game features an excellent and engaging story along with fun and challenging puzzles. The narrative is compelling and beautifully written, adding depth to the gameplay.

Immersive and fun gameplay: The game offers an immersive and enjoyable experience, with intuitive and engaging gameplay. It is described as very fun and entertaining, providing a realistic and immersive atmosphere.

Educational value in computing: The game teaches real-world skills related to computing, including Linux commands, network security, and basic CMD commands. It is suitable for both beginners and professionals interested in network security.

High-quality game overall: The game is described as a great and fantastic game with good quality. It is considered one of the best games and offers a fantastic overall experience.

Repetitive gameplay mechanics: Many players find the gameplay to be repetitive and monotonous, with tasks and commands often feeling tedious and routine over time.

Bugs and crashes: The game experiences various bugs and crashes, particularly on Mac devices, which can significantly disrupt the gaming experience.

Steep learning curve: The game has a high learning curve, especially for those not familiar with programming or terminal commands, making it difficult for beginners.

Poor Russian translation: The Russian translation in the game is inconsistent and contains many errors, leading to a poor experience for Russian-speaking players.

Confusing and unclear tasks: Some tasks in the game are not obvious and can be confusing, leading to unintended outcomes and frustration.

Uses real-world Unix commands: Players use real-world Unix commands and tools, providing an authentic experience with commands like 'login', 'ls', 'cd', and 'scp'. This includes basic SSH usage and Linux command operations.

Realistic hacker simulation mechanics: The game features a detailed hacker simulation with mechanics that allow players to engage in various hacking activities such as DDOS attacks, firewall manipulation, and port hacking. It uses a Linux-kernel OS to simulate realistic hacking scenarios.

Educational cybersecurity content: The game offers educational value related to cybersecurity, programming, and network processes. It teaches players about IPs, ports, folder structure, and Unix commands.

Terminal-based gameplay loop: The core gameplay loop involves typing terminal commands, making it a text-based adventure game. Players interact with the game primarily through a command line interface.

Puzzle-solving mechanics: The game incorporates unique puzzle mechanics that require players to solve various puzzles. These puzzles are integral to the gameplay and add an interesting challenge.

Crashes on Mac: The game crashes frequently on Mac, especially on MacBook with M1 chip and MacOS with M chips.

Game Hangs and Unresponsiveness: The game frequently hangs and becomes unresponsive, causing frustration among players.

Hardware Compatibility: The game has issues with Intel GPU support and software rendering, but it is playable on old hardware.

Display and Resolution Issues: Players report various issues related to resolution and full-screen mode, including black screens.

Frequent Bugs and Serious Issues: The game has numerous bugs, some of which are very serious and affect gameplay significantly.

Highly recommended purchase: Many reviews strongly recommend buying the game, especially for those who enjoy programming. The DLC is also highly recommended.

Recommended for cybersecurity enthusiasts: The game is highly recommended for anyone interested in cybersecurity, hacking, and ethical hacking. It is also suggested for those who are beginners in network security.

Recommended for tech and music lovers: The game is recommended for those interested in techy stuff, cool synth music, and using a command line interface. It is also suggested for fans of the hacking genre.

Buy on sale: Several reviews suggest that the game is worth buying on sale.

Recommended for specific OS users: The game is recommended for Windows users and Linux beginners but not for Mac users.

Community fair range: $2.00 - $15.00.

Game completion: 10.0h.

Story completion: 6.0h.

Endgame: 15.0h.

The game has a steep initial learning curve and repetitive early missions, but it becomes more enjoyable once players get past the tutorial and initial learning phase.

Reported time to anchor: 1h.

Friction: Steep learning curve for unfamiliar players; Repetitive early missions.

Programming Enthusiast: Engages with the game's educational aspects, enjoys the challenge of using real programming commands. Motivation: Learning and applying programming/hacking skills. Stance: buy.

Narrative Explorer: Focuses on the story and atmospheric elements, enjoys the progression of missions. Motivation: Enjoying a compelling narrative and immersive atmosphere. Stance: buy.

Completionist: Replays the game to achieve more, enjoys additional content and challenges. Motivation: Achieving all possible goals and completing the game. Stance: sale.

Steam Deck: The game Hacknet offers an educational and immersive experience, particularly for those interested in learning basic Linux commands and cybersecurity concepts. However, there are notable issues with text size and display, compatibility across different operating systems, and the authenticity of Linux commands. These issues impact the user experience significantly, especially for visually impaired users and those familiar with real Linux environments.

Linux and Proton: The game is generally well-received on Linux, with users reporting a smooth and crash-free experience. The educational value of learning basic Linux commands is highlighted, and the game is found to be engaging and fun. While some users note that the Linux experience is simplified, it does not significantly detract from the overall positive experience.

Monetization: The reviews indicate that users find the game and its DLC to be worth the money, suggesting a positive perception of the game's value for money.

External guides: The user feedback highlights several key issues with the game. Poor guidance and localization are significant concerns, with users finding the in-game instructions either too abrupt or insufficient, and the translation quality lacking. Technical issues, such as a black screen on startup, and a dependency on external forums for problem-solving are also noted. The gameplay experience is described as a mix of handholding and exploratory detective work, which some users appreciate for its realism, while others find it confusing and lacking in direction.

DLC enhances gameplay value: The downloadable content adds substantial value to the game, providing players with additional content and experiences.

Creative workshops improve content: The inclusion of creative workshops allows players to generate and share new content, enriching the overall gaming experience.

Mission blocker workaround available: There is a specific workaround for a known issue that blocks progress in a particular mission, helping players continue their game.

Frequent backup of save files: Players are advised to frequently backup their save files to prevent loss of progress due to potential game issues or errors.

Official Chinese translation and community: The game includes an official Chinese translation, and there is notable involvement from the community in enhancing the game.