Uplink: Hack Elite

With the incredible noise generated this week over "uncovered spying on our emails, phone calls and internet use...", pardon me but welcome to 2001 and 2007 - I uncovered a great time waster for the puzzler in all of us who enjoy and use technology.

A game, "Uplink," being the original title, licensing issues ensued and so we have essentially the same game sold under two names, and "Uplink: Hacker Elite."

In this game you are a hacker.
No manual. There is a sparse tutorial that shows you how to establish a link online, crack a password and copy a file. They really don't delve into the facts that in following the tutorial you left a digital trail of breadcrumbs and will soon be found out.
In this game, if you are arrested, the game is essentially over. There are no Save Game options, the game loads from the last place and when you exit, that becomes your save point.
(Yes, you can root around, find the user profiles and copy them as backup)
But the idea is there is no do over, no reload. You lose, you lose. So be careful.
But they don't explain this.

So you either play by trial and error until you are arrested; although how you managed to ignore the several daily messages asking for payment of the fine assessed, is beyond me, or you go online - IRL and start looking for a manual, a hint, something!

The game itself is fascinating to play. You go to a bulletin board and peruse available jobs and the rating required for the jobs. Accepting one or if your rating is not up to snuff you can contact them by email, although that rarely works; you then set about to accomplish the job.

Steal a file
Copy research papers
Delete files

And as the game progresses, so do the missions. There is a plot line, but also this sandbox of work.

Later missions involve changing data, transferring funds, erasing identities. As you start to get the idea, any computer in the game is open to hacking. You can change your identity, transfer fund into your account. Ruin the reputations of your rivals. The way you approach it is up to you.

You can upgrade the Gateway itself, the various components, CPU, memory, the Modem Security measures etc. One security measure is a suicide device - when you are about to be caught you destroy all the evidence. The game is so very open to exploration that no two people will have the same experience.
You can upgrade your software, naturally.

Good Old Games
Has the game available for download for $5.99. Or you can get the original CD from the UK developers for $15.
Introversion - Uplink

I find myself frequently saying,
"Just one more, I need $2,000 more for my new CPU."

Yes, references to moves (Nakatomi is from the Bruce Willis Movie Die Hard) abound - one Easter egg is the Wargames computer is out there, somewhere.