Hacknet similar games & best alternatives

Hacknet

PC (Microsoft Windows), Linux, Mac • 2015

Should you play it?

Hacknet is an immersive, terminal-based hacking simulator for PC. Dive down a rabbit hoIe as you follow the instructions of a recently deceased hacker, whose death may not have been the accident the media reports.

What works
  • Immersive and realistic hacking simulation
  • Engaging story with mystery and twists
  • Well-designed ui with command line and gui options
  • Excellent soundtrack enhancing atmosphere
  • Good replay value with dlc and community content
Things to keep in mind
  • Some bugs and save issues reported
  • Repetitive gameplay in mid to late stages
  • Limited customization and no multiplayer
  • Requires some english and technical knowledge
  • Story can feel linear and predictable

What to play next

Similar games, hidden gems, and fresh directions from this game.

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Anonymous Hacker Simulator

  • Uncle Chop's Rocket Shop

  • Laysara: Summit Kingdom

  • Grunn

  • Song of Farca

  • Gemporium: A Cute Mining Sim

  • Roots of Yggdrasil

  • Strange Antiquities

  • Beyond a Steel Sky

Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Roots of Yggdrasil

  • Cursed Words: The Word Game That Isn't

  • Escape Goat 2

If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Autonomy

    Webbed

  • Competence

    Duskers

  • Escapism

    Uplink

Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Why this game works” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers (hidden on purpose).

Hacknet: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Fellowship, Violence, Survival, Cooperation. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Story. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Violence, Leadership.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

    Game with the same Autonomy vibe

    4

    "Players have freedom to choose how to move, solve puzzles, and explore with multiple approaches to tasks."

    Capsule for Webbed Webbed

    "Players have freedom to choose commands, explore systems, and solve puzzles with open-ended approaches."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    4

    "Game requires skillful command input, strategic planning, and adaptation to unpredictable situations, rewarding mastery and learning."

    Capsule for Duskers Duskers

    "Game requires learning and applying command line skills, logical thinking, and timed challenges to succeed."

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    -4

    "Single-player game focused on personal progress and exploration without player-vs-player competition."

    Capsule for Avernum: Escape From the Pit Avernum: Escape From the Pit

    "Singleplayer game focused on personal progress and story without player-vs-player competition."

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    3

    "Players report addictive gameplay with long sessions possible; DLC and achievements encourage replay and extended play."

    Capsule for Painkiller Hell & Damnation Painkiller Hell & Damnation

    "Players report addictive gameplay and replay value with multiple storylines and DLC."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    -5

    "Entirely singleplayer experience with no cooperative or multiplayer features."

    Capsule for OH MY GOD, LOOK AT THIS KNIGHT OH MY GOD, LOOK AT THIS KNIGHT

    "Entirely singleplayer experience with no multiplayer or cooperative gameplay."

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    3

    "Players can experiment with different hacking strategies and tools; user-created missions add creative content."

    Capsule for NITE Team 4 - Military Hacking Division NITE Team 4 - Military Hacking Division

    "Players experiment with commands and explore different hacking approaches and easter eggs."

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    -5

    "No social dominance or power over others; interactions are solo and story-driven."

    Capsule for Helen's Mysterious Castle Helen's Mysterious Castle

    "No social dominance or power over others; interactions are solo and story-driven."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    4

    "Immersive hacking experience provides strong escape from real life stress and routines."

    Capsule for Uplink Uplink

    "Immersive hacking fantasy provides a strong escape from real life stress and routine."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and curiosity, not obligation or external pressure."

    Capsule for NEEDY STREAMER OVERLOAD NEEDY STREAMER OVERLOAD

    "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and curiosity, not obligation or pressure."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    4

    "Encourages trying new things, exploring secrets, and experimenting with mechanics and game elements."

    Capsule for LOEK LOEK

    "Encourages trying new commands, exploring systems, and uncovering secrets."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    4

    "Open world exploration, dungeon delving, and discovery of secrets are key gameplay elements."

    Capsule for Tales of Seikyu Tales of Seikyu

    "Open exploration of networks, files, and hidden content is a key gameplay element."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    2

    "Some customization of piece appearance and themes available, but limited to cosmetic changes."

    Capsule for Hive Hive

    "Some UI themes and minor customization exist but limited overall."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    3

    "The game simulates a hacker fantasy with some realistic elements but simplified for entertainment and learning."

    Capsule for Hacker Simulator Hacker Simulator

    "Simulates a stylized hacker fantasy with some realistic elements but simplified for gameplay."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    -4

    "Focus on solo play with minimal social or community interaction within the game."

    Capsule for Caribbean Legend Caribbean Legend

    "Focus on solo play with minimal social interaction or community integration in-game."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    4

    "Players learn real-world hacking concepts and commands, gaining knowledge and skills."

    Capsule for HackHub: Free Trial HackHub: Free Trial

    "Players learn command line skills and hacking concepts progressively."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -5

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

    Capsule for World of Tanks Blitz World of Tanks Blitz

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    -4

    "Requires focused attention and active management during gameplay."

    Capsule for Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance TD Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance TD

    "Requires focused attention and active command input during gameplay."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    -4

    "No close social or emotional relationships formed through gameplay; solitary experience."

    Capsule for Zodiacats Zodiacats

    "No close social relationships formed in-game; solitary experience."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    -5

    "No leadership or group management roles present."

    Capsule for Half-Life: Alyx Half-Life: Alyx

    "No leadership or group management roles present."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    3

    "Players progress through story chapters, unlock new areas, and gain new tools like the hacking device."

    Capsule for Beyond a Steel Sky Beyond a Steel Sky

    "Players gain new hacking tools and unlock story content as they progress."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    2

    "Atmospheric and immersive, but some tension from timed turns and challenging deduction."

    Capsule for Mysterium: A Psychic Clue Game Mysterium: A Psychic Clue Game

    "Some tension from timed hacks but overall balanced with immersive flow."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    3

    "Engaging visuals, sound effects, and physical feedback provide stimulating sensory experience."

    Capsule for Knockout League - Arcade VR Boxing Knockout League - Arcade VR Boxing

    "Engaging UI, music, and command feedback provide stimulating sensory experience."

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    -4

    "No social status or recognition mechanics within gameplay."

    Capsule for RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3: Complete Edition RollerCoaster Tycoon® 3: Complete Edition

    "No social status or recognition mechanics in the game."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    4

    "Strong narrative with multiple endings, character development, and lore exploration."

    Capsule for White Day: A Labyrinth Named School White Day: A Labyrinth Named School

    "Strong narrative with mystery, character interaction, and multiple endings."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    3

    "Requires planning skill builds, resource allocation, and timing for upgrades and resets."

    Capsule for Idle Skilling Idle Skilling

    "Requires planning command sequences and managing limited resources like memory."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    3

    "Tension from countdown timers and risk of failure creates suspense and excitement."

    Capsule for Bomb Squad Academy Bomb Squad Academy

    "Timed trace counters and risk of failure create suspense and excitement."

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    4

    "Highly praised for content and replayability relative to price."

    Capsule for SanctuaryRPG: Black Edition SanctuaryRPG: Black Edition

    "Highly praised for content, story, and replay value relative to price."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    -4

    "No combat mechanics; focus on exploration and puzzle solving rather than destruction."

    Capsule for Whispering Willows Whispering Willows

    "Focus on hacking and exploration rather than combat or destruction."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    2

    "Players must avoid failure by detecting anomalies to progress, creating a mild survival tension."

    Capsule for The Exit 8 The Exit 8

    "Players must avoid detection and failure, adding survival-like tension."

Last update: 01/06/2026