Hacknet review

Hacknet takes first place because it is the hacking game that most closely resembles sitting at a real terminal. The Steam page describes old-school command prompts and real hacking processes, and the story starts when Bit, the creator of an invasive security system, fails to reconnect for 14 days and his failsafe begins sending you instructions by email. You scan, break into and clean up after systems by typing commands, with minimal hand-holding. The Labyrinths expansion adds a 3 to 4 hour chapter with a team of elite hackers, and the free Hacknet Extensions tools let players build their own campaigns, networks and missions and share them through Steam Workshop. It costs $9.99, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux with a 512 MB RAM minimum, and 94% of 7,707 Steam user reviews are positive. The limits are a linear single-player story and no multiplayer, so players who want an open sandbox should look at Grey Hack or Bitburner.

Who it is for

Players who want hacking that feels like typing real commands into a terminal

Price

$9.99 one-time purchase on Steam (US store).

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Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Old-school command prompts modeled on real hacking processes
• Story mystery driven by emails from Bit, a hacker who has died
• Hacknet Labyrinths expansion adds a 3 to 4 hour chapter
• Free Hacknet Extensions tools for building campaigns, networks and missions
• Steam Workshop sharing for player-made extensions

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: 94% of 7,707 Steam user reviews are positive
• Strength: $9.99 base price on Windows, macOS and Linux
• Strength: Minimum spec is 512 MB of RAM and 500 MB of storage
• Weakness: Single-player only
• Weakness: The main campaign is a linear story, so replay value depends on Workshop extensions
• Weakness: Minimal hand-holding, by the developer's own description

Key facts

• Developer: Team Fractal Alligator
• Publisher: Fellow Traveller
• Released on Steam: August 12, 2015
• Minimum RAM: 512 MB
• Steam user reviews: 94% positive of 7,707

Where it ranks

Hacknet is No. 1 in our Best Hacker Games verdict.