The problem
Hacking games either go full arcade (typing speed minigames) or full simulator (pretend-Linux for two hours). The interesting space is in between — fast enough to feel like hacking, deep enough to feel like a story. That's the design target.
The approach
Designed a node-based narrative engine where every job rewires the underlying network you're hacking.
Wrote a fake-shell layer that's just real enough to feel like Linux without becoming a chore.
Branching consequences — alliances and reputations propagate through later jobs without scripting every combination.
The outcome
Fully playable in the browser — no install.
Roughly 2–3 hours of branching playtime in the first arc.
Reusable narrative engine that I'm planning to spin into a separate library.