Game 436: Hacker

Other computer games often have lengthy instructions to explain how the game is played, observes Hacker's manual. We've told you how to load the program: everything else is up to you.

With no instructions, no objectives, and no rules, I can do little but fumble around at the initial login prompt. My every attempt fails and produces a cryptic error message, until eventually the system threatens to lock me out, and then it doesn't.

 

 

A minigame follows as you are asked to identify various robot components such as the "infrared sensor" and "phlamson joint" by pointing and clicking with the joystick. It's a trial and error guessing game, but once you identify everything correctly, you'll have to do it again without error.

 

Taking control of the robot, I eventually come to some grips with the situation and controls here. A maze of subterranean pipes span the globe, which are navigated from a pseudo-3D perspective.

After moving a bit, an ominous incoming message suggests a cataclysmic eruption is imminent, and soon after that, another message spells out our goal.

It didn't take me long to find the French spy.

I could not figure out how to specify my offer, or to see how much cash I had left.

The spy offered me two other items - a Swiss chalet deed, and a chronograph. I bought both.

Next, I found England.

He didn't want my money or the deed, but accepted the chronograph. And then offered to sell me an autographed Beatles album and the crown jewels (!), but I could only afford the former.

While looking for the path to the next point of contact, the security system began launching probes! On contact, I'd be issued challenge questions.

They'd start off easy enough.

 

... but quickly got more difficult, requiring me to consult past screenshots. Until the fourth probe issued a maximum security challenge.

Well, shit. I don't know!

Three wrong guesses, and they pulled the plug, ending my game.

I have two challenges ahead of me - map out the global tunnel network, and figure out who wants what. And with the time limit imposed by the security probes, it seems this going to take a lot of trial and error as I gather this information bit by bit.