Real terminal, real tools, real techniques. NODE: PROTOCOL’s free demo is playable on NextFest.

After months of preparation and testing, the demo build is finally ready to go. As of today it's in Steam Next Fest, and the free demo is live and playable right now.

Let me tell you what it actually is, because "hacking game" usually means flashing green text and a bar that fills up when you mash a key. NODE is the opposite of that. You sit in front of a real Linux command-line terminal and you do the work yourself. You scan networks, you find and exploit real vulnerabilities, you crack passwords, and you move from one machine to the next using the actual tools and commands. Nothing is faked. You type it.

I built it this way because I come from a cyber background, and the thing that always bothered me about hacking games is that none of them respect how it really works. I wanted a game where the knowledge is real, where cracking a system actually feels like cracking a system.

What's in the demo

The Next Fest demo is a real slice, not a two-minute teaser:

• 80 gateways to break into (and more hiding on the LANs)
• A tutorial to get you started if the terminal is new to you
• Missions all the way up to Trust 5
• A real Linux command-line terminal
• Advanced help and explanations built in, so you are never fully stuck
• It runs on low-end hardware. If your laptop is old, it will still run.

Why this week matters

Steam Next Fest runs 19 to 26 October, and it's the one window where a small game like mine gets put in front of people who would never find it otherwise. So if you have ever wanted a hacking game that treats you like you have a brain, this is the week to try it.

Early Access launches 6 November at $18.99. The demo is free, no catch.

Play it, and please wishlist it

Here is the part I have to ask you directly, because for a solo dev it genuinely matters.

Play the free demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4754280/NODE_PROTOCOL_Demo/ And if you like it, wishlist NODE: PROTOCOL: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4514420/NODE_PROTOCOL/

Discord: https://discord.gg/rGXa2jR5d8