Hacktivate

Hi, folks! I’m Paul, the creator of Hacktivate. When I was a teenager I learned about computers by trying things, breaking things, and fixing them again. I wanted to bring that spirit back – safely! – for the next generation. Hacktivate turns real cybersecurity concepts into playable hacking missions – you get to learn real-world concepts like SQL injection, steganography, digital forensics, and more, all using hands-on challenges on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. I’ve worked to give the UI a “Hollywood-hacker” aesthetic, and have been heavily inspired by games I loved such as Command & Conquer, Uplink, and Syndicate. So, while the UI might feel like the War Games movie, every skill you learn is real. I’d love your feedback, especially from educators, developers, and security pros who want to get more people hooked on ethical hacking. Thanks for checking it out! (And if you like it, an upvote would mean the world! 🙌)

Incredible app Paul! The level of detail and delightfulness in the game design is inspiring. Hackitvate should definitely be a serious candidate for next year’s Apple Design Awards! Cybersecurity is such an increasingly important area and often youth computer science education doesn’t focus on it. Really appreciate you creating a game that is not only fun but can really further student’s learning in an area that is often forgotten.