Designer(s) Matouš Ježek Initial release date 19 September 2016 Developer Trickster Arts Mode Single-player video game | Engine Unity Genre Strategy Publisher Trickster Arts Platforms Android, iOS | |
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Programmer(s) Ladislav Týč
Martin Hanzl Composer(s) Matúš Široký
Marek Horváth Similar Hero of Many, Uplink, Hacker, Clash of Lords 2, Hacknet | ||
Hackers is an independent video game developed by Trickster Arts. It is a Strategy game for Android and iOS. Hackers is a cyberwarfare strategy game, and has been likened to the video game Uplink. On iOS the game has an added suffix: Hackers - Join the Cyberwar.
Contents
Gameplay
Players take on the role of a Hacker during a fictional First World Cyberwar. 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. The overarching strategy is to build a robust enough network to protect your data, while finding the best tools to use against others. 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. The game also has a developed ARG, starting from an in-game mission.
Story
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.
The game starts you out performing simple hacks for a recently met acquaintance called "Marty". As the game progresses you are introduced to other characters representing various factions such as The Family, StormCorp and Mirage. 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 April 16, 2016.
Soundtrack
The music was composed by Matúš Široký. Sounds were produced by Marek Horváth.
Reception
As of 27th September 2016, Hackers is featured globally by Apple on the front page of "New Games We Love" and by Google Play on the front page of "Indie Corner". Hackers is also featured by Google on the front page of "New + Updated Games" as of 12th November 2016. As of 13th November 2016, Hackers has received 4.5 out of 5 Stars over 28000 ratings on Google Play. On 27th January 2017, Hackers was nominated for "Czech game of the year for Mobile Devices" at the annual Czech Game of the Year Awards.