If you’re stuck in a similar case, then we have compiled a list of games that will fulfill all your desires about hacking in video games. Whether you like breaching databases or going on full cyberpunk mode, it has all the games related to hacking.
Best Hacking Games of All Time
Cyberpunk 2077
Though Cyberpunk 2077 was criticized for having too many bugs, it did try to bring a lot of features that were new to the gaming scene. With a large open world featuring everything that you’d ever want, Night City is full of adventures no matter where you go. Being set in a futuristic world, it has tons of features that we’d normally be only able to imagine in today’s world. From body modifications to enhancing our capabilities with bio-chips, it is filled with features that will surprise you when you first discover them. The game has a lot of hacking elements that you can use throughout the game. This hacking can be done by installing programs called quickhacks into your cyberdecks. After installing quickhacks, you’ll be able to do different kinds of hacking activities.
Watch Dogs Series
If you want to enjoy the game where the protagonist is a badass hacker and uses his skill to progress through the game, then you don’t have to look further as Watch Dogs ticks all of these boxes. Sweeping through the Windy City, you’ll be targeting people to hack into their system and find out all their secrets. You’ll play as a gray hat hacker who is on the mission to bring justice to his dead nephew. He can hack into people’s devices, create traffic jams as well as break into people’s houses with his crazy hacking skills. Combine your hacking skills with a bit of stealth, and you’ll be playing as a literal ninja, serving justice to people who deserve it while staying completely anonymous. This game has two more sequels which are as good as the first one, if not better. If you’re really into games with hacking elements, you can’t let this one pass.
Operation: Tango
Operation: Tango is a co-op game that requires two people to work together to complete missions. Imagine playing It Takes Two, but in different settings and scenarios, then you’d end up with this game. You and your pal each take one of the two roles the game offers; a hacker or an agent and go into dangerous missions around the world and work together to complete them. The twist in this game is that the two of you won’t be playing together at all. You won’t even be able to see each other’s character. The only thing that connects you two will be your voice. You’ll have to work together to solve different puzzles and get out of tight situations by cooperating with each other through your voice.
Deus Ex
Deus Ex is an action/adventure game that is set in a futuristic environment, featuring scenarios that may occur in the near future. Although the world seems to have progressed in terms of technology, it has become a terrible place to live as all kinds of crimes are rampant throughout the world. You’ll play as a special agent with superhuman abilities tasked to fight against the groups of people who threaten the peace of the world. You’ll have abilities to successfully avoid being detected by enemies as well as a break-in into suspicious rooms. As you keep using these abilities, you’ll get better at it, opening up various possibilities to complete missions. You’ll be fighting against different secret organizations that are operating in silence but are soon about to make moves to take control of the world. It also has four other sequels that will provide you with days worth of content.
Cyber Manhunt
Now, this is the stuff you’ve been looking for. Cyber Manhunt lets you see the world from a hacker’s perspective. There are a lot of illegal things to do in this game. You can do everything you desire in this game. From secretly spying on someone to hacking into their smartphones and computers, it is all possible within this game. You could literally destroy a person’s life with your crazy hacking skills in this one. Breaching databases, cracking passwords, and phishing someone into giving their personal information; you can do some interesting things in it. The game has very immersive gameplay where you’ll be trying to dig out secrets of people by using different techniques. The story is not bad at all either. Although it is a relatively short game, I actually enjoyed playing this game.
Observer: System Redux
This one has a cyberpunk vibe to it. Being set in the near future, it features lots of technological enhancements that we can only imagine now. It is set in an environment where digital progress has led the world into chaos. You’ll play as an officer capable of hacking into the minds of criminals as well as experiencing someone’s emotions at the time of their death. You will use the information you find to solve complex cases and catch criminals. As the name implies, you’ll be playing as an observer, meaning you can’t avoid or save these people from death. You can only feel what they felt and saw in their final moments and use that to your advantage.
Exapunks
Exapunks lets you be an elite hacker and run wild with your imaginations. The game doesn’t have appealing graphics; it took a while for me to understand what was even going on in the game. But it does deliver some challenging tasks for you once you’ve become familiar with the gameplay. Basically, your job is to read these magazines and articles called zines and learn to program different machines. Then using your newfound knowledge, you’ll write instructions for your EXAs to execute a series of tasks and run successfully on these machines. You don’t actually need to know programming to play this game. But, having some basic knowledge does help to grasp things quickly. The gameplay mostly includes writing instructions to hack different organizations and run your code on their machines. You can also replay the levels and see if you can better optimize your code.
Uplink
Let’s be honest, real hacking is extremely complex, boring, and certainly not thrilling as you’ve watched in movies. Uplink is a hacking simulation game where you’ll be working as an agent for a corporation called Uplink and be involved in various illegal activities. It is not the most interesting game I’ve played, but it does come with some pretty interesting things to keep you occupied. You’ll basically accept these contracts from your corporation and hack into other people’s lives, and the company’s databases and expose their secrets while not giving away your information. In a way, it does include the mechanisms of the real world. Your screen will look like a literal computer of an early 2000’s computer screen where you’ll be able to see a bunch of popups and information along with high-contrast colors.
Cyber Manhunt: Home Sweet Home
It is a DLC pack for the Cyber Manhunt game. With a brand new story and truths to uncover, you will once again immerse yourself into the world of cybercrime. The main objective of the game remains the same, where you’ll spy and trace people to find out about their hidden secrets. But the main story in this one is different. It is fun and more challenging, requiring you to immerse yourself into the character completely and think as a real hacker. You’ll use different means to gain access to social accounts and find out the secrets of the people. You’ll get to have first-hand experience of how people live and maintain their private and social life, as well as how they can be completely different.
Hacknet
Hacknet revolves around real hacking elements along with an interesting story. You actually need to use terminals and some UNIX commands in this game. It is a hacking simulation game that lets you experience the dark side of human beings. You’ll play as an anonymous user who has been chosen by a famous hacker to uncover the secrets in case of his death. You receive an exclusive mail explaining the situations and instructions on how to uncover these secrets. As you move forward, following these instructions and uncovering mysteries of dangerous organizations, you’ll soon face the danger that you wish you were not part of. You’ll be able to see and feel what it is like to live the life of an actual hacker.
Gunpoint
Gunpoint is a simple game with simple graphics. But this game’s beauty lies in its simplicity. Every level in this game is designed beautifully to ensure you’ll enjoy every moment in this game. It is a puzzle-solving game where you’ll play as a spy who can be hired by people to perform dangerous tasks. The tasks usually involve breaking into people’s houses, stealing information, and escaping successfully. The buildings are guarded by guards and traps, so you’ll need to be careful not to get caught. The game has some hilarious mechanics which allow you to see all the traps, rewire them and use them to your advantage.
Hacker Simulator
As the name implies, it is a hacking simulation game that teaches you the basic concepts of hacking. You’ll be able to learn different techniques and methods used by real hackers to get into your network and access your information. While this may be a simulation game, it is still far better than the hacking you see in movies. This game introduces plenty of methods used by hackers and teaches you how to use them. It lets you play in an interactive environment where you’ll be doing all sorts of activities to get people to recognize you on the internet. You can hack into other people’s networks and use them to your advantage. You can invest in cryptocurrencies and then use the profit to upgrade your stuff, all while staying anonymous on the internet.
Replica
Replica is an interactive indie game that lets you show off your detective skills and become a hero who saves the country from downfall. You don’t play as any spy or a hacker in this game. Instead, you’ll play as a completely innocent normal citizen. However, the first twist in the game occurs when you find a cellphone of an unknown man. Now, you’ll need to unlock this cellphone and pry into the social and private life of the owner to uncover his secrets and save your country. As it turns out the owner of the phone is involved in terrorist activities, you’ll need to collect evidence to support this statement. Based on your findings, you may experience different possible endings in the game.
Duskers
Explore, adapt and survive. These are the only things that you should be concerned about while playing this game. The game is set in an outer-space environment that is filled with dangerous creatures that will kill you without second thoughts. You’ll play as a pilot who controls a spaceship and explore different regions of outer space in search of resources and answers. However, outer space is filled with dangers, and one mistake can cause you to lose everything. Drones and motion sensors can come in handy if you have them, but you also need to make sure to upgrade and repair them periodically. You can use command lines to control these devices. You’ll then need to find answers about why the universe is in such a state.
Hackmud
Hackmud is a multiplayer game where you’ll be able to crack the scripts made by other players as well as make your own scripts for others to crack. It is a simple puzzle-solving game that requires you to think like a person who created the puzzle in order to solve them. The game has a single-player mode which gives you hints and prepares you for the joy of multiplayer mode. The multiplayer mode is where all the fun resides. You’ll be able to compete against thousands of other players who have similar thinking as you. You need to have some basic knowledge of using the terminal if you want to enjoy this game.
System Shock 2
System Shock 2 is a horror survival game with some elements of RPG. It puts you in a ship full of crazy creatures trying to kill you. The game features three classes which you can choose at the beginning of your journey. The main objective of the game is to explore different areas of the ship in search of ammo, health kits, and objects called cyber modules. These cyber modules are used to upgrade your stats, such as strength, intelligence, and endurance. The game also features a skill called hacking which can be used to hack devices in the ship. The game feels like a combination of horror and action and does a pretty good job of keeping you entertained, considering it came more than two decades ago.
Quadrilateral Cowboy
Quadrilateral Cowboy is a puzzle/adventure game in which you become a hacker and perform a series of hackings and heists throughout the game. The gameplay itself isn’t that exciting, and it may seem repetitive at times, but it does have some unique aesthetics. You carry a really old-school computer inside a briefcase which you can use whenever you want. The hacking is basically done by typing a series of commands on your computer. You can hack different devices and use them to your advantage to break into doors and safes.
Hacker Evolution Untold
Someday in the future, computers will evolve to the point when they no longer need humans to operate them. They can do anything they want, and no one will be able to stop them. The world will be doomed, and humans will have no choice but to give up. That’s where you come in. You’ll play as a talented hacker trying to stop the revolution of computers and keep human beings in complete control. There will be many twists and turns throughout the game which will put you in difficult situations. However, it is your job as one of the people who started the technology that led humanity in this state to overcome all difficulties and stop computers from taking over the world.
