Networkaholics by gmfk07

[raw]
made by gmfk07 for LD30 (COMPO)
A frantic, fast-paced game of playing the guardian in a network of unprotected computers.

You have to check up on e-mails, downloads, and URLs sent between computers. If they sound fishy - rich nigerian prince, anyone? - you need to delete them before they reach a computer.

Even has a few links to real-life security stuff! So, there's always that.

Controls/how to play/help follows:
The objective of the game is to protect your computer network in each level from various internet threats. You do this by examining potential threats by left-clicking them, and then right-clicking them again if they are dangerous.

You have three lives, which are represented by " :D " icons on the lower-right hand corner of the screen.

The gameplay components are:

Computers
These are the things you need to protect. If a dangerous file reaches a computer, you lose a life. Computers also produce e-mail.

E-mail
Produced by computers. Bad e-mail urges you to click on something. If an e-mail is bad, right-click it to delete it. Right-clicking a normal e-mail message will cost a life.
Example of good e-mail: "Oh, hey! How are you doing?"
Example of bad e-mail: "Hi, I'm Jim! Click HERE to enter a survey and win $100!"

Internet
The internet will produce downloads.

Downloads
Produced by the internet. If a download ends in .exe, you need to right-click to scan it. After you scan a download, it turns blue. Left-clicking to examine a scanned download will tell you if it is malicious or not - if it is, right-click it once more.
Example of a good download:"help.txt"
Example of a download that could be risky: "duck.exe" < if a download ends in .exe, right click to scan it.
Example of a scanned good download: "A somewhat hard video game."
Example of a scanned bad download: "Malware masquerading as a popular program."

Browser
A browser will produce urls.

URL
Produced by browsers. Good urls say "www.site.com." Bad urls say something slightly different.
Example of a good URL: "www.site.com"
Example of a bad URL: "www.sitte.com"

Ratings

Coolness 35% 1694
Overall 3.40 363
Audio 3.00 375
Fun 3.83 61
Graphics 2.50 922
Humor 4.12 16
Innovation 4.06 45
Theme 3.44 403

Feedback

OadT
25. Aug 2014 路 11:53 UTC
This game is really difficult, I couldn't get over level 2. But funny idea, now I know how hard the nsa works.
And you was right, the game is better than the screenshot
smbe19
25. Aug 2014 路 13:07 UTC
Chrome claims your .exe download is malware. How fitting ;)
馃帳 gmfk07
25. Aug 2014 路 20:53 UTC
Wow, smbe. That is... something.

You wouldn't have happened to download it from a strange sounding e-mail, did you? ;)
ZoneOne2
26. Aug 2014 路 23:48 UTC
Haha, I quite like this. I could see a more polished, deeper version as a kind of "Papers, Please" game.
Lacaranian
26. Aug 2014 路 23:59 UTC
Very hard, but it's well made! The emails that are almost spam but then psych you out - those really got me at first.
nerd burglars
28. Aug 2014 路 01:02 UTC
I'm up for the challenge! Fun and original gameplay :) GJ!
Snicklodocus
28. Aug 2014 路 21:21 UTC
Gets very difficult very fast! I loved the idea. If this was easier, I think it could actually be used to help people learn internet safety. Great job.
katanagari7c1
28. Aug 2014 路 21:32 UTC
I couldn't pass beyond level 3. :(
Very interesting and fun concept. Like it.
ForeignGuyMike
28. Aug 2014 路 21:34 UTC
Haha very fun and challenging. Yes level 2 was a pretty huge jump in difficulty from level 1. Those files to be scanned take a while.
Sanguine
28. Aug 2014 路 21:36 UTC
Super interesting concept and executed well. Could be a bit easier though.
馃帳 gmfk07
28. Aug 2014 路 22:54 UTC
Thanks for all the support, everyone! This game accidentally became a rage game... oops :P

If I were to add a mode for wusses (read as: easy mode) what do you think I could do? Decrease letter spawn rate? Decrease speed? Decrease probability of an exe/bad download/bad url?
PeerPlay
28. Aug 2014 路 23:41 UTC
Pretty hard game, but had a few good laughs :)
hadesfury
30. Aug 2014 路 09:29 UTC
Good idea ... quite hard to succeed
RaycoSantana
31. Aug 2014 路 12:52 UTC
Liked the concept a lot, the game was too hard but is a really good game!
OhFiddleDiddle
02. Sep 2014 路 15:45 UTC
I got up to level 3, but like everyone else says, it just gets way too hard. :P
Really fun game though, I love the concept. :)
DvanderAart
02. Sep 2014 路 17:03 UTC
Pretty challenging!
Knowledge
03. Sep 2014 路 07:52 UTC
Level 5 is too hard or even impossible.
Did you play your game?
馃帳 gmfk07
03. Sep 2014 路 20:25 UTC
Yep.

I even had a few people try it out, and most could beat it... if it took them a while.

I agree it's quite hard, and I have made an easier version but I can't post it up here for rules reasons.