Hacker simulator

Maya, 24, lives in San Francisco and hunts software flaws through crowd-sourced platforms like HackerOne. She sets a life goal to team up with a rival researcher before the August conventions in Las Vegas. She adds daily to-do items like writing a clean report on a web application flaw.

On Tuesday, her rival texts her to suggest meeting at a café near Market Street. They walk there on the 3D map and talk in a group thread about a tricky privilege escalation bug. When Maya promises to share her notes, her rival remembers that promise later in the week.

San Francisco and Silicon Valley lead the commercial application security scene, with HackerOne and the annual RSA Conference. Every August, Las Vegas hosts Black Hat USA and DEF CON, known together as Hacker Summer Camp. The Washington, D.C. metro area anchors defense cyber operations near the Pentagon, US Cyber Command, and major contractors.

In Germany, Berlin and Hamburg are home to the Chaos Computer Club, one of the oldest hacker associations. Tel Aviv is a major center for offensive security research and startups founded by Unit 8200 alumni. Name any of these cities in your character prompt, and the game places you on its real streets.

LifeSim has no skill bars, certification exams, or career ladder. You start the job by writing it directly into your character description box. You can write that you are a junior penetration tester, a red teamer, or an independent researcher.

Your career grows through your goals, your daily to-do list, and the people in your cast. You can edit your boss, a skeptical bank executive, or a fellow tester in your cast list. Conversations and daily activities change your cash, your health, and your relationships.

Lukas, 29, wakes up in Berlin before a scheduled maintenance window for a shipping company client. He checks his to-do list: define the scope, run recon notes, and finish the client remediation report. Because LifeSim has no interiors, he walks to a café in Mitte to meet his team lead outside.

They talk in their own words about a server that locked an automated warehouse door during a test. In the afternoon, Lukas edits his calendar and answers texts from a nervous client manager. At night, the day ends with a recap of his moments, relationships, and cash changes.

Writing penetration test reports and staying ahead of zero-day exploits can cause high stress. You need time away from work to keep your health and relationships strong. Friends and family text you on their own to invite you to outings around the city.

You can check the map for happenings like house parties, karaoke, birthday drinks, or a pickup game. Pick a real park or bar with place search and walk there with your group. As days pass, your character ages through life stages, builds memories, and starts new goals.