Bitburner

About

Bitburner is a single player role playing game with a horror theme. It was developed by Fulcrum Games and was released on December 10, 2021. It received very positive reviews from players.

Bitburner is a programming-based incremental game. Write scripts in JavaScript to automate gameplay, learn skills, play minigames, solve puzzles, and more in this cyberpunk text-based incremental RPG.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,846 reviews

gameplay84 positive mentions

grinding62 negative mentions

Offers a deep and addictive programming experience using real JavaScript, suitable for both beginners and experienced coders.
Unique blend of hacking-themed incremental gameplay and script automation that keeps progressing and evolving over long play sessions.
Free and open source with active developer support and a helpful community providing resources and guidance.

Steep learning curve especially for players without prior programming experience; some players find the tutorial and documentation insufficient.
The game can feel grindy and slow, with repetitive progression and resets that may discourage some players.
Minimalist, text-based interface and lack of hand-holding may be off-putting for players seeking more visual appeal and guided gameplay.

gameplay
422 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
76%
4%
Bitburner offers a unique and addictive gameplay loop that combines incremental/idle mechanics with real JavaScript scripting to automate hacking and other in-game activities, providing depth and variety as new mechanics unlock over time. While the learning curve is steep and the gameplay can become repetitive or grind-heavy, especially for non-programmers, many players find the mix of coding challenges and automation rewarding and engaging. The game’s complexity, frequent content updates, and active community enhance its long-term appeal for those interested in programming and optimization.
- “The game does a really good job of gating mechanics to let you learn without being overwhelmed; the mechanics complement each other really well, automating features feels really good, and no single feature trivializes the game or feels useless.”
- “The core gameplay revolves around writing JavaScript scripts to automate in-game actions such as hacking servers, managing finances, and enhancing your character's abilities. It combines incremental game mechanics with strategic scripting and automation.”
- “By opening up mechanics of the game and providing an ever-growing API (and great online documentation) to the player, Bitburner gives its player something quite unusual for an idle game: agency and independence.”
- “There's slow progress, there's padded gameplay, and then there's bitburner's "gameplay" loop putting both concepts to shame.”
- “Furthermore, rather than having the player get hands-on with the GUI first, exploring the mechanics and slowly tutorializing the systems to create a fun corporate-management game, everything is explained from the start in a guide which actively tells the player not to use the GUI since it's "inefficient" while also explaining all the systems the player can ignore because they are also "inefficient." Why are they even there then???”
- “The slow addition of new mechanics after a while makes it so I am able to continue writing more scripts once I feel like I've fully optimized the previous mechanic.”
story
196 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
69%
5%
The game's story is a subtle, evolving cyberpunk narrative intertwined with coding and automation mechanics, offering a mystery and world-building that gradually unfolds as players progress. While some players find the plot engaging and motivating, others see it as minimalistic or thin, with the story often secondary to gameplay and learning programming. Overall, the story adds atmospheric depth and encouragement but may not satisfy those seeking a strong, character-driven storyline.
- “The game draws inspiration from titles like Uplink and Hacknet but integrates deeper mechanics and a mysterious story surrounding alien technology known as bitnodes.”
- “Complex and interwoven storyline that is beautifully hidden in code and planted files, with thousands of inside jokes.”
- “The game's storyline is engaging, and the characters you encounter throughout your journey are memorable and well-written.”
- “The game doesn't have a story for the first ~75 hours of gameplay with background programming knowledge.”
- “Story - the evolving story within Bitburner failed to be enough to sustain me.”
- “The script writing aspect gives it a little bit of the illusion of depth, and apparently there's some kind of storyline to pursue, but there just wasn't enough there to capture my interest.”
graphics
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
76%
3%
Bitburner features minimalist, text-based graphics with a cyberpunk, hacker-themed aesthetic that appeals to coding enthusiasts and fans of retro terminal styles. While it lacks traditional visuals, sound, and flashy effects, its design supports immersion and functionality tailored to its niche audience, though it may deter players seeking rich graphical experiences. Overall, the graphics prioritize atmosphere and usability over complexity, aligning well with the game's programming focus.
- “I really love the old MS-DOS graphics of this game.”
- “Visually, the game is minimalist and functional, focusing on clear technical information rather than elaborate graphics. This aligns perfectly with its target audience, who typically value content complexity over aesthetics.”
- “The graphics are just text and reminiscent of the Matrix, making you feel like an actual hacker so it adds to the vibe of the game and is pretty easy on the eyes.”
- “There is basically no story and there is no music no graphics just a rudimentary GUI.”
- “Being a programming-based game, Bitburner's graphics might not meet the expectations of modern gamers. The visuals are simplistic and lack the level of detail found in contemporary games.”
- “Bit-burner is a step above the rest because it has a theme-appropriate 80s-terminal aesthetic, which at least contextualizes the raw spreadsheet look but it's also ugly, if functional.”
grinding
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
13%
83%
Grinding is a significant and sometimes tedious part of the game, often requiring extensive repetitive tasks and long AFK farming sessions. However, the ability to automate most grind-heavy activities through scripting helps reduce the monotony and is a core appeal for players who enjoy programming. While some find the grind rewarding and integral to progression, others feel it can be overly time-consuming and discouraging, particularly during ascension resets and late-game content.
- “However, the idle aspect and the prestige mechanic have both been implemented in ways that are absolutely not tedious.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second live for grinding.”
- “The game could be fun but it's extremely grindy, limiting your ability to write scripts in some areas due to memory limits, which is just an annoying bypassable restriction.”
- “This is generally a nice game, but the ascension mechanic hits you hard by stripping away all of the bonuses you acquired so far; after two weeks of grinding, all you keep is a meager stat bonus and what you learned and coded along the way. Then you have to re-grind from the very bottom to access new game mechanics, facing another two weeks of grinding for minimal rewards.”
- “Oops, reboot from start with nothing accomplished in the past 60 hours besides a 10% boost and a thing you won't need after grinding for another hour; time to grind again, grind, grind, grind.”
optimization
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
83%
5%
Bitburner excels in offering deep optimization and automation challenges, rewarding players who enjoy scripting and fine-tuning their code to maximize performance. While it provides a smooth experience with satisfying progression, some users note diminishing returns and repetition in the late game, and occasional issues with background resource usage may impact system performance. Overall, it’s highly recommended for players seeking an engaging programming and optimization-focused incremental game.
- “If you’re into tinkering, problem solving, or just geeking out over optimization, Bitburner is a total win ^_^”
- “There’s a satisfying progression: from basic scripts and a handful of servers to whole networks, optimized routines, and advanced automation.”
- “For those who enjoy it, the game offers a wealth of content, including many complex systems that can be understood, automated, and optimized.”
- “In my opinion one of the original ideas for games and good practice for programming, but I hope this game will be optimized for Linux or Steam Deck because I have trouble running it on my machine.”
- “The program, by using power, reduces overall performance by a notch and makes some games previously played run way worse in performance and FPS.”
- “But the problem is that even after you close the game, it is still running in the background using all your power, checked that many times with Task Manager and Performance Monitor.”
music
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
82%
11%
Users consistently note the absence of music and sound effects in the game, suggesting that adding a cyberpunk or synthwave soundtrack would greatly enhance the atmosphere and immersion. Many recommend playing their own music, such as hacker-themed or iconic game soundtracks, alongside the game to improve the experience. Despite the lack of audio, the game is still praised, but music is widely seen as a valuable potential addition.
- “The only downside to this game, in my opinion, is that it has no sound, which isn't even a big deal considering this is an idle game that's designed to be played and run in the background, whilst you play other, more involved, games, but I would still enjoy it if the dev added some kind of background music (some kind of synthwave would work really well, owing to the cyberpunk theme) and maybe some clickity-clacks when you type.”
- “Only issue I have with it, is that there is no music/soundtrack.”
- “It's a rather nice game, but it would have been even greater if it actually had music and some actual visual graphics.”
- “The lack of music and sound effects make the ever existing 'coding' style look of the game less interesting, which is a real shame since this would be a great game to provide new and interesting music.”
- “My only wish is that there was a massive soundtrack of cyberpunk-themed music, along with the ability to turn it off and adjust volume.”
humor
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in this game is widely praised for being clever, silly, and genuinely funny, often resonating especially well with programmers and those familiar with coding. Players enjoy humorous references, amusing in-game situations, and the playful tone that makes hacking feel entertaining rather than intimidating. Overall, the humor adds a distinctive charm and lightheartedness that enhances the learning and gameplay experience.
- “It’s hilarious, it’s dangerously educational, and it’s the most fun you can have 'hacking' without ending up on a watchlist.”
- “No other game made me laugh out loud that often, feeling like an evil genius.”
- “And it's got some funny references to other hacking games and some TV shows (I found a Chuck reference that made me giggle).”
replayability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The game offers extensive replayability through diverse strategies, automation, and a semi-roguelite soft-reset system that carries over bonuses. It features hidden content and evolving mechanics unlocked over time, keeping gameplay fresh and engaging. Players appreciate its near-infinite replay value, rewarding experimentation without falling into repetitive idle gameplay.
- “Replayability in Bitburner is enormous.”
- “Though the game can become a grind in mid-runs, its semi-roguelite aspect allows you to soft-reset most of your progress but with some bonuses carrying over, giving it a bit more replayability.”
- “Without revealing any spoilers, after about a week of gameplay, something happens which opens up tons of new mechanics and replayability.”
- “Though the game can become a grind in mid-runs, its semi-roguelite aspect allows you to soft-reset most of your progress but with some bonuses carrying over, giving it a tad bit more replayability.”
- “You think you've reached the end of the replayability within the first hour, but there is a lot of hidden storyline/plot.”
- “Also, you have to love a game that not only expects players to try to break it but rewards it in some ways, and it's set up with a lot of replayability and potentially more in the future while managing to avoid the rote repetition that a lot of idle games get into.”
monetization
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
50%
19%
The game is entirely free with no ads, microtransactions, or DLC, offering substantial content without any intrusive monetization. Users appreciate the straightforward, ad-free experience that enhances programming skills while remaining actively developed.
- “The amount of content in this game is surprising, considering that it is completely free to play with no in-game purchase options.”
- “I recommend this game; as of 1.1.2024, it's still free to play with no DLC and no advertisements, so just go for it and enhance your programming abilities.”
- “No in-game purchases, no ads – just plain fun!”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game generally runs well on macOS across multiple versions, especially appreciated by players familiar with scripting and troubleshooting. However, stability is a notable issue, with frequent bugs causing scripts to stop working or freeze the game, sometimes requiring hard reloads to resolve. Despite these problems, community support helps mitigate some frustration for users tackling buggy or inconsistent scripting behavior.
- “Sadly, the API is so buggy and badly designed it ruins the fun.”
- “One of the bigger issues I have with this game is that it is kinda buggy in that scripts will just randomly stop working at times, and only a hard reload with killing all running scripts will fix it.”
- “It's difficult to figure out what's wrong if the program doesn't crash but returns the wrong values - sure, I can just print the variables to the console, but that doesn't work when my program locks up into an endless loop and freezes.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes a range of emotions, from excitement and nostalgia to feeling intellectually empowered and emotionally moved by the plot. Many users appreciate the sense of accomplishment in brushing up on coding skills, while others are captivated by the immersive storytelling. Overall, it offers both fun and meaningful engagement.
- “I cried a lot because the plot is great.”
- “Its exciting, and every time there is some story piece I can read, I'm sitting here with my nose almost touching the screen because I'm like "ohh my god, what happens now?!?".”
- “Had to dust off old coding skills and was happy to learn new things that made me feel useful again.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game excels in creating a rich, mysterious cyberpunk atmosphere that deepens as you progress, blending puzzle-solving with a unique text-based tycoon experience. While the overall story is minimal, the narrative elements effectively enhance the immersive environment, appealing especially to those interested in programming and scripting challenges.
- “The game's strength lies in its mysterious atmosphere and layered depth, where every click and decision feels like uncovering another puzzle piece.”
- “So yes, if you like the idea of learning scripting in a text-based game set in a cyberpunk atmosphere, look no further.”
- “Has a significantly excellent cyberpunk atmosphere and gives me a lot of novel programming problems to solve.”