Best Hacking Games for PC: Top Picks for Aspiring Cybersecurity Enthusiasts
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Cybersecurity has recently become a critical concern for individuals and businesses. Ethical hacking has emerged as an essential skill, and for aspiring cybersecurity enthusiasts, the best way to practice and hone your skills is through safe and legal means.
In this article, we will explore a list of the best hacking games for PC that provide a safe and fun environment for developing your hacking skills, even for beginners. These games offer valuable education and exciting challenges that can help you on your journey to becoming an expert ethical hacker.
We’ll also discuss the benefits of playing these hacking games on HP gaming PCs for an enhanced and immersive gaming experience.
Top hacking games for PC
Uplink: Hacker Elite
Uplink: Hacker Elite is one of the best hacker simulation games that has withstood the test of time since its release by Introversion Software in 2001. This game is a throwback to simpler times when cyberpunk PC games were all about puzzles and strategies.
Gameplay:
From the start, Uplink: Hacker Elite lulls you into a false sense of comfort by giving you simple jobs for which you get paid. One moment you are falsifying or deleting documents; the next, you are laundering money and hacking corporations.
Then, it heats up, and the gameplay gets more intense. Traces set in; sometimes, you must bypass firewalls and proxies and use voice decoders to complete missions.
There’s also a background story involving Andromeda Corporation that you can join, fight against or ignore.
You must be careful not to get caught, as Uplink Corporation will destroy your gateway and force you to restart. That is as realistic as a cybersecurity game can get to hacking.
Graphics:
The user interface is easy to navigate, while the basic visuals make it easy for gamers to focus on the gameplay.
Unique features:
- It focuses on portraying realistic hacking techniques and tools
- It allows gamers to upgrade their software and hardware.
Hacknet
Hacknet is a terminal-based game that was released by Team Fractal Alligator in 2015. It retains the realistic hacking techniques that made Uplink a huge success while upgrading its visuals, making it one of the best hacking games.
Gameplay:
In this game, you play as a freelance hacker who is initially contacted by a dead hacker known as “Bit” to investigate his death. Bit teaches you the game's mechanics, which is useful for cybersecurity enthusiasts learning how to use text terminals. Eventually, Bit tells you to join the " entropy " hacking group.
Then, the game turns more free-form as you can take on different missions. You crack passwords, bypass firewalls, and run exploits. The game is autosaved frequently, so you can easily restart where you left off even if you get caught.
In 2017, Hacknet released a DLC called Labyrinth, making the game even more intriguing.
Graphics:
Hacknet has an easy-to-use user interface. The visuals are basic yet effective at creating the right atmosphere for the game.
Unique features:
- It utilizes terminal commands to provide a realistic hacking experience
- It simulates real-world scenarios of computer systems, including the dreaded blue screen of death
NITE Team 4
The next title on our hacking games list is Network Intelligence and Technical Evaluation (NITE) Team 4, released by Alice & Smith in 2019. This military-themed game offers single and multiplayer modes to test your skills against other gamers.
Gameplay:
In this game, you roleplay as a hacker the government hires to provide intel for various intelligence agencies by stealing vital information and infiltrating computer networks. The game makes you feel like a real spy in an episode of Person of Interest, with exciting missions to deactivate surveillance cameras or even coordinate drone strikes.
When you sign up, you join the academy, where you are taught real-life cybersecurity techniques such as fingerprinting, port scanning, and digital forensics.
NITE Team 4 has an intriguing background story and extra DLC content to keep you hooked.
Graphics:
NITE Team 4 has a modern look with dark visuals and impressive special effects that enhance the game’s immersive nature. The text-based user interface is intuitive and easy to navigate.
Unique features:
- It is an addictive, complex, and challenging hacking simulation game
- It combines excellent gameplay without sacrificing graphics.
Hackmud
Hackmud is a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game released by Drizzly Bear in 2016. Besides being another text-based game based on the 90s subculture, Hackmud is a grimly dark and dangerous game.
Gameplay:
Hackmud begins with a tutorial where you are taught to write scripts using Javascript and Lua. Humans are extinct, and you only exist as an AI. The goal is to earn GC, a virtual currency.
The true Hackmud truly begins when you break out of the firewall to join the rest of the AIs, where you can interact with other players. Here you discover different worlds within the game. Some players can help you figure out the ropes, while others will not hesitate to steal your loot. Learning whom to trust is another game in itself.
You can send malicious scripts to steal GC or leave unsolicited texts to other AIs. Or, you can play miniature games such as Tetris inside here. There are endless possibilities with Hackmud.
Graphics:
Hackmud has a simple text-based user interface that looks like an old-school computer terminal from which you write and read scripts.
Unique features:
- It has a community-driven approach to gameplay
- It has lots of hidden gems that require superb coding skills to exploit.
Watchdogs: Legion
Watchdogs: Legion, the final title on our list of the best hacking games for PC, was released by Ubisoft in 2020. The game focuses heavily on political themes such as classism, xenophobia, fascism, and corrupt governments, creating a dystopian world that feels like a crossover episode of Mr. Robot and Black Mirror.
Gameplay:
The game is set in a futuristic, dystopian Post Brexit London, where you play as hacker syndicate DedSec. Your main objective is to clear their name after being framed for terrorist bombings and find the true culprits. You also combat the military company Albion, which is monitoring the city.
This action-packed title features a combination of shooting, driving, stealth missions, and hacking puzzles. The game also allows you to take control of any character in the game, including civilians, and use their unique skills to infiltrate Albion to steal information and complete missions.
Graphics:
Watchdogs: Legion has stunning graphics, detailed characters, realistic lighting, and a beautifully crafted open-world city.
Unique features:
- It allows you to take control of anyone in the game and use their traits to complete missions.
Benefits of playing hacking games on HP gaming PCs
Are you looking for the best gaming PC to play hacking games on? Look no further: we have a wide selection, and you can get the best gaming PC to play hacking games on. Our premium gaming PCs come equipped with ample SSD storage space and the OMEN Gaming Hub, which will help you optimize your gaming.
Let us look at more benefits you can expect from our HP gaming PCs and the specific models we offer.
Improved performance
One of the primary benefits of playing hacking games on our HP gaming PCs is the improved performance you get. We fit them with powerful processors and a dedicated graphics card that can handle demanding titles without lag, providing an immersive gaming experience.
For instance, our OMEN Gaming Laptop 16z-n000 features a powerful AMD Ryzen™ processor and AMD Radeon™ RX 6650M graphics card to ensure smooth gameplay for your choice of cybersecurity game.
Enhanced visuals
Our HP gaming PCs offer enhanced visuals with stunning, high-resolution displays.
Our Victus by HP 15L Gaming Desktop TG02-0325m delivers impressive graphics with vibrant colors thanks to the AMD Radeon RX 6400 graphics card and 4GB GDDR6 dedicated memory. This feature promises to elevate your gaming experience to the next level.
Cooling
We know that intensive gaming sessions can cause overheating and damage to hardware. That’s why we integrate our HP gaming laptops with advanced cooling technologies.
A good example is our OMEN 25L Gaming Desktop GT15-0340qd. This gaming desktop has a 120 mm front fan that cools your system. We also use Air Cooling technology solutions in the CPU to dissipate heat generated by the processor, keeping your gaming rig running smoothly.
Customizability
We offer fully customizable gaming laptops for those pro hacker gamers who need more options.
One such option is our premium Victus by HP Laptop 15z-fb000. This gaming laptop offers you full customization options to choose your preferred amount of storage, graphics card, and processor. With this incredible gaming laptop, assemble your perfect gaming rig and hack to the top of the most notorious hacker list.
Summary
Enhance your hacking skills by playing the titles on our recommended list of the best hacking games for PC in a safe environment without running the risk of capture or causing harm to anyone. For the best experience, play on our HP gaming PCs, which offer superior performance, stunning visuals, and the latest cooling technologies.
